Away in a Manger

Don’t miss this detail: Jesus wasn’t placed on an altar in the temple in Jerusalem. He wasn’t propped up on a throne in Rome. He was quietly, humbly stashed away in a manger— born into obscurity. And He was perfectly fine with it. 

Imagine if God’s ego operated like ours so often does. Picture this made up scenario: Tom Brady shows up to his own fundraising gala and is asked to show a ticket before he can enter. How do you think that goes? What happens to the poor employee working the door?

I’m not picking on Tom Brady—we’ve all been there in one way or another. Think about how it feels when you attend someone’s event on your birthday, and they don’t even
acknowledge you. Or when you put hours of work into a project, only for someone else to receive the credit and applause.

Humility is an expensive character trait. And if the spiritual currency needed to buy it is human pride, most of us will find our accounts woefully untapped. But here’s the thing: if the God of the universe chose a manger instead of a throne... maybe our pride isn’t such a great sacrifice after all.

Jesus redefined greatness by entering the world in complete humility. And in doing so, He showed us that the path to true significance doesn’t require fanfare—it requires surrender.