Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author,
The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.
Away in a Manger is another one of our most popular and most sung Christmas Carols. Many have claimed, down through the years, that it was written by Martin Luther, the German religious reformer, but research may tell us differently and it may have originated in America.
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with thee there.
James R. Murray titled the tune as Luther’s Cradle Hymn in 1887. Murray declared that Martin Luther had written the song AND he even sang it to his children every night before they went to sleep. Naturally, the story caught on and Luther’s popularity helped the song become even more beloved.
This all came as quite a surprise to German families of that time period who did not sing Away in a Manger to their children at bedtime. They had never even heard of the song until it arrived in Europe….from the United States.
In reality the song was most likely written in the mid 1800’s in america but we have no one to legally attribute it to. The tune was actually composed by J. E Clark and Charles Hutchinson Gabriel, the music director for Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, and he then presented a new version that added the third verse..
Who truly wrote the song may always remain a mystery but millions have been forever blessed by the words that take us back to the birth of the Savior. God became flesh and dwelt among us, a humble beginning for the King of Kings. He came and He gave that we might know Him and with that relationship, He will “take us to Heaven” to reign with Him throughout all eternity.
Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because it was decreed by Caesar, but when they arrived, there was no room for them in the inn, so Mary delivered her firstborn son in a stable filled with animals, basically, the barn.
Or did she?
The picture I have had most of my life is of the two of them standing at an ancient bed and breakfast and a kindly elder gentlemen shaking his head telling them he was sorry he could not accommodate them. Everything was full because of the census. Even though Mary was with child they still could not find a place to stay, but this innkeeper did offer his stable and a clean bed of hay where she could give birth. Yikes!
But a little deeper look at the Greek wording might give us some insight and a better understanding of that holy night.
The Greek term translated inn(kataluma) had more than one meaning. It could be a small inn, or a group of people traveling together, a caravansary. This word is used only one other time in the New Testament… “And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.” Luke 22:11.
This is the place where Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples! What kind of room does Luke say this was? “A large furnished upper room…”
So the last night of Jesus’ ministry on this earth was spent in an upper room in an inn or kataluma. Sort of a guest room.
Now let us look at His entrance into this world…when they discovered the inn was full, it was no doubt filled with others, possibly even relatives, who had also traveled to the city for the same reasons. Older members of the family would be accommodated first so they could have possibly taken the rooms.
In this culture and time period, the animals were brought inside at night for several reasons. Mangers (animal feeding troughs) were also found inside the house, tools were stored and the animals were safe from harm. Their being inside also added warmth with their body heat, milk supply and dung for fuel.
So when it is said that Joseph and Mary could find no room in the inn and Jesus was born in the manger, in reality they were likely in a house of humble stature. The stable was on the ground floor, where they brought the animals in at night, the sleeping quarters were on the second floor.
True, it was never the best of conditions; it was still a very humble birth! And if all the rooms in the sleeping quarters were full, and they were, then Mary and Joseph did sleep with the animals on the first floor…the sounds, the smells, the shedding! Everyone was busy getting to the city of their birth to pay their taxes and be counted. There was plenty of hustle and bustle and no one had room for the King of Kings.
No fanfare, nothing flashy or royal by the world’s standards. But all of heaven took notice that day and the heavenly hosts sang, “Glory to God in the highest!”
Sadly, ever since then, our world has never had room for Jesus. Isaiah prophesied it would be so, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Isaiah 53:3.
We have continued to push Him out of our government and our schools. Many now call it Winter Break instead of Christmas Break. It is no longer politically correct to say, Merry Christmas; that has been replaced with Happy Holidays, which they says covers everything and makes everyone happy.
I have even heard of a school on the east coast that gave a performance where the 5th grade sangSilent Night and the teacher had removed all of the references to Jesus in the presentation. What would be the point?!
