Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

When we figuratively look into the manger and observe the sleeping Christ Child, there are certain images that can come to mind, and can help us reflect on the nature of the Son of God and how we can relate to Him.   Here is a passage from Luke 2 after the angels had announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds:
15So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."16And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.17Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.18And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.19But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

In verse 16, we see a brief statement that the "Babe" was "lying in a manger".   After making that observation, it basically changed their lives - they began to spread the Word, and apparently they did so in a compelling fashion, because it is said in verse 18 that people "marveled".   So, we can say that an encounter with Jesus will change our lives and we will be motivated to share what God has done for us.   And, Mary's reaction was contemplated, she "pondered" these things in her heart.   Here during this week of Christmas, we can think about, we can ponder how the coming of Jesus has changed and can change our lives.  Quiet reflection can really be a key component of our lives throughout the year.  And, at Christmas, we can also think about how we can share His truth with others.

In Psalm 4, we are encouraged to seek the Lord and to experience His peace:
3But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.4Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
In verses 7 and 8, the Psalmist writes:7You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.8I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Sidewalk Prophets have that wonderful song, "What a Glorious Night".   It ends by painting a picture of a still Bethlehem where the King is sleeping and concludes with, "Oh, what a glorious night."

If you have had or have an infant in the house, if you've struggled with that child going down for a nap or to bed for the night, it can be a glorious feeling for that child to sleep.  But, I don't think that's the scenario here.

But, we do see the common depiction of a quiet and still Bethlehem and a sleeping child who was the King of Kings - the "glory" is not in the sleeping child, but in the significance of that child - the One who was born was the Lord of all.

There is definitely a thread of sleep and sleepiness in some of our favorite Christmas songs.

Take, for instance "Away in a Manger":  "The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head..."
And, when He wakes up to the sound of the lowing cattle, of course, He doesn't cry, the carol contends.

Then, you have the traditional carol, "Still Still Still", which says:
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
The night is peaceful all around you,
Close your eyes,
Let sleep surround you.

And, this beloved carol also depicts that quiet night in Bethlehem, the "Silent Night", the "holy night", where...
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace

Now, historically, we also know that Bethlehem was quite crowded because of the influx of people coming in for the census.  That is the circumstance in which Mary and Joseph found themselves.  But, now that they have settled in, the birth of Jesus has come - a central moment in human history!

And, "What Child is This" can help us to contemplate the significance of this sleeping child:

What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?

Perhaps the world is more comfortable with Jesus as a sleeping baby that the Savior of the World, who came to be crucified and is now risen from the dead to become Lord of All.   At Christmas, Jesus is portrayed as a simple, harmless child, but we cannot forget that this innocent, humble child grew up, taught the principles of His Father, and died to save the world.   This sleeping Jesus is now the Lion of Judah, the King of Kings, the humble warrior, who defeated the power of sin and Satan and now lives as the Lord of all!   This is the bold and mighty Jesus, who, even though exalted to the right hand of God, is compassionate toward us and makes intercession, standing on our behalf.

We also think together about the power of stillness.   The Psalmist echoed the call of God to us when he wrote, "Be still and know that I am God".   And, our realization of the presence of the Prince of Peace in our lives can come not when we are busily and perhaps hurriedly pursuing the activities of our lives, but when we have intentionally come away to spend some time in reflection and meditation on and with the Lord we love and serve.

And, we can be reminded about the importance of sleep.   Gallup just released a survey last week. It said that 59%n of Americans get seven or more hours of sleep at night, while 40% get less than seven hours. Those figures are largely unchanged from Gallup polls in the 1990s and 2000s, but Americans, on average, slept much more in the 1940s. Americans currently average 6.8 hours of sleep at night, down more than an hour from 1942.

Medical studies have related a lack of sleep to health problems and cognitive impairment. Therefore, experts typically recommend seven to nine hours sleep for adults. Currently, 59% of U.S. adults meet that standard, but in 1942, 84% did. That means four in 10 Americans get less than the recommended amount of nightly sleep, compared with the 11% who did so 70 years ago.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times reported on a survey released at this year's SLEEP 2013 meeting in Baltimore. It said that 83% of Americans don’t get a good night’s sleep on a consistent basis.

Why not? Stress and anxiety were cited as the top reason by 48% of the 1,008 adults interviewed by the polling firm Harris Interactive. In addition, 47% of those surveyed said they simply weren’t able to turn off their thoughts.

Among other culprits:

* 38% of Americans said pain interfered with their ability to catch the necessary ZZZZs.
* 32% said they were too overtired to rest.
* 23% blamed background noise.
* 23% chalked up their lack of sleep to children or pets.
* 18% said they had breathing problems that kept them from sleeping soundly.
* 17% said their spouses or significant others were to blame.

In "O Little Town of Bethlehem", we also sing about the stillness of the night and the calmness of the residents of this quiet little town":
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by

We think of sleep as a positive, but in another sense, the Bible teaches us to guard against a sleepiness or a slumber concering the things of the Lord.  We think of a slumbering world that has grown insensitive to the ways of God.  Casting Crowns takes the concept of a sleeping Bethlehem and broadens it to a world, including the USA, that might be sleeping and miss what Jesus wants to do:

For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today...

In a moving, direct manner, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns challenges us to examine whether or not we are in a state of slumber:

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping.

So, that quiet Christmas Eve can bring us to a recognition of who our Savior is and how He desires for us to enter into His rest and experience His peace, but to also not allow ourselves to be spiritually sleepy.