Lying in a Manger

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12 ESV). Artists often portray the stable where Jesus was born as being bright and neatly swept, with a fresh layer of straw in the manger. However, this simply was not the case. It was, after all, a barn. Actually it probably was a cave that was used as a barn. As is true with every animal stall it must have been cold, damp, and littered with filthy straw. Yet this is the kind of place that God chose to reveal His only begotten Son to the world. He chose to enter the world in this dark, musty, smelly place. We should not fail to recognize the significance of this truth. Just like the physical place where Jesus first came to earth, so is the spiritual place where the Holy Spirit now abides. Often our hearts are just as filthy as that stable in Bethlehem. Bitterness, lust, hatred, and countless other sins may clutter our hearts. Without him they remain cold and dark, with the stench of sin hanging in the air. Despite all the dirt and grime in our lives, Jesus longs to be born in our hearts by faith. I am sure that after Jesus was born in that Bethlehem stable, it didn’t feel so dark and cold anymore because the Light of the world was there. He delights to come into our lives and clean up the residue that sin leaves behind and shine his light into the darkest and dingiest corners. In our house we have always had some sort of nativity scene displayed for Christmas. It has always been placed in a central location so that anyone would be able to see it and recognize it as the focus of our celebration. Thinking a bit further along those lines, I am drawn to the need to display prominently the “nativity scene” in our hearts. As we interact with others in our daily lives, with all of the distractions of schedules and activities, we should not miss the opportunity to accurately reflect the peace of God in the Child of Bethlehem. Jesus really is the answer to all of our problems; and yet, he seems to be the last one we focus on in our solutions. Those shepherds had the “dirtiest” of careers in the Middle East. They were often shunned and avoided by the rest of the population. Yet, when the angels come to them, they are given the directions to Jesus so that their lives might truly be “clean.” This is the message we carry with us in Jesus. Share it!