Back to the manger

While still in the season, I do recall something I had written in my last article about Christmas. I recall talking about accommodation problems at the time of the birth of our Savior our Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason, I go back to the manger. We sing the song, “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,” it’s a sweet-sounding song, but there was nothing sweet about the manger. The manger is a smelly place. Some may use the word stink and that I agree with. This was where Our Lord and Savior was born.
Now, what does it mean to stink? According to internet sources, to stink means to have a strong unpleasant smell. When a person stinks, no one wants to be around him or her. Figuratively, this also applies when as aspect of a person, such as his or her reputation is a stinking one. Others are repulsed by it, and so that person could be driven to some form of isolation.
Now the word driven as I write it does strike a chord, and I will get there in my usual roundabout manner, but bear with me as I go back to the manger. There was an agenda, that caused His parents to change location and this brought about major unsettlement. So, a pregnant woman rode for miles on a donkey, and on getting to their destination went from one inn to the other. Only the Good Lord knows how long this extremely uncomfortable process took. At the end of the day, they ended up in a stinking situation, with animals as companions.
There are quite a few dynamics in my mind as per the manger, which I believe will unfold and will be written as led. Thousands of years before this, man’s companions were animals before the Good Lord created woman out of the rib of man. Then the serpent happened, and things fell apart. However, there was a redemptive plan in place. Thousands of years later, reversal came. A boy inside of a woman would be born in a manger to deal with the evil works of the serpent.
I think I have made the state of the manger quite clear, as stinking seems to be a recurring word in this piece. Somehow, in my mind that stench represents the state of the world back then, and perhaps even now, who knows. But in that stench there was hope. In that stench a King was born. In that stench, a Son was given and Government was upon His shoulder. In that stench, divine gifts, rich and sweet smelling – gold, frankincense and myrrh, came through wise men who had travelled from afar.
I don’t know about you, but this tells me that no matter how stinking your situation is, no matter how much you may be driven to isolation, Jesus Christ will visit you in that place. And, in His presence, your joy will be full.
Now may just be the time to expand on the word, “driven” which I mentioned earlier. Our Lord Jesus lived a full life on earth working miracles as we may all know, but for the sake of this piece, I am led to expand on one.
“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” (Mark 5:1-5)
I am led to choose this scripture as this gives full details of the pathetic situation of this nameless man. However, if you read through the entire scripture, the man had no name but the demons gave him the name Legion, “For we are many.” (Verse 9) His body was occupied by demon spirits, who drove him to a place of no return, a place without hope. There are no records of what his life was like prior to that time, or what led to this point. I am led to use this as an example because people face similar situations. While one may not be driven to mountains and cutting themselves, there are conditions that could lead one to extreme breaking points. This is how demons thrive. They gain access through your body and speak lies into your spirit. “You are not good enough. You will continue to live in poverty. Remember your grandfather and father had cancer. It’s coming to you. This barrage of lies can go on and on for generations, weakening the victim and driving him or her to total despair.
But the Good News is that He came. I don’t know about you, but the conditions of His birth are somewhat of a snapshot of how he identified with our most pathetic conditions of life. He lived a life of performing miracles and I am particularly drawn to the innumerable times demon spirits that spoke contrary words to His were cast out of people.
I am truly grateful for the finished work of the Cross, but for that to happen, a beautiful and amazing birth took place.
Again, I say, “A Very Merry Christmas to you!”