The Manger

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 The Manger

It’s another Christmas. Christmas signifies different thing to different people and groups. For most, it is a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to deliver humanity from their sin. He is God and became flesh because of love. What sort of love is that, that a man will sacrifice his own life in order to save others from death and damnation? 

However, have you ever consider what happened when Jesus was to be born? Maybe the answer is “yes”. As I thought about the sacrifice Christ made for us and the birth of Jesus Christ. I began to think about the location where Jesus, where the Word of Life was born. It was in a manger, you remember? Yes! So, there was no space at the normal inns, the then hospitals, because of the surge in the number of people in Bethlehem. But, there were spaces in a manger. A manger? Why manger? Why should a king be born in a manger? These are the puzzles we must be answered. 

It is agreed based on the authority of the scripture that Jesus was born in a manger in order to show the humble state of the King of kings. Moreover, as I ruminated on the birth of Jesus and why manger, my mind drew to the fact that even though the manger was not as clean as the normal clinics or hotels in town, “the manger was available”. It was like the last resort for the highly favoured Mary to deliver her divine baby.

Therefore, it didn’t matter how the manger was; dirty or not, moldy or not, stinking or not. What matters was its availability. It was very available. This bears in our minds that no matter how a life can be, Jesus can be conceived and delivered in that life. By this, I mean, in fulfilling the purposes of God, what matters is really not how educated someone is, how noble someone is, or how talented one is. The first and most important factor is “availability” and yieldedness. The readiness to be the vessel or manger needed for the purpose of conceiving or birthing the purposes of God in a particular sphere or in a particular generation. 

Please, don’t get me wrong, other factors like talents, skills, educations, relationship, nobility, etc. are very important too but sincerely, from history, we have discovered that they are not the first. The life of Jesus is a great model for how these factors connect to ensure the fulfillment of purpose. However, the foundation and starting point of birthing the realities of God, and purposes of God is being available. 

Furthermore, you must understand and believe that God can use you to show forth his greatness and power in all ways. You may not look like it. Of course, the manger didn’t look like where kings are born too. No matter your claim is or limitations are, God can still find in you a useful vessel. Neither say, “I am not educated”, nor “I am not but a child”, nor “we are the lowest in our clan”, nor give any other excuse. Just make yourself available and ready. Present your body as a living sacrifice, the Word commands. (Romans 12:1). 

Lastly, how do you make yourself available? First, submit yourself absolutely to God. James 4:7. Be born of God. John 3:1-18.  Only those that born of God are ready available to be used by God. John 1:12. Next, “ask”. Matthew 7:7. Ask God to use you. Tell God you are available. Open up on your weaknesses and be ready to be used like the manger. The World awaits the manifestations of God in and through.

Merry Christmas Brothers and Sisters. 

Ademola

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