Walking With Christ

7 days until Christmas.

Luke 2:6-7 (6)And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. (7)And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.(ESV)

Swaddling cloths. In a manger. In a tiny town. Some believe that, due to the location of the birth and the unplanned nature of where they were staying, the swaddling cloths used for the birth of Jesus would have most likely been the same cloths used for the births of sheep in the manger. It’s not possible to prove since there is no archeological evidence either way and the bible doesn’t explicitly say. Still, swaddling cloths in the manger of a tiny town is not where anyone would have expected the most important birth ever for mankind to happen. The difference between the humble nature of His birth and what we would expect of His birth should highlight more than just His humble nature. It should show how drastically differently we view life. The swaddling cloths, the manger, and that tiny town were good enough for our King to be born. Yet, some demand better or more. He changed life as we know it with so little. Some have it all and do so little.

He was born in a borrowed bed, possibly with borrowed swaddling cloths, in a town He would never actually call home. How much more unassuming of a birth can there be? That’s the point, though. Some are born into wealth. Great. Let them sing praises about their blessings. Some are born with nothing. So was our savior. He didn’t come just for the rich and powerful. He didn’t come just for royalty, famous people, influential people, powerful people, captains of industry, or any specific group or segment of society. No, He came so that even the lowest of the low, the dregs and castoffs of society, and those shunned and despised by society could know that there is a God who knows them, sees them, is right there in the dirty, pain, and misery with them. He is there to comfort them. He is there to celebrate the highs and mourn the lows. He is there to lift them up not just to that next peak but to a whole new everlasting life where there is no such thing as pain or suffering. He loves them as they are, but wants to see them rise to the version of them He saw when He made them.

The unexpected, even though it shouldn’t have been, nature of the birth of Jesus shows us that we will find God in the most unexpected of places and doing the most amazing things with little to nothing. The story of His birth should also show us that there is nowhere we can go, no height, no depth, no distance, where He is no still with us in this life. We can’t run from His presence. We can’t hide from His love. Our goal should be to seek Him out where we are, but also to show others the nearly unlimited ways in which He manifests Himself in and through our lives. One person unexpectedly loses the money they were going to use to buy their next fix which saves their life. One person unexpectedly finds that money and now they can make it home to see their family. We can’t tell other people how they should see God. We can only tell them where we see God. Our job isn’t to be the used car salesmen of the religious world. Our job is to show them how our lives changed by knowing our best friend, Jesus.

Giving someone the gift of a new friend in Jesus is the greatest gift that we can ever give them because the birth of Jesus was the greatest gift that God ever gave to the world. For those who are getting dozens or hundreds of presents for Christmas, it means nothing if they don’t have this one perfect gift. For those who will receive nothing for Christmas, they have received the whole world if they receive this one perfect gift. The price is free to us, but the worth is immeasurable.

Jesus never lost that humility. He never gave in to the desires of the world or the flesh. He knew that He would one day give it all up for those He loves – us. We study the humility, but it’s the love that we celebrate.

Father,
Jesus came into the world with nothing. This humility is a lesson for everyone. The life of Jesus, from the first prophecy, to His final accension into Heaven defines our faith. It shows Your faithfulness to fulfill the promises You made even before You laid the foundations of the earth. The story of Jesus’ birth touches every heart. The borrowed bed in a tiny town shows how little such things matter in reality. We know, through the life of Jesus, that we can find joy in any situation. We sing praises to Your name for all of the blessings You brought into our lives. Whether it’s the chance encounters that make us smile, the life altering lessons we get over a cup of coffee, the cataclysm, or the rain, we thank You and we praise You. You have poured out an uncountable multitude of blessings in each of us. Some as small as spare change in the couch when we had plenty. Others change our lives. Some blessings have the most subtle effects on how we go about our day. Others force us to slow down or even stop for a while. In the moment, it might seem like discomfort or pain. It might shake us to the very core of who we think we are. Still, we know that You are in control and You have a plan for us. You lead us by still waters and make us lie down in green pastures. Help us to understand the humility of Jesus and the life that He lived for us. Help us to be the mirrors that reflect the light You sent into the world. Let the whole world see the truth of Your love through the works You do in us and through us.

In Jesus name we pray, amen.