“And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:4-7 (NAB)
As we enter the season of Advent, we remember how Jesus left His glory in Heaven, and recall the details of how He made His entry into the world.
Advent is the four week period that precedes Christmas. During this time, we meditate on the angel’s announcement to Mary, as well as angels who appeared in the sky to the shepherds and the visit by the wise men, who bowed to the little Son of God, bringing Him gifts that were fit for a king.
Despite these wonderful images of the Christmas story, Jesus’ entry into this world was really very poorly received. It was filled with many inconveniences, awkward timing and humbling circumstances.
The timing for Jesus to be born came at a very inconvenient time. Caesar decreed that every family register for a census in the city of their origin. This meant that Mary, who was nine months pregnant, had to travel with Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of the tribe of Judah, which was a distance of 70 miles on rough terrain.
Mary rode a long and bumpy donkey ride, while the infant Jesus was bounced around inside of her, all the way to Bethlehem. I would call that an inconvenience of poor timing, to say the least, but sometimes what appears to us to be poor timing, is right on time according to God’s schedule.
I’m sure Mary and Joseph prayed, as they arrived in Bethlehem, asking God to lead them to a place where they could safely have the baby, but there was not one single vacancy in the city Inns that day. They heard the words, “There’s no room for you”, over and over. Finally, they were given the option to stay in an animal stable. Most people would consider that another huge inconvenience.
Maybe at some time in our lives, we have felt lost in a crowd, like Joseph and Mary. Some situations feel like we are at the wrong place at the wrong time, not fitting in, and we might hear words that make us feel there’s no place for us.
Whether we experience a strained relationship, a health concern, a challenging work situation, or we are stressed with the task of being a caregiver, Jesus is there with us. He has experienced feeling alone in a crowd, being inconvenienced and misunderstood, but He is with us now to help us through our personal advent of humility. If we have asked Him to lead us, we can be sure that wherever we are, is where He wants us to be.
God knew His son was worthy of a throne and a palace, yet He led Mary and Joseph to a stable filled with straw, with the smells and sounds of barn animals. The entire trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was a humbling inconvenience, but it led to the fulfillment of a prophecy, since the prophet Micah once foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2-4)
When we pray and ask God to lead us, we can trust that whatever our situation is, we are right where He wants us. God is still working out His perfect plans through all our inconveniences.
Paul tells us that when Jesus came from heaven to earth, “He emptied Himself, and though he was in the form of God, He still did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:6-7)
Jesus didn’t allow Himself to grasp the fact that He was the divine son of God, clothed in human flesh. He looked like an ordinary man but He had an extraordinary mission to fulfill, and He did it by emptying Himself, in order to give all of Himself for us on the cross.
What is the message for us through this advent filled with inconvenience and poor timing, which brought us our salvation?
Jesus, along with His humble and holy parents, show us by example, that inconvenience produces humility, when a person trusts in God.
If we have ever been asked to do something for someone else, when the timing was at its worse, and then faced multiple inconveniences, that becomes our personal advent of humility.
Among all the eyewitnesses and fortunate people who knew Jesus personally, very few understood that His suffering was all for them. His arrival into the world and His ministry was constantly misunderstood. On the night of His arrest, when He needed prayer and support more than ever, his three most loyal friends were sound asleep in the garden, instead of praying for Him, as He asked.
The original advent season began with a series of inconveniences and poor timing. Mary, Joseph and Jesus are all examples of showing humility throughout every inconvenience.
As we go through our own personal advent of inconveniences, God is using each circumstance to bring more humility into our lives. Humility is the foundation of all other virtues. Through every inconvenience, Jesus turns the bitter into something sweet. He refreshes our soul with the sweetness of His grace. When we ask, we receive more grace and Jesus is never inconvenienced by our asking, since He lives forever to make intercession for us.
Lord, we thank you for humbling and emptying yourself for us, in order to fill us with your grace. Comfort all readers today who are struggling with an inconvenience of timing or circumstances, and transform our hearts, to follow your example of humility. Amen