Away In a Manger

ByCarolyn E. Jacobs
Away in a mangerNo crib for a bedThe little Lord JesusLay down His sweet head
The stars in the skyLook down where He layThe little Lord JesusAsleep on the hay
The cattle are lowingThe poor baby wakesBut little Lord JesusNo crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord JesusLook down from the skyAnd stay by my side‘Til morning is nigh
Why am I singing Christmas carols in July? Because this week’s name is Child. And what better carol is there for meditating on Jesus’s “babyness” than “Away in a Manger?” Personally, I prefer the Cradle Song tune to the Mueller tune. But one of the lines has always bothered me. “No crying he makes.”
Seriously?
What baby doesn’t cry? Babies get hungry and tired. They get uncomfortable when their diapers need changing. They cry when they’re woken from a good, sound sleep. Crying isn’t a sin.
In the Incarnation, Jesus is fully God and fully man (baby – for a time.)
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-7
Just no. Jesus did not come to earth as a balding, old little person. (photo credit By Duccio di Buoninsegna – http://www.aiwaz.net/gallery/duccio-di-buoninsegna/gc16, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3995047) I almost feel like this icon needs to come with a content warning. This small, it looks like Jesus has hair on a beer-belly. Ew.
Jesus was not a man-child.
I get it that it’s hard to wrap your brain around God coming as a helpless baby. The best illustration I’ve seen of this truth is my pastor’s sermon here.
As I said in the last blog post, Jesus, fully God, came as a baby – in every way. In his strength, he took on weakness. And he did it for us.

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