A Manger Instead of a Palace

Luke 2:7
12/5/22

I believe one of the biggest mistakes my dad made was letting my sister find a hotel for her and me to stay in when we took a brother and sister trip to Washington, D.C., in 2019. Of course, my sister found one of the nicest hotels she could find. To my surprise, my dad used all his hotel points and spent his money for us to stay at a nice hotel in downtown Washington D.C.

Perhaps you have stayed in a fancy hotel and felt you deserved it. You deserve the five-star luxury that is promised on the hotel website. You deserve a fine meal from the restaurant. Most importantly, you deserve the comfortiest bed you have ever slept in. After all, you worked hard for that experience and felt entitled to it.

If you are entitled to a five-star experience, then Jesus is entitled to the best place to be born. However, Jesus chose to be born amongst animals.

One popular image during Christmas time is Mary and Joseph standing in a manger with animals surrounding them. In the middle is baby Jesus lying in a trough. Think about it. The Savior of the World was not born in a palace among kings and queens. Instead, He was born and placed in a feeding trough. His first night on earth was not in a luxurious place. It was near stinky and filled with dirty animals.

Instead of a palace, Jesus went with a manger. Many scholars believe Jesus was born in a cave.

The fact that Jesus was born and placed in a manger should tell us much about who He is. He was born a baby instead of a conquering warrior. He gave up the comfort of Heaven to spend His first night on earth in a feeding trough.

Where Jesus was born shows that He came in meekness, not eloquence.

Today, seek meekness as Jesus did.