Originally written December 25, 2002, edited
December 2014
"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7 ESV
As I watch and listen to the
different sights and sounds this Christmas season, I am intrigued by the
details of the Christmas story and how Christ was brought into this world. Each
year in the weeks leading up to Christmas day I try to spend time soaking in
these details from the various gospel accounts, and each year it seems a new
detail is highlighted for me. This post was originally an email written in 2002
and is the first entry in my book, which I am reworking, hence starting here. I'm excited
to revisit these details and hope that looking back with me helps us both look
forward to the joyful celebration of our Savior's coming, today and always.
At Christmas, Christians
celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, Emmanuel - God with
us. Reading Luke's account tells us of the birth of Jesus and reminds us
that Jesus made His grand appearance into this world in a not-so-grand style.
Contrary to what Jews were expecting of their Messiah, He came quite simply,
humbly, and quietly into an ordinary family as
a baby.
Sit with that thought for a
moment. Jesus Christ came into this world as
a baby, and a newborn at that!
For anyone who has had a baby,
or anyone who has held a newborn, really, really ponder this thought, this reality.
All too often, though, I leap forward to the 30-33 year old Jesus and don't
really consider the marvel, the wonder that happened in that stable so many
years ago. God became man; He took on flesh, but not as a powerful adult prince
of this world, no... as a tiny, helpless, newborn baby. The newborn stage of life is pretty rough. Sweet moments, sure, but it's messy, tiresome, and lots of chaos.
To top it off, He wasn't even
born in the meager comforts of a home. Nope. He was born in a stable surrounded
by dirty animals, the unavoidable stable smells that linger, and loud animal
noises. There wasn't a crib or bassinet awaiting Him. A trough provided our Lord's
first bed. That's right, a trough, the dining plate for animals. Most of us
don't spend much time in stables, but to bring this reality a little closer to
home, can you imagine placing your child in the bowl out of which you feed your
animals? (Um, no!)
These details, though not new,
resonated with me in a new manner this year. (I love how Scripture does that: be new, without being new.) Scripture reminds us that Christ
is with His followers always (Matthew 28:20), but the details of His birth
served to remind me that just as Jesus arrived humbly, quietly, and into a most
unexpected time and place, so I can expect Jesus to continue to make His
appearance in my life a similar manner.
It's easy to think of finding
Jesus in the clean halls of a church, within the security of a Bible study, in the company and conversation of deeply cherished friends, in beauty, peace and
tranquility. It's so easy that sometimes I forget to look for Christ there. Yet, as His birth shows us, we will also find him in some quite unexpected,
messy places: on the "other side of the tracks," in the face of a
homeless person, through relational strain and hardship, in grief (of all
kinds), in depression, infertility, loneliness, financial distress, potty
training, tantrums (of any age), health issues, cancer, work troubles, interrupted
plans and naps, difficult bosses, teachers, or coworkers, pain, pain, and more pain,
unmet expectations, hopes and dreams...
Yes, Jesus can still be found
in messy, smelly, filthy places and circumstances.He will be found in the
stables of life. What's even more remarkable is that He chose such a place
to start His journey here on earth, then chose to make His home in hearts that
mirror the stables. Quite amazingly, He is not deterred by the noisy, filthy, stinky, chaotic mess that
is my life, my heart. He chose to come into this mess. He came for this mess. What a glorious and
magnificent truth this is! Definitely worth a celebration!
Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You
will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Psalm
147:3 reminds us that, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
There may not have been room in the inn, but how I pray this Christmas that there is room in your
heart and mine to seek the Savior who came as a tiny baby, who
binds up and heals, who enters into the messy stables of our hearts and lives. Oh may there be room and may our hearts rejoice at this lesson from the manger.
Have a very merry Christmas
and may you be blessed by the true Spirit and hope of this season. Happy Birthday, Jesus!
In Christ's love and grace,
Jessica
