A Manger and a Baby

Unto Us A Child is Born!

Hymn of the Day

“Away in a Manger”

Author: Unknown

Away in a manger no crib for a bed
The Little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes, 
But Little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.

Based on Luke 2:7
“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths,

and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”


Meditation

“A Manger and a Baby”

We don't know who wrote the words to this beautiful little Christmas hymn. It is often called “Luther’s Cradle Hymn”, because many authorities on hymn writing believe that Martin Luther wrote it sometime during the early part of the sixteenth century. For a long time, legend held that Luther wrote it for his own children, and that it became so well known, that German mothers passed it down through their families for generations. It is sung to three or four equally familiar tunes, including "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton".

Modern research has discounted this legend and more recently it has  come to be thought of as one German Lutheran origin in early Pennsylvania. The first two stanzas appeared originally in a volume of hymns for children called the "Little Children’s Book", which was published in Philadelphia in 1885. The third verse was written by a Methodist minister, Dr. John Thomas McFarland, in the early 1900’s when an additional stanza for the carol was desired for use at a church children’s day program.

There is no Christmas hymn better loved than this precious, tender children’s carol. Its appeal, in fact, extends to young and old alike for its simple wording of its message of love for the Lord Jesus and trust in His faithful and loving care for us. It is like "Jesus Loves Me"  in that regard. No matter who wrote it, this lovely carol lullaby is sung over and over again to children of every land and language during the Christmas season. Little children learn it as one of their first encouragements to learn about and to love “the little Lord Jesus”.

One thing that is clear to us. We must never fail to remember how important it is for us to help our children see something other than the glitz and glitter of the Christmas season. We are obligated to help them to learn other than the secular songs that proliferate the airwaves from every corner of existence, and to see beyond Santa to the true meaning of Christ’s birth.

What a treasure  it is that we have to pass on to our children and grandchildren! We adults have heard the message of Luke and the story of the nativity of our Lord Jesus so many times that some of the wonder and awe may have worn a bit “thin” for us. We get so anxious with all the preparations we think we must make, and all of the obligations we have, that we may lose sight of the miracle of any birth, let alone the miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ. Even with unknown authorship of this hymn, we can readily appreciate the concern that children learn about the miracle in Bethlehem, and the faithfulness of someone to find a way for them to understand that which is mind-boggling to say the very least.

Children accept easily what we as “grown-ups” have trouble understanding. Take for instance the matter of “Virgin birth”. We know it to be impossible under any ordinary circumstances - don’t we? We have all this knowledge of reproductive biology that tells us it can’t be so – can it? If we have even the slightest amount of doubt, it is easy to discount the whole event. Consider riding on a donkey out of town near your delivery due date …impossible - isn’t it? And to give birth in a stable surrounded by animal sounds and smells is unthinkable - isn’t it? What about the idea of God appearing to you in a dream to tell you a wicked king is after your baby, and that you must flee into the darkness of the night for your very life? Completely unreal – isn’t it?

How difficult bits of information and knowledge make it for grownups to believe in the miracle! It’s a good thing, I think, that most of us first learned this “stuff” as children. How thankful we must be for those who preceded us who cared so much that they wrote stories and songs that made it easier for us to understand while we were young enough to accept miracles, before we became “jaded”.

The simplicity of the hymn in word and in style is noteworthy. There are very few “Thee’s” and “Thou’s” to confuse us and thus obscure the meaning of the words. The theology is as simple as that of "Jesus Loves Me This I Know".   I'm going to interrupt myself right here to interject something - - - we do not, even as adult Christians, sing "Jesus love me, this I 'THINK' . . . "  We sing with great feeling, " . . . this I KNOW". That's faith, friends . . . that's exactly what it is . . . "knowing" when we can't see, touch,  taste or feel that which we profess to "know".  This, I think, is a miracle all its own!

We can readily understand that the Lord of all has been born, tucked safely away in a manger to keep warm and safe and is there awaiting our approach and adoration. It’s an easy way to ask the Lord to be near us and to keep us safe until we come to heaven to be with Him for eternity. The words of the hymn paint for us a picture of a scene we were not privileged to view for ourselves.

It is left for us to decide in response to what we “know” just what we will “do” with an Infant King of the Universe. A child born of a young frightened Virgin in a cold crude stable in a crowded city that was so full of travelers that innkeeper after innkeeper turned them away even though it was obvious that Mary was in distress and needed a place to rest quite immediately. It is left for us to decide to let this King into our hearts and lives to reign and rule there without peer and to ask Him to stay near to us forever and to love us. It is left for us as well to take this message into a world that desperately needs to hear it and to decide for itself what it will do with this infant King.

Prayer - “Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay close by me forever and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care and take us to heaven to live with Thee there.” This is the prayer of all our hearts this day, Oh, Lord, both child and adult. We thank Thee for coming to earth in Bethlehem, and we pray that You will abide with each of us forever more. Amen ~

Activity - Prepare your home for the holidays. Make it festive. Add a touch of Christmas to every room in your house. Let your decorations reflect your faith.