A Humbling Birth: Reflecting on Luke 2:8-20
Christmas is two days away! I hope and pray that the celebration of the birth of Jesus will be a time of physical and spiritual rest. One part of Jesus’s birth that has resonated on my own heart lately are the humbling circumstances, not just for Jesus Himself but also for the shepherds who met baby Jesus. We would all do well to meditate on the theme of humility surrounding the birth of Jesus.
A humble birth
Jesus is known by many names, including Prince of Peace, King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is sovereign, mighty to save, and supreme over everything. Someday, every knee will bow to His name and confess that He is Lord. Jesus, being all-powerful and worthy of praise, could have been born in luxury. People would have expected a King to be born in a noble manner. Instead, it was part of God’s perfect plan of salvation that Jesus be born in the most humbling of circumstances: in a manger surrounded by animals and lowly shepherds.
Our perfect Savior being born in such a humbling circumstance casts a different perspective on our own lives, especially in a sea of worldly, physical comfort. In light of Jesus being born in a manger, Matthew Henry, in his Concise Commentary of the Bible, wisely noted that “our vanity, ambition, and envy are checked.” I find that to be a spiritually healthy perspective on the birth of Jesus.
We naturally want the best of everything for ourselves. We want high-paying jobs, comfortable houses, and nice cars. If we were to be teleported to a jungle and expected to live there as missionaries, we would be quite uncomfortable. We are drawn to worldly comforts like insects to a source of light. Our natural desires are in direct contrast to what we are called to do as believers of Christ, and often times our faith will lead us to situations that will leave us uncomfortable to our very core.
Paul experienced plenty of uncomfortable circumstances. When he wrote the book of Philippians, he was imprisoned and faced the possibility of execution. Yet, he wrote the book with great love and joy, signifying his contentment in Christ despite his situation. Because of his imprisonment, the Gospel was spread throughout the imperial guards. Uncomfortable and bad circumstances can be used for God’s glory.
Working through the lives of lowly, humble people
Not only was Jesus born in a lowly manner, the birth of Jesus was also announced to lowly people. An angel appeared to shepherds and gave them good news that would bring joy to all people: the birth of the Messiah. Human pragmatism would suggest that announcing the birth to officials, priests, or anyone of cultural significance would be a lot more efficient and useful. After all, someone of greater importance would have a far easier time making it known that the promised Savior was born. Who would listen to a lowly shepherd proclaiming such important news?
God does not operate on human pragmatism. Throughout the Old Testament, God worked through the lives of people who had lowly, insignificant statuses. In 1 Samuel 16, after Saul’s sin and rejection as king, God sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem so that another king could be anointed. Samuel, as any typical human would, assumed that Eliab, one of Jesse’s sons, would be the one God chose due to his physical appearance. God reminded Samuel that He sees the heart, not the appearance. David was not even present when Samuel first arrived and met with the other sons; he was out tending sheep. God anointed David, a lowly and insignificant shepherd boy, to be the next king of Israel.
The angel did not just announce the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds; the angel also told the shepherds exactly where the Messiah was born. And right after informing the shepherds the location of baby Jesus, the angel and a multitude of heavenly hosts praised God. What a wonderful spectacle it must have been!
The shepherds did not waste any time. They agreed to go to Bethlehem and hurried. After first seeing Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus, they told others about the good news and then returned to the manger. There was nothing special about them. And yet, they were among the first to know about the birth of Jesus, they were the among the first to see baby Jesus after his birth, and they were among the first to tell others the good news of the birth of Jesus.
Conclusion
Jesus’s life on earth began in a humbling way. The rest of His earthly life was also marked by humility, to the point of death on the cross. Humility is a cornerstone of the Christian walk, and no matter how lowly and insignificant our life circumstances may appear to be to our own eyes, God can work through our lives to further His kingdom. Merry Christmas, friends!