There was a song back in the 1970’s that we used in a Christmas play titled No Room. The lyrics went like this:
No room,–no room for Him. No room to let Him in.– No room for Jesus in the world He made, no room. No room for the King of Kings; Room for others, and for other things. No room for Jesus in the world He made, no room
No room,–no room for Him. No room to let Him in.– No room for Jesus in the heart He made just for Him. No room–for the King of Kings Room for others, and for other things. No room for Jesus in the heart He made, no room.
Room for houses, lands and pleasures, Room for things that pass away; But for the One who reigns forever, There’s no room today.
Have you made room for Him? Are you taking time to remember the Reason for the Season? Is the hustle and bustle distracting you from the meaning and purpose of that first Christmas?
Take time each day this week to pause, pray and thank God for His entrance into this world. His birth made all the difference in our lives and is the Hope that will take us to be with Him forever one day soon.
When we make room for Jesus, our silent nights become holy nights. Let Him in today…make plenty of room!
We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big Eastern syndicate you know. –Lucy
Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about!
Driving down the road today, the local Christian radio station played Christmas Time is Here and immediately I could see Linus reading the Christmas story.
Christmas time is here Happiness and cheer Fun for all that children call Their favorite time of the year
Snowflakes in the air Carols everywhere Olden times and ancient rhymes Of love and dreams to share
Sleigh bells in the air Beauty everywhere Yuletide by the fireside And joyful memories there
Christmas time is here We’ll be drawing near Oh, that we could always see Such spirit through the year
Sleigh bells in the air Beauty everywhere Yuletide by the fireside And joyful memories there
Christmas time is here We’ll be drawing near Oh, that we could always see Such spirit through the year
What makes this iconic television program so special?
Was it the characters? Yes.
Was it the creator? Yes.
Was it the music? Definitely, yes.
Was it the message? Totally, yes.
If it had not been for Coca Cola taking on the advertising for the program we may not have this wonderful childhood (and forever after) remembrance in our Christmas-time memory bank. Even after its completion, and screening, CBS executives were not overly impressed with the outcome. But they had committed to their sponsor so A Charlie Brown Christmas hit the airwaves on December 9, 1965.
Drawing in 15.4 million viewers, the special placed second in the ratings, following only the classic Bonanza. Just a few months later, Charles Schulz and Producer Lee Mendelson accepted an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program.
One of the most amazing scenes in the show is when Charlie Brown’s friend, Linus, the level-headed one, always comforted and supported by his security blanket, reads the Christmas story for a full minute.
On national television.
During prime time.
This was one of the networks biggest concerns; taking the plunge to actually read from the Bible on national television! But Mendelson and Schulz said if they didn’t do it, then who would?
Exactly.
If we don’t do it, who will?
Christmas-time has changed, dramatically, in the last 50+ years. It isn’t always politically correct to celebrate the real reason for the season.
“Christmas is not only getting too commercial,
it’s getting too dangerous. “-Linus
The vast majority of us will never get the opportunity that Linus had to share the Gospel to millions of viewers at one time; and yet we can do our part. Charlie Brown always thought he didn’t amount to anything and that is a tactic that the enemy uses on God’s people today.
Do we have to stand up on the street corner yelling “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” and making a spectacle of ourselves just because we can?
No, just don’t. Please don’t.
But you don’t have to stop saying, “Merry Christmas” either.
Just continue to do as you have always done,
be who you have always been and share the love of God.
Your actions speak much, much louder than your words.
When in doubt, or difficult circumstance, speak the Word. There is strength, power and wisdom in those 66 books of the Bible that are God-breathed and inspired. Use them! Memorize them, consume them whenever possible. Then those words will flow back out of us as strength, comfort and life-giving power to those that hear.
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year when we keep Jesus first. Love Him, share Him and show His love everywhere you go. Decorate that sad, little tree and remember why He came…and that He is coming back again!
What are some of your favorite memories from A Charlie Brown Christmas? And, how can we better share Jesus this season?
