She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. – Luke 2:7
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Where is the first place a baby is placed after it emerges from the mother’s womb? Today we use hyper-sterilized blankets and sanitized cribs. A Plexiglas dome, if necessary. All precautions go toward minimizing the germs the child may come into contact with.
But Mary laid Jesus in the feeding trough for an animal. The Good Shepherd took refuge that night in the sheep’s manger, and when the shepherds came to see what was announced to them, how stunned they must have been.
Of course, this would not have been Mary and Joseph’s first choice. They would have preferred a modest room at a local inn, had there been any vacancy. If it all took place today, maybe a red neon light would have flashed a big “NO” that made a ghastly pool of light on the asphalt of the parking lot.
There are times when “no” is the hardest thing we have to hear. Yet Jesus has seen and continues to see the “no” sign from the very human race he had a hand in creating. Many don’t even want to consider him. Even in the life of a faithful believer, there is so much in us that wants to say to him, Stay out of that part of my life; keep that door closed; no, you may not spend the night.
So instead, he stays where he can. A feeding trough will do. Not protected from the world, but lying in it.
Prayer for today:
Lord, make way in my heart and mind for you today. Unlock every door. Open the most valued places. Don’t let me try to exclude you from any part of my life.
More about having a living faith- Putting the Pieces Back Together: How Real Life and Real Faith Connect by Mel Lawrenz.
