“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” -1 Corinthians 1: 27-29
A baby, born of a virgin who is not even sixteen years of age. This child, born to a humble carpenter from a small backwash town called Nazareth. This, this is the coming of the King. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Son of God. “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;”
Of all the people in all the various situations and circumstances where God could have placed his only Son, he placed him in Mary. In the care of Mary and Joseph on a still night in Bethlehem. It would seem insane to the world that something so precious should be placed in a situation so vulnerable. No financial support, no doctors, no insurance, no money; no family to lean on, and exactly zero experience. Only faith, and the knowledge that God has got this is what they have. Th God is the provider of all the lack, all that they need. To the outside world this coming of a King was foolish, reckless, and irresponsible. When a worldly king or prince is brought into this world, he has the best doctors, medicine, and every available comfort and compensation. Even a lower middle class child would be afforded this. The mother as well. This King was born in a manger, in a stable. While some of the circumstances might seem bleak, it was by no means so. That which was done was indeed extraordinary. The heavenly host gathered to announce his birth, and this was but a small taste of the majesty that was gathered to accompany this child Jesus. His birth and life would be a testimony to the fact that God can provide all our needs according to his riches in glory. Do we believe it? There is wisdom in trusting. When all human endeavors cease and all the worldly mindset is stripped away, then God’s glory can shine forth. It can be punctuated by our lack and promoted by our littleness. Humble beginnings and poor prospects are the language of the Christian. The archetype of our lives is seen in the birth of Christ. We are Christians, and Christians are dependent on God.
God made it so Mary, Joseph, and Jesus Christ would be dependent on Him. This would be the theme of Jesus’s entire life. He would “do always the will of the Father.” He would “take no thought for the morrow.” All these things that we can be so full of care over, Jesus trusted God for, because he knew that God has got it.
