Lying in a Manger

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.Luke 2:7

All of us should use the gospel to evaluate ourselves. How near or far are we from Christ? How are we doing in faith and love? Many become inflamed with dreamy devotion when they hear about how impoverished Christ was when he was born. They grow furious at the people of Bethlehem and criticize their blindness and ingratitude. They think that if they had been there, they would have served the Lord and his mother. They wouldn't have allowed them to be so miserable. But these people don't even notice their own neighbors who are nearby and need their help. They ignore them and leave them as they are. Who on earth doesn't have miserable, sick, blundering, or sinful people around them? Why don't they show their love to these people? Why don't they do for their neighbors what Christ did for them?


Don't deceive yourself by thinking you would have treated Christ well when you don't presently do anything for your neighbor. If you had been at Bethlehem, you would have paid just as little attention to him as everyone else did. You only want to serve him because you know who he is. Let's say that he were to come, lie in the manger, and let you know that he is the one you now know so much about. Of course you would want to do something to help. But before that, you wouldn't have done anything.


Similarly, if you could see your neighbors now as they will be in the future, and if they were lying in front of you, then you certainly would take care of them. But because you only see them for what they are now, you ignore them. You fail to recognize Christ in your neighbors.
                        ~Martin Luther

Christ is in all of us. We were created in His image. Therefore, what we do to others we do to Christ. Doesn't this change the way we interact with each other? It sure makes you think differently about your bother or sister or mother or father and how you just treated them. Or how about the guy you just flicked off for cutting you off in traffic? Martin Luther beautifully illustrates how we are to treat each other, with love and kindness. I think he is absolutely correct in saying that if we were in bethleham 2010 years ago we would have done the same thing the people there did. We would have been to invovled in ourselves to realize who was knocking on our doors, who was right next to us, and the miracles that were happening. So are we still that blind? Who is the person next to you in line at the grocery store? Who is that waiter or waitress serving you food? Who is driving the car in front of you? Maybe this Christmas Season is our time to meet these people; to help them and love them. Maybe this Christmas miracle will be the one where we see Christ in everyone, even the tiny little baby born in a dirty old manager to a teenage girl from a poor town and we invite that baby into our homes instead of keeping him out in the cold hay. Christ is alive in us all! Joy to the world, and peace to you all!