He Dwelt Among The Lowly

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthian 8:9).

The Bible tells about a sad experience that came to Mary and Joseph when Jesus was about to be born. We wonder if there was anyone that might have counseled Mary about going on a journey in the condition in which she was. But the decree of the Romans was strict. They were afraid of the penalty, and so they took the risk.

It is possible that Mary and Joseph might have hesitated as to whether they should go or not because the record says they were late when they arrived. When they arrived, there was no vacancy. “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6, 7).

The Word of God does not give the full details of the circumstances of the event, but we can imagine the anguish of Mary and Joseph at that precise moment: They were unable to secure a decent place for her to have a baby.

The couple had no choice but to go to a manger in a barn. The environment that surrounded the divine Son of God was inappropriate. “We marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden” (The Desire of Ages, pp. 48, 49).

What was the Lord’s purpose in allowing this to happen? Why didn’t the Lord Jesus have a decent place to be born? Jesus purposed in Himself that no earthly motives would prevent Him from coming to dwell exactly as He did. He wanted to be accepted by humanity according to the testimony of the written word. That was the Lord’s purpose. Had the Lord been born in the royal palace, He could have been identified as a king. This would have made it impossible for poor people to approach Him. This is the very reason why He was born in a barn. Why did He do that? “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Jesus came in a humble way to reach a class of His children. He identified Himself with the most humble people of this earth. Yet, amazingly, He attracted all classes of people. This is very important to analyze. Human presumption and pride are rebuked in this event. When we examine the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, we realize how much we need to learn of Him. He is the greatest example we have.

When Christ began His ministry and was preparing His disciples for ordination, a determined man came forward, seeking to be accepted among the disciples. The Spirit of Prophecy reveals that it was Judas. “And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:19, 20).

Jesus did not reject Judas nor did He welcome him. He remained silent as He began to read the thoughts of this man. After a brief moment, He declared the statement we just read. “The foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the Son of man has no where to lay his head.”

In other words, “If you are going to follow me because of the greatness of this world you are wrong. You will be disappointed.” The Master did not own any home; He had to rely on the hospitality of friends. That is how humble His situation really was.

Among the most faithful of Christ’s disciples was Lazarus of Bethany. He, too, was a man of very humble origin. Jesus knew how much Lazarus loved Him and was pleased to spend time with him and his family because they all accepted Him as their Saviour.

The family at Bethany was very sincere in serving Jesus and taking care of Him. Frequently Jesus found relief in the house of Lazarus. Often when He was seeking for some human companionship, He found rest in that home. In reality, for us to live a happy life we don’t need that much. If we have Jesus within our heart and accept the example of His life, we can be happy even in the humbleness of our life.

In the house of Lazarus, Jesus could relax while hidden from the people that persecuted Him. There He found sweet friendship and was comfortable. That was why Jesus spent time in that place. Their friendship was pure. In that home, He could feel free to speak because He knew His words would be well received, not twisted or misunderstood. Yet above all, His greatest peace was found when He used to retire to commune with His father in prayer.

Like Jesus, we need to come to the Father at all times. Those who are called to suffer for Christ’s cross, often have to endure misunderstanding and mistrust from their own family, friends, or associates. Yet they may find comfort by remembering that Jesus suffered before them. He invites all to find companionship and relief in the same way He found these blessings. Where did He find relief? In communion with His Father. This is something we need to meditate upon: In the plan of salvation, the Lord Jesus humbled Himself in such a way that He chose to live a very humble and simple life that we may all follow His example.

Let us be happy with whatever the Lord has given us. And let us understand also that to serve the Lord sometimes brings difficult times. We must be determined to face all these types of difficulties. The apostle Paul in his many letters does not mention any piece of property he left behind. This man gave it all to the Lord. His only hope—his heart’s desire—was the assurance of eternal salvation. In the history of the 12 apostles we find that they laid down their life for the cause of Christ. Yet what a legacy is theirs!

The apostle Paul wrote, “I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12). May this be our hope, our decision, and our determination in seeking to serve the Lord. Our eyes must be focused upward, high in heaven. And we will understand that our life is short. We live here on a temporary basis and our only hope is in the hereafter. May the Lord give us courage to cultivate the same character of Jesus—that one day, soon, we may live and reign with Him. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).