In a traditional nativity scene, there are usually a range of features, including Mary and Joseph, shepherds and animals, angels and the star and, of course, the baby Jesus, pictured in a manger, which seems a most unusual place for any baby to be placed, let alone one who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Luke 2:7 tells us that he was born in this place because there was no room for him at the inn, and Matthew’s account of the visit of the Magi shows us a more expected destination, with the Magi calling at the palace in Jerusalem because they knew they were looking for a king… and where else would you find one?! (see Matt 2:1-8)
Ps 118:22 is a prophetic psalm which reminds us that the stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone (see also Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11), and the very fact that Jesus was placed in a manger shows there was no room for Him in the world; the manger shows man’s initial rejection of Him at His birth. A manger was a feeding trough for animals, a smelly place as far removed from a salubrious palace as possible, definitely not the place we would have expected God to appear in human form.
Throughout His life, Jesus had no place to lay His head (Matt 8:20); the rejection initially seen at His birth continued throughout His life and in many ways continues today as He is dismissed as irrelevant and unnecessary by so many. For those who believe, however, the fact that He was laid in a manger reminds us that He is the bread of life (see Jn 6:57) and the one who feeds on Him will never be hungry. For us, the manger reminds us of humility and lowliness, how Jesus showed us how to live through His example of servanthood and becomes a place of spiritual nourishment.