Luke 2:1-7
God’s own son, worthy of all glory, was not born in a palace, he was not even born in a beautiful or comfortable place. He was born in a rough place and laid in a manger, a feeding trough.
He wasn’t born to an upper class family, but to a lowly peasant girl and her carpenter husband. During that time there were three classes of people, the very rich, the middle class and the very poor. Mary’s family was in the middle.
He wasn’t born into an amazing well behaved family. He was born into a lineage full of faults. There were ex-prostitutes (Rahab), family incest (Tamar and Judah), adultery and murder (David and Bathsheba).
Through amazing simplicity and lowliness the Son of God was brought into this world.
Mary also has much to teach us. This was not a special way for her to bring forth God’s own Son. She had the honor of being God’s chosen one, but she also had to combat the ridicule and judgment she must have felt from the world the didn’t understand what was going on. Nazareth was a small town, about 400 people living there. You would have known many families and what was going on around you. Not a place where you could easily hide something like this. Young unmarried women now a days go through some ridicule when they’re expecting, but nothing like Mary must have gone through during this time.
I wonder too how she pictured bringing God’s son into the world. During this time, women would assist the midwife during childbirth. Young women would have probably seen many births and knew what to expect, but it’s still different when you go through it. Mary, carrying God’s son, but have thought about how this would happen for her. More than likely she would have pictured it very different than how it came about! She was a lone apart from God and her husband; she didn’t have the midwife and other women around her. She didn’t have a comfortable place to birth a baby. She more than likely had a bed of straw, surrounded by animals!
As a woman who’s had a baby, I can tell you this is not how I’d picture bringing a child into this world, especially not God’s Son!!
I feel there is such purpose in this simplicity and lowliness. The focus wasn’t on Jesus surrounding, His income level or family, or anything else. The focus was entirely on God’s One and Only Son, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, lying humbly in a manger! God always knows what He’s doing and there is always purpose behind His work, even if we don’t understand it! He is God, unquestionably good and right!!
Sometimes the things He may call us to do the world may not understand. We may even have some judgment and ridicule from the world, possibly even our own families. Sometimes we may feel completely alone in what He’s called us to do. But, just like He was there with Mary, He’s there with us, and that is enough! Sometimes we need reminding of this though when the journey feels so hard or lonely.
God also may at times call us to a place that is not the most comfortable of situations to live or be in. But, there is always purpose to it. The purpose is always to bring the entire focus on Jesus, to shine as His lights, to show the world His love and salvation!
This brings me to God’s will for our lives, sometimes a haunting question we struggle to find the answer to. But, I believe there is also simplicity in this to. Simplicity in understanding what His will is not only for our lives and future, but for our lives today, this day.
Matthew 22:37-40
God’s will for our lives is to love Him with all we are and to love His people.
This looks different in each of our lives, how we live this out, because we are each unique in how He made us, but the call is the same.
James 1:27, 1 John 3:23
The call He gives us is to love Him, love others, and make disciples of all nations, telling others about Him!
Luke 2:8-20
The first group of people told about Jesus birth is a group of simple, lowly shepherds. Being a shepherd was considered one of the lowliest of all trades during this time. God uses simplicity here again, bringing glory not on man, but on God! The shepherds got it though, they became passionate to tell the Good News and verse 18 says all who heard them were amazed by what were told them by the shepherds!!
I want to live a life that brings focus and glory not on me, but fully on Him, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Emmanuel, ever lasting God!! I would rather be known as simple and lowly, but one who brings God praise than any other lofty worldly goal! I want Him to be my only focus this Christmas season and every day!
