Humility and faith in the Christmas story
View(s):The great demonstration of faith and humility at Christmas is very often the overlooked factor amid the celebration of commercialised Christmas. No doubt the celebration of the birth of Christ is important but Jesus Christ was not born on December 25, and here we delve not into the date but the humility and faith demonstrated by his birth.
The Word (God) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14): God sending his Son to leave his heavenly abode was the first act of humility.
After the angel informed Mary that she was with the heavenly child, she submitted to the will of God in all humility and said, “May it be unto me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). What humiliation Mary would have had to bear in that conservative society when it was found that as an unmarried woman, she was pregnant.
Then Joseph who was to marry Mary found that she was pregnant and wanted to leave her but when the angel asked him not to do so, he in all humility obeyed the will of God (Mathew 1:18-21).
Now Caesar Augustus made a decree that a census should be taken and each one should go to his own town. Joseph and Mary obeyed the decree in all humility.
They travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a distance of about 150 miles. There was no transport of any motor vehicles at that time, and they could only afford a donkey. Mary travelled on the back of a donkey in her ninth month of pregnancy for about seven days. Where did she rest, what did she eat? They ventured on in faith.
When they reached Bethlehem, to their horror they could not find any inn or lodging place. In all humility they accepted the only offer of a cattle shed. The baby Jesus was born in the cattle shed with all the germs and dirt and laid in a manger – the Son of God! Again, an act of humility by the Almighty.
The angels appeared to the lowly shepherds in the field. In faith, they hurried to the stable and saw the child and worshipped him. Again Mary in faith and humility, treasured all these things in her heart.
Three wise men (Magi) having seen a star, came from the East with gifts of myrrh, gold and frankincense. They worshipped the babe in the manger in all humility. Again Mary treasured that in her mind (Mathew 2:1- 12).
As King Herod had given an order to kill all children less than two years hoping to eliminate Jesus in the process, Joseph and Mary took the child and fled to Egypt as refugees (Mathew 2:12-13). Again demonstrating humility and faith, they obeyed the angel.
The distance was about 650 miles. How did they travel with a young child? How many days did they travel? What trials did they have to undergo? All this is unanswered in the Bible (Mathew 2:13-14).
Jesus’s birth shows us that even with celestial messages, songs and visions, Joseph and Mary were humble and always acted with faith in the Almighty. They depended on God and did his will.
May you enjoy Christmas with humility and faith, sharing the joy with the less fortunate and the downtrodden.
Gamini Weerasinghe
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.