Day 17

Luke 2: 7 

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

Human Frailty

There is something really tender and beautiful about this verse in Luke. Here is the story of the birth of the Saviour of the world, and yet in this verse, here is a baby, being wrapped in cloth by his mother as she ‘makes do’ with a manger in the absence of being able to provide other accommodation.  

One of the most wonderful things about this time of year is that it is when we remember that this was when the Almighty Creator God, who reigns over all, came to us as Jesus in frail human form. It’s such an incredible thing for God to have done, and here we get to see just a tiny snippet of those first hours of Jesus’ life; vulnerable, needing support, warmth and love. May we know in our hearts this Advent that Jesus experienced those needs which we all experience at some point or other in our lives. That the God who created us knows our human frailty so well because Jesus also experienced it. We can trust God to look after us in our times of need. 

Helen C