Not a Cradle?

This week I’m borrowing a fitting story shared by some friends who minister with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

An Mbe translation team in Nigeria was working on the translation of Luke 2:7 which deals with Mary placing baby Jesus in a manger.  When the Wycliffe consultant asked the team to draw a picture of the word they were using for the word, manger, they drew a picture of a cradle hung by ropes so a newborn baby could be laid in it and lulled to sleep.

The team was referred to a reference book which showed that a manger was actually an animal feeding trough. The team felt that was an objectionable translation until the consultant reminded them that translation should be as close to the original language as possible. He told them, “The word, ‘manger’ tells us something profound about God. When He came to live among us and bring salvation to us, He came in the lowliest way possible.” The team was urged to find the best possible word in the Mbe language.

When the translators fully realized where Baby Jesus was laid, they used the word that means an old, worn-out basket useable only to feed animals. When the Mbe people listened to this scripture passage, they were emotionally moved by what Jesus was willing to do to reach them—beginning with being born to a young peasant woman under questionable circumstances and being laid in an animal feeding trough for His first bed.

Should not we ALL be moved as we meditate on the fact that Jesus left the glory of heaven to come to earth and ultimately be our salvation? “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”  Thank You, Lord Jesus for all that that means.