A Baby Changed Everything: a nativity lesson

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NATIVITY, n.

1. Birth; the coming into life or the world. The feast of Christmas is observed in memory of Christs nativity.

2. Time, place and manner of birth; as, to calculate ones nativity.

3. State or place of being produced.

As we move (rather quickly I might add) through December, I want to take a moment and focus my mind, heart, and blog on the birth of Jesus.

It’s easy for that to get lost, isn’t it? Amidst the parties, shopping, decorating, and Christmas card-writing, I often forget to be still and humbly contemplate what happened on the day Jesus was born. The day the world was changed.

I know what it’s like for the birth of a baby to change my world. How unimaginable is it that the birth of a baby could change THE world? That is exactly what happened though.

A baby changed everything. A nativity lesson.

Before Christ came, children were abused, neglected, sold into slavery, and left for dead. Purposefully. Because they had no value. Especially little girls. The way Jesus spoke of children changed that. Children were born in the image of God. Children should be loved and cherished. They are blessings.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven( belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Before Jesus was born, education was for the elite only. Because of Christ’s command to love God with all our minds, monasteries were born, leading eventually to universities. Did you know that most of the colleges started in Europe and America began as bible-proclaiming schools? Harvard and Yale both had Puritan beginnings.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)

Because Jesus showed compassion for the poor and sick, institutions for lepers were opened, the precursor to modern-day hospitals. The Council of Nyssa declared that wherever a cathedral stood, there must also be a hospice, to care for the sick and poor. That’s why many hospitals have names like “Good Samaritan,”or are named for saints. They were the beginning of charitable institutions.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

Forgive your friends and punish your enemies was the standard before Jesus was born. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, to forgive them, and reconcile our relationships.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45)

Of course, even today, we still struggle in our earthly flesh in all of these areas, even though we know better. Children are still abused, those Bible-based universities are far-removed from their roots, modern-day healthcare is a mess, and forgiveness doesn’t always come easy. Sin still abounds, but because of the nativity of Christ, our forever is changed.

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:21-23)

The birth of a tiny baby changed everything.

I have a beautiful video to share with you. Take a moment to enjoy it. and take a moment in the busy days of the season to remember why we celebrate the birth of the newborn King.

A Baby Changes Everything from joecastillo on GodTube

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