O Little Town of Bethlehem
Insignificant?
"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the
shepherd of my people Israel." Matthew 2:6
As a child, I grew older but
not much taller. Even my baby brother passed me in height. I was called “the
runt of the litter” or “Shorty” and other nicknames that made me feel
insignificant in comparison to the taller members of my family.
In the Old Testament, God
sent a prophet named Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a king from among Jesse's
sons. Samuel was impressed by each of the seven sons who passed before him, but
God had not chosen any of them. “Do not look on his appearance or on the height
of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees:
man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel
16:7 ESV). When the youngest came, God said, “David is the one.”
Centuries later a census
required a young virgin named Mary and her espoused husband to go to Bethlehem
because both were of the lineage of David. They arrived just as she was about
to give birth. Angels silently gathered and kept “their watch of wondering
love.” They knew that months earlier God had sent the angel Gabriel to tell
Mary she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Messiah, the
Christ.
When Jesus was born, the
angels' voices filled the night and “everlasting light” shone in the dark
streets. That night’s events in Bethlehem would be sung for centuries to come.
The word “little” suggests that Bethlehem was an insignificant village.
But God chose Bethlehem from among thousands of towns in Judah. We may feel
small and unimportant too. But God values each of us and chose to send His Son
to redeem us. In meekness we can
ask Christ to “cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us . . . our Lord
Emmanuel.”
DIG DEEPER
- According to 1 Corinthians 1:27, who does God choose
and why does He choose them?
- Read Micah 5:2, a verse that Matthew referred to in
his story of Jesus' birthplace. What other information is given? Note: the
words sometimes translated “ancient times" may be translated “from days of
eternity.”
Nancy J. Baker
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