Medley: Away in a Manger, Normandy Carol, and Cradle Song (arr. Mark Hayes)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-8
Away in a Manger is a late nineteenth century American children’s carol and the words are occasionally sung to the tunes of Normandy Carol or Cradle Song and so this arrangement juxtaposes the three together. But other times, Normandy Carol is sung with alternate words, listed below, also reflecting on the same theme as Away in a Manger. That theme of both lyrics is, of course, the birth of Jesus and His humility to be born in a lowly cattle stall. But there is more to the theme of these three cradle songs. We see the reality of God taking on human flesh. The Creator of the universe – Who created the heavens and the earth, Who speaks things into being, Who sustains things by the power of His word, full of glory and might – was lying asleep in a manger stall, hay poking into His sides, in Bethlehem, which was just a hill town with shepherds and olives trees and fields in what was considered nowhere. And He was just as much a baby as each of us were with little hands and a little nose and perhaps some hair already. This is extraordinary because He can relate to us, but is also an incredible thought that the God of glory would become poor for our sake, born in a stable, dependent upon a human woman to nurse Him and change Him. Because He was as human as all of us, He did human things except sin, so we overlook the lyrics of “no crying He makes” as poetry but not scriptural. He certainly cried. We read in the Bible that He wept (“Oh Jerusalem! Jerusalem!” and the Bible says He wept [literally the Greek says “raged”] when His very close friend Lazarus died). The third stanza now is sung to the ascended Lord Jesus who was a baby, grew into a man, suffered on the cross for our sins, died, and was resurrected, having made us “fit for heaven” as the carol says, by His taking on our sins.
Away in a manager, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
and stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there.
———————————————————–
When wise men came seeking for Jