On The Beauty Of The Manger; Merry Christmas -By Efe Agabi

The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated by Christians and non-Christians. It is the most prominent celebration in the world by every standard. It is a birth that changed the course of history to restore hope for humanity. But the circumstances that surrounded this birth was not kingly. It was heralded with humility and ordinariness.

The fact that Mary the mother of Jesus was not recognized when she got to the inn reveals how simple she was at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. If she was from the home of royalty or from a famous family background, she will not struggle to have a special place in the inn.

In this case, scripture recorded that she resorted to the resting abode of the shepherd, and when the child was born, he was placed in a manger. The manger is the trough for the flock, it is not a beautiful and very hygienic place by every definition but that was what the mother of the Lord could afford, that was where the King of kings, the Word that became flesh, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the fulfilment of the prophesies of old, the savior of the world was kept after birth.

It cannot be humbler than this, the lowliness of the manger is indescribable, and it exudes the humility that was associated with the birth of the Lord. He did not enjoy the allure and fragrance of the expensive baby things that would cost fortune. But the sign of his birth was conspicuous miles away. When the three wise men saw the sign, they knew it is not the usual sign. Their interpretation was apt and precise, and they set forth to identify the abode of the king. Scripture did not record whether the Lord was removed from the manger before the three wise men arrived, but it was in this lowly abode of the shepherd that the gift of gold, frankincense and mire were presented to the king.

One cannot exhaust the instances where the Lord taught humility with actions, not with words, and it started from the moment of his birth. But the act that reflects the innate humility of the king was when he washed the feet of the disciples. The act of washing the feet of his disciples was so significant that Peter was hesitant to allow the master to wash his feet, but the Lord insisted. He emptied his kingly status to wash and clean the feet of his disciples as a mark of humility. In Mark 10:42-44, He admonished without mincing words, that whoever would become the leader must be a servant

In Matthew 18:2-5. The Lord made it more explicit “verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”.

Man by nature is dignified, and the acquisition of wealth, fame, political power and knowledge tend to expose innate natural ego but the master we serve lived a life of humility that is still unequalled in human history. He inculcated the dictate of lowliness and humility as the hallmark of service.

And this was demonstrated by the Apostle. In Act 14:12-22 scripture says when the people saw the miracles performed by Paul and Barnabas, they concluded that they are gods, and they called Paul mercurius and Barnabas Jupiter, some versions would say they called Paul Hermas and Barnabas Zeus. It was a perfect opportunity for Paul and Barnabas to enjoy some form of elevation above other mortals because to heal a man that was crippled from birth is mystical.

The people were so marveled to the extent that the priest of Jupiter at the time took oxen and attempted to make sacrifices unto Paul and Barnabas for the great works they did, but if you read further, you will see how both of them cried out loudly to reject the fame accorded them to give glory to God that gave them power and grace, they humbled themselves and reiterated their humanity

Human history has proven that most of the people that impacted the world had very humble and little beginnings. But the case of Jesus Christ is not the case of a mere mortal, if the people in the inn knew the significance of his birth, perhaps, they would have provided a space for the mother, Mary.

The Lord possibly foresaw the different era in human history and the incursion of so much pride into Christianity.

The desperation to occupy coveted positions and to enjoy fame is rife in Christendom, but the celebration of the birth Christ presents a reminder and many lessons from the manger. That in spite of the knowledge we possess or the positions we occupy, the fame and the materials we acquire, we serve a master that is selfless and humble.

Let us as followers of Christ shrug off the ego that is stopping us from participating actively to the best of our ability in the service to God and humanity to imbibe and internalize the virtue of humility which is the hallmark of the teachings of Christ.

**Congratulations and merry Christmas*