Manger - Advent Day 26 (Christmas Eve)

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (NIV)

The trip was long, the road…rough.  Rocks and boulders lay scattered everywhere, even on the bit of a road that led from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  Mary was tired and hurting.  She held her head high for the sake of Joseph, not wanting to frighten him.  Her delivery date was imminent, and she knew that lodgings were needed…soon!

Joseph gazed at Mary in love and admiration…she was a brave wife, never complained and rode the donkey, suffering quietly during the long trip to Bethlehem.  He also knew they needed a place to rest and sleep for the night.  Nothing was available!  All rooms were taken!

A stable?  Surely not!  Don’t you understand?  My wife is about to deliver!  We need a room!  NOW!

The Son of God was born into the lowliest of surroundings.  Mary’s delivery room was a corner in a cattle stall with a bed of hay spread attentively by Joseph.  The baby was wrapped in recycled strips of cloth used for protection of newborn lambs later destined for the sacrificial altars.  Jesus was carefully laid…not in an incubator, but in a feed box.  A manger!

Jesus, The promised Messiah…in a…feedbox.     

Manger…God promised!  

Advent – God is coming to us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Feel free to comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Are You Listening?

  Are you listening to me?   Did you hear what I just said?   You are on another planet and did not hear a word I said! Listening is more than just hearing.   It is paying attention with your ears, eyes, and mind!   Eyes?   Yes, your eyes.   Did your schoolteacher surprise you with…” Pay attention !”   Was your teacher asking you merely to listen, or was the command meant to cause you to focus your ears, eyes and mind on classroom teaching? The Bible contains over 100 verses covering listening.   We listen to parents, friends, spouses and omit the most important source…God.   Have you allowed God to speak to you recently?   Are you listening? James, the brother of Jesus, gave us a gem of God’s truth.   Let’s read it together.   Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! James 1:22 ...
Read more

The One In Charge

I have a problem.   Can you help me? The item that I recently purchased is not working correctly.   Please help me. If you can’t help, can you call the person in charge?   It’s frustrating when something doesn’t perform as the instructions have led you to believe it should!   Have you experienced this?   Hard-earned money is spent, time wasted with unreadable instructions and finally, the object just doesn’t work.   You need the maker, the creator, or perhaps, the person in charge.   The men were moving with purpose.   They heard that someone was nearby who might possibly be able to solve a problem.   The Ten, as they were known, had done their homework.   The research was flawless and pointed to one man, one expert who could help.   He was the one who could give the answer to an impossible problem.   The Ten were lepers.   Outcasts!   They had no one on their side.   No one cared!   They wer...
Read more

But God...

  He was selfish, narcissistic, and devoid of compassion.    He cared for no one and used people for his own pleasure.    One day, he was given the opportunity to help a poverty stricken person…he failed miserably!    The situation was not what it seemed, as the one who was seemingly in poverty was actually a personage of great authority and stature.    The selfish one was given a unique punishment.    He was driven away from society and given a limited time to learn how to love and thereby earn the love and trust of another. You may have already guessed who the character is…yes, it’s The Beast from  Beauty and The Beast .    A spoiled prince was punished, transformed into a beast, for his lack of love and caring, yet he learned to love through a series of circumstances involving a lovely young lady, who by the way, learned to love him.    The climax of our story comes when Beast dies, and Belle expresses tr...
Read more