Hymn 8, “Was It for Me?” Hymn 235, “From Lips of Babes”
Luke 2:12, “And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” This is the first picture we see of Jesus. In the foreground is the babe, Jesus. Most pictures of babies are taken with pleasant backgrounds, but in this picture the background is a manger. A manger is not a nice place for a babe; it’s not sterile, it’s dusty; in winter it would be warm and smelling like cows and hay. In Israel, it would be dark, a place lit by a lamp, and not a nice place for a babe. A baby is precious and loved by its parents, and put in a safe, protected place. Jesus had been with God in Heaven, a glorious place where no darkness is, and no unsavory smells.
There is no darkness with the Father. There is no place on earth as safe and protected as with the Father. God gave His Son to a woman. There was no question of the love of God for you and me. It was for me alone the Saviour left His glorious throne. It was for me He came to die. It was for me, God planned it so. It was for me, yes all for me. The love of God is so great. We come to convention, perhaps empty, hard, overgrown with the cares of life and many other conditions of heart, but God so loved us He sent His Son. May there be a softening here at convention and may our cares be wiped away.