This post is written Christmas eve. I lay here contemplating one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
Jesus the Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, creator of the universe, firstborn son of the living God, the highest of the high, and yet when he came to earth to live among us, his life was anything but royal in man's eyes. His life is exemplified in this.... Born in a manger.
The manger represents the lowest possible position in life. Kings are born in palaces of gold, silver, ivory and laid on only the best linens, soft beds, in expensive soft clean clothes. Jesus, rested his first night in the stray and hay, surrounded by manure, filth of animal pens, wrapped in old ripped cloth strips. So why? How could this be? Did God the Father not care about his only son? Did the angels not protect and watch over his prosperity? Why was Jesus born a pauper, not a king?
Simple, to show us how useless, cheap, undesirable the riches of this world are. Riches around us are but the dust of the earth. Prosperity, power, position, .... Those are the manure in God's Kingdom. Jesus came to life by example, to show us that none of that stuff matters. He started out the poorest of poor.
Seeking worldly riches, valuing them, is a lie. It is THE lie. The lie of the serpent was to seek life here above life of heaven. To be satisfied with the pride of life, the comfort of our present existence, the riches of a fallen world. It's all the same lie... It caused death and misery then, and it still does today.
There is nothing here, of here, by here, that fills the heart. No house, no car, no recreation, no bank account, no pleasure of this earth can truly satisfy. It's all manure when compared to heaven and the riches to be found with our father who art in heaven.
Great grandma moody said that she saw heaven once. When asked what it was like, all she would respond with is.... "it's so beautiful that if you saw it you would kill yourself to get there and thereby miss it". That says volumes.
Why worry and fret over things here, that the eye can see, the body feel? Instead, fix our eyes on true riches, true joy, true prosperity of our mansion over the hilltop. It is real, it is there waiting for us. The scriptures, Jesus himself says. Our real home is waiting.
That's why a manger for the ultimate king. Why not? It's everything as good as being born in the most beautiful Palace. It doesn't matter. If we have the breath and spirit of the God of the universe living within us, our earthly position means nothing. Jesus lived that. He walked among kings as easily as he laid in the manger.
Live. Don't compromise your time here by seeking... Here. Seek true riches, true success. No scale on earth can measure true success. It is only found in God's own heart. Seek him. Live. Straw or gold. Just live by his grace.
