She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room available for them in the inn. – Luke 2:7
"God chose the stable for His Son to be born in for a very important reason. You see, when God sent His only Son to live on this earth, He made a strategic decision not to shelter Him from the harsh realities of this life. God had no intention of shielding His Son by having Him born into the make-believe world of the rich and famous.
God wanted His Son to experience life in its blue-collar boldness. Jesus’ first breath of air burned with the odor of animal urine. The first noises He heard were the grunts of livestock. Jesus’ first outfit was made of dust cloths, or the equivalent of grease rags. From day one, God the Father determined not to shelter His Son from the rude, crude realities of life on planet Earth.
For our sake, Jesus was given no aristocratic advantage. He had humbler beginnings than any of us. He was born into a real family, and He worked a real construction job. He lived in a neighborhood. He had real friends. He suffered hardship like the rest of us have, and He died a cruel death for a crime He didn’t commit.
So when the Bible urges people who are going through disappointment and pain to pour their hearts out to the now-ascended Savior, we Christians can do so with the absolute assurance that Jesus understands. He’s been there.
Life without advantage? He lived it.
Shortage, poverty? He’s been there.
Discrimination, oppression? Jesus was a refugee before His second birthday.
Rejection? He experienced it.
Ridicule? It was a part of His daily life
Abandonment? By lifelong family and friends in His greatest time of need.
Death of loved ones? Multiple times.
Physical pain? More than you or I will probably ever experience.
Has some experience in your life driven you to within an inch of your breaking point? Has some experience hurt you so deeply that you’ve wanted to cry out, “I can’t go on because nobody understands!”? If so, look at the stable. Be reminded this Christmas that Jesus understands. He’s been there. He can identify with you no matter what you’re going through. What’s more, you matter to Him more than you can possibly imagine.
Can you see how important the stable is? It symbolizes the deliberately unsheltered life of Jesus. It stands as a monument to His ability to identify and sympathize with whatever we are going through. But we must be humble and trusting enough to pour out our hearts to Him and then allow Him to love and minister to us, and restore us to wholeness again.
The essence of Christianity is a relationship with a resurrected Savior. It’s a dynamic restorative relationship, and it’s with One who understands." Bill Hybels
No comments:
Post a Comment