“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19 KJV)
From the highest throne and the greatest glory God descended to a lowly, stinking stable to be born in a human family. Why did he not choose Herod’s palace? Consider that Herod was an ungodly, non-believing, power-hungry tyrant concerned about no one and nothing but maintaining his throne. He just wasn’t the nurturing, fatherly type for raising children. Certainly not a good model. Besides, God’s ways are not our ways.
So, God chose an humble carpenter from Nazareth of Galilee to be the guardian of his son. And on the night of his birth, a stable was the best Joseph could do for Mary and the baby. I remember my grandfather’s barn and stables. They stunk of manure, even after mucking out the stalls. Rats and other slinking, filthy creatures could be found there. Spiders and cobwebs were commonplace. You had to watch where you walked. Big green flies were a constant pest, as well as blood-sucking horse flies. Despite the walls, air flowed through freely. In the summer it was great but in the winter, milking and feeding could be a harsh experience.
Despite the smells and pests, the grandchildren — me and my cousins — could be found there regularly playing “cowboys and Indians” or having a corn-cob battle. Sometimes we challenged each other to a dual of jumping off the roof, about twenty feet off the ground. Once in a while, we simply sat in the hay loft and bragged about what we were gonna be when we grew up. Despite its appearance and the smell, that old barn was grandpa’s and therefore associated with grandpa.
So you might understand that I have both good and not-so-good memories about grandpa’s barn. I wonder what memories the Lord might have had of that stable in Bethlehem. Good or bad? Of course, Luke doesn’t relate the difficulties and harsh realities of that night in the stable. And twenty plus centuries of Christmas lore and pageantry have smothered the reality with a warm-and-fuzzy story of a newborn baby.
Did Joseph or Mary get any sleep that night? Did they have anything to wrap up with and keep them warm against the night air? Did they get a decent meal or any meal for that matter? Were there rats scurrying about? Was there enough hay to insure a comfortable sleep or even a bed for Mary? Of course, we will never know. We can only consider the probabilities surrounding the event.
But our God didn’t need palaces or soft beds for his son. He simply need a willing man and woman to nurture his son in this world. He found those in Joseph and Mary. And with them, God created the greatest miracle and a marvelous memory in the most improbable setting. And despite it’s harsh realities, we will forever associate it with God and his son. And that turns the sorrows and sadness into joy and gladness.
Dear Father, thank you for our Savior and Lord. Empower us to remember the story is about our savior and not the stable. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today as you reflect on the Savior,