The Unlikely Arrival of Majesty
In a humble sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem, a peculiar scene unfolded. The air was thick with the pungent smell of urine, dung, and sheep, and the ground was hard and scarce of hay. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling, and a mouse scurried across the dirt floor. It was a far cry from a royal birthplace, yet it was here that God chose to enter the world as a baby.
A Night to Remember
Off to one side, a group of shepherds sat silently on the floor, their night watch interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. They were perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, but undoubtedly amazed. God had chosen to reveal himself to these simple shepherds, who had the time to hear him.
A Weary Father
Near the young mother sat the weary father, Joseph. If anyone was dozing, it was him. He couldn’t remember the last time he sat down. The excitement had subsided, and Mary and the baby were comfortable, so he leaned against the wall of the stable and let his eyes grow heavy. The mystery of the event still puzzled him, but he didn’t have the energy to wrestle with the questions. What mattered most was that the baby was fine, and Mary was safe.
A Wide-Awake Mother
Mary, on the other hand, was wide awake. She looked incredibly young, her head resting on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain had been eclipsed by wonder, and she couldn’t take her eyes off the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, Mary was the human being who best understood who God was and what he was doing.
Majesty in the Mundane
Somehow, Mary knew she was holding God. She remembered the words of the angel: “His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33) The baby looked like anything but a king – his face was prunish and red, his cry strong and healthy but still helpless. And yet, he was absolutely dependent on Mary for his well-being. It was a paradox: majesty in the midst of the mundane, holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat.
A World Unaware
Meanwhile, the city hummed along, unaware that God had visited their planet. The merchants were oblivious, the innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold, and the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility. Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice, but because they simply weren’t looking.
A Timeless Truth
Little has changed in the last two thousand years. We still miss God’s presence in our lives because we’re not looking. We’re too busy, too distracted, too caught up in our own worlds. But God is still present, still speaking, still revealing himself to those who have the time to hear him. Will we be like Mary, wide awake and aware of God’s majesty in the midst of the mundane? Or will we be like the rest of the world, too busy to notice? The choice is ours.
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