Luke 2:7b
"She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger."
Mom's love to plan the nursery - will it be pink? or blue? And my knitting needles worked overtime on those cuddly sweaters for the cold north. Then to hunt up my favorite childhood books. This one would be clever, of course.
Mary would be no different from the rest of us. She knew her baby was a boy. She had everything ready. She had dreams for His future. She could not wait to cradle Him in her arms, to count fingers, ten, and toes.
Well, you know the real story. Where would she first lay Him?...in a manger. Not painted blue, but filled with straw. And that smell?...not baby powder, but animal odor.
All Israel looked for Messiah, a king. God had a different idea. The Savior must be a servant. So that's where this tiny life must begin...as a baby, humble, cradled in the straw. That's how this exemplary life would be played out...as a servant to The Father.
The King must lie in a manger! Humbling, isn't it?