I am captivated by the message of Luke 2:6-7. Even though Luke's words are written to provide a historical account of the arrival of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, they reveal so much more. Luke tells us that Jesus was born, wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger because there was no room in the inn in Bethlehem. In other words, the person responsible for the Inn refused to make room for a pregnant woman who was on the verge of delivering her first child. Although I have studied this passage every Christmas season, I have never made the connection between Luke's words and the words of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah spoke about our Savior hundreds of years in advance of His birth in Bethlehem. His prophecies prepare us to understand how Jesus would be rejected and despised. They prepare us for the message of the crucifixion of Christ as described in the Gospels. But, surprisingly, Isaiah's prophecies prepare us for the birth of Jesus as well. Read Isaiah's words:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Isaiah 53:3).
When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, the unborn Jesus was not esteemed by the Innkeeper, or he would have been willing to sacrifice whatever was necessary to make room for His arrival in the world. Isaiah's words not only characterize the humble arrival of Jesus as one who was rejected (even before birth). But, Isaiah's prophecies reveal something beautiful that I have never recognized before. It has to do with my understanding of how Jesus was identified with our sorrows. Usually, I think in terms of the suffering of Jesus during his beatings or crucifixion. Usually, I focus my attention solely upon the stripes on His back or scars in His hands or side and how He suffered for us. But for the first time I have begun to realize that Jesus identified Himself with the sorrows that begin before birth. Chldren who are unloved. Children who are rejected. Children who are born into violence and injustice with little regard for how precious and valuable they are. While it is true that Jesus was loved by Joseph and Mary, I believe the rejection of the Innkeeper reveals a powerful message through Jesus' humble arrival. Recently I spoke with a physician friend who has provided care during many difficult and complicated pregnancies. He spoke of those times when the baby has little hope for survival. And he taught me of the the importance of celebrating the life of the unborn child while yet in the womb. Now as I read Isaiah 53, I understand that the incarnation did not begin with the birth of Jesus. The miracle of His identification with the suffering of the human condition begins before birth. I see that now. The message of the manger helps me to realize that Jesus was rejected - even before His birth. That makes the hope He delivers even more beautiful to me.
1 comment:
It's amazing isn't it, the different ways we can all relate to the words in the Bible? He's given that passage a whole new meaning through you, and I find I see things like that in everyday life, sadly even in people who are proud to call themselves His. Jesus came to understand us, to know truly what it's like to be human.
And rejection isn't gone today either. People are turned away because they live a life that others don't approve without even knowing the back story. The homeless are looked down upon as lazy instead of loved as the troubled of this world. And like you said, that goes right on down to little babies that are not esteemed, tiny lives that are in no way celebrated, little people rejected before they even get the chance to mess up.
But what would this world look like if we all loved each other the way the world should have loved Him when they had the chance? What if we were endlessly kind and patient as we should have been with him? If we really followed His example to the letter?
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