So they hurried off and found
Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. – Luke 2:16
Last week in my Bible
Classes, we considered the profound moment in history wherein God’s Son entered
the world. Looking again at the manger scene, my students and I were struck by
the absurd humility displayed by the Creator of the universe. When we entered
into a discussion about the shepherds, we were challenged by the question, “Why
did God choose nasty, smelly, homeless shepherds as the first to greet him in
the stable?” The answer that was revealed during the second grade Bible
Class struck me to the core. Had rich kings, familiar only with polished
riches and perfumed pillows, arrived in Bethlehem seeking a king; Had they
found the star shining upon a crowded stable; Had they the stomach to enter the
loud, smelly, barn; would they not have been so distraught at the putrid
environment that they would have missed the beauty of the baby having just been
born into it? The shepherds on the other hand, being comfortable with
discomfort, indubitably took no notice of the smelly mess in the rugged stable,
but rather knelt, perhaps with tears clearing their eyes, in awestruck wonder
before the Servant King. The real challenge came in the next question
voiced to my second graders but directed at me: So, why is it difficult for
rich people – those of us who enjoy the comforts and luxuries of the world—to “enter
the Kingdom of heaven” (i.e. see and enjoy the presence of God)? Perhaps
the answer lies with our hypothetical rich, stable-visitors. Perhaps those who
miss him are those who are unwilling to enter the messy places, or those who,
upon arrival, become so agitated at the mess that they miss the Savior dwelling
within. Why are we so careful to avoid smelly people, dirty places, and
sticky situations when it is all too apparent that those are the places wherein
Jesus chooses to reside? If we were really intent upon being with Christ, would
we not join the smelly shepherds in hurrying off to find the baby lying in a
feed trough? Lord, may your star guide us not to the palace of Jerusalem, but
to the barn of Bethlehem.
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