“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12, NIV)
Have you ever seen a play or movie in which the main character doesn’t have any lines? That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet this is what we find in the Nativity. Jesus is the star, the main event, the reason for the season. Throughout the story of His entrance into earth, however, he never says a word. Amazing.
We tend to treat Mary as the main character, or perhaps Joseph, or the wise men, or the shepherds. The truth is, Jesus is the focal point, and He is the most unique lead role of all history. In his sweet way, he quietly appears and doesn’t promote or draw attention to himself. He just is . . . and that is enough.
The greatest scene in this narrative is Jesus’ birth. It’s the moment that everyone has been waiting for, eagerly anticipating, dreaming of, hoping for. And when he is born . . . well, he’s born.
The attendees to his birth are some dirty animals, some hay and straw, and a few rag-tag shepherd boys. When you think about it, it’s not what we would consider special. It’s not the phenomenal entrance we would imagine. Still, it was supernatural. It was holy. It was beautiful.
Jesus came, and He was. It’s simply astonishing.
That God would come down to earth as a human, and in the weakest form of humanity at that. That He would take on the position of a helpless baby.
Protector and Provider humbled Himself to be protected and provided for. Wow.
He could have come with an army of angels, descending from the clouds on a white horse, sword in hand and a crown on his head. He could have come as a fearsome, warrior king. That’s certainly what everyone expected.
But no. No, he came the way the rest of us come. We enter this world cold, naked, and more vulnerable than any other creature. Jesus did too. What a beautiful heart He has!
Jesus saw no need to seek attention. His humility shone brighter than the most glorious, majestic arrival we could envision.
There is great power in simple humility. Be who you are. You don’t have to promote yourself. You don’t have to make everything work. Your responsibility is to be who the Lord made you to be and to do what He has told you to do. That’s it.
Humble yourself, dear one, and your King will lift you up (see James 4:10 and 1 Peter 5:6). Be who you are; that is enough.
Comments