Sabbathought: Room for Him withinn --- (Christmas II)

Before he found the restored gospel in the 1920s my Dad used to say he was interested to find a church which taught, among other things, that 1) we had lived before in a premortal existence (not in a previous incarnation, which he knew to be false), and 2) that Jesus was born in the Spring. He reasoned that shepherds watched all night over their flocks only in the lambing season.

We wrote last week of the Why of the divine birth. Let's look at the Where and When, and How the circumstances came about.

The only account in scripture of these things is some twenty verses at the start of Luke chapter 2. (The "wise men from the east" did not come to the stable for the birth, but arrived later, following a star till it came and stood over the house where the young child was.)

In Luke we find the shepherds watching over the sheep destined for sacrifice in the temple next day, for it is Passover. But first we see the setting. My wife Alison says it this way: "I think that when Mary and Joseph were on their way to Bethlehem, I can imagine many crowds of people selfishly running, pushing past to get accommodation for the next few nights, as it would have been very busy with the Passover, Census and Taxes. I think natural man would have thought about himself first and not offered any help to them, hence, 'no room for them in the inns'".

As Alison and I have discussed these events we have agreed that the setting should be consistent with the condescension of Jesus in coming down to this lowly estate (see 1 Nephi 11:14--26). Also the doctrine that the "Son of Man hath descended below" all things (see D&C 122:8), that He might rise above all things. Alison's description is consistent with these gospel truths. It is the Prophet Joseph who adds an "s" on inn: " . . . there was no room for them in the inns", suggesting that they were turned away more than once, and she heavy with Child, which would be plain to see and hard to ignore, but possible. . . .

President Monson spoke of these things in December 2008: We have room for fun and games and food and frolic and gifts for each other, but we seem to have no room for Him, said the prophet. We want to highlight this point, thus our title today, "Room for Him withinn". The spelling is intentional, as a mnemonic device.

The stable scene: Alison says, "After the Savior was born amongst all the cattle litter and probably nosy onlookers, as there would have been no privacy (could this point towards another open shame in 33 years?), Joseph would have 'lifted up' the newborn Babe into the feeding trough, lifted up at birth and lifted up for death. The manger means in French, a place to eat, referring to the Savior as 'the bread of life'." We ought to note too that Bethlehem means "house of bread or flesh".

The "stable" was merely the central place in a courtyard where baggage and animals were kept so that the owners could keep an eye on them from the surrounding alcoves where they slept. Far from being a private cave or secluded spot, it would have been very public. Thus Jesus was born in the lowest of circumstances, among the litter and odors left by the animals, and for all to see.

Back to the shepherds. The angel gave them a specific sign, "Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Alison adds, "The swaddling clothes were probably strips of cloth which had the family (house of David) emblems, maybe sewn into them. . . . I think these strips of cloth were a positive sign that a King had been born, as told by the angel, and this is what the shepherd-prophets were seeking.

"I think they might have known or come to know (certainly all the wise men) that the promised Messiah/baby Jesus was of royal lineage through both His mortal parents back to King David. (The Savior is also known as David [Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23--4; 37:24--5], which name means 'Beloved'.) Also, there was probably not any other newborn babe lying in a cattle-feeding trough.

"The pieces of cloth were wrapped securely and indicated a strait, narrow, restricted, undeterred life, which was born to do the will of His Father, 'I must be about my Father's business' (see also His words in Luke 12:50)".

Elder Russell M. Nelson points out that only one word is needed in the Greek text for the five words: "wrapped him in swaddling clothes." The Greek word is "sparganoo" and carries the idea of strap or wrap tightly, straiten. We get the word spasm from this Greek word, so we see He was wrapped tightly to prevent "spasmodic contraction."

In the Book of Jasher is found an account of the sacrifice of Isaac, himself a great prototype of the Christ. The account speaks of Isaac, as an adult, fully aware of the impending sacrifice and of its significance, asking his father Abraham to bind his hands and feet so that he would not tremble, and thus defile the sacrifice! . . . Echoes . . . .

Alison concludes: "I think there is no question that all these signs point to the fact that our Savior was rejected before His birth and would be ever after. There was no room for Him in the inns and still today there is no room with-inn men's hearts."

As Alison said, so little is written down, therefore we must have the Holy Ghost to help us fill in between the lines. Good, good insights!

Do you sense that the story goes deeper than we first thought? It is not only our privilege and right to plumb the depths of this Holy Story, but it is our obligation to do so, "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins", sins that are occasioned by the natural, fallen state we are all subjected to here below. Jesus Christ came to "make the blessings flow, / Far as the curse was found", meaning the curse associated with Adam's Fall.

Shall we discuss more on this theme next week? Let me know if it is of interest to you to do so.

Let us make room for Him withinn. . . .

Steve