NATIVITY SET LESSON
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December 20, 2019
Submitted by: Rachel Lee Otto
Last year I purchased a cute Nativity set for my children. It is made of plastic as part of the Fisher-Price “Little People” line.
There is a small stable for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. The three wisemen are there to worship amidst a donkey, lamb and cow, Music plays and a star lights up when an angel is placed on top. It’s really adorable and, better still, unbreakable.
I bought the set so my children could actually touch the figures. I wanted them to be able to cherish the meaning of Christmas and reenact that special night without the words “don’t touch’ or “be careful” streaming from my lips.
So I placed the set underneath our tree and stepped back to watch the kids delight. Just as I’d hoped, they tenderly played with the figures, singing “Away in a Manger” and telling the Christmas story to all who would listen. They knew the precise role of each person and animal present.
Imagine my suprise, then, when my daughter, at age three, promptly plucked the holy family from the stable, placed them in a pink mini van and raced away! I quickly pointed out that this was a very special family and they should remain in the stable. Lord Jesus certainly does not belong in a van!
Or does He?
So often, despite our best intentions, the true meaning of Christmas gets left in December. Sometime between Thanksgiving turkey and New Year’s parties we contemplate Christ and hope that His birth is not out-weighed by the stockpile that “Santa” has brought.
Then, in the first few days of the new year we pack up the tree, the stockings and the manger. Somewhere in all this the miracle of Christ’s birth gets neatly wrapped and stored away for another year.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The joy of this season was meant to last. We should carry it with us throughout the entire year, not just when the tree is lit and displayed in the
livingroom.
This year, let’s take Jesus out of the stable and into our world. Take Him to work with you. Bring Him to the store. Show His love to your neighbors. And ask Him to ride along wherever your family is headed. He wants to be part of your life all year long.
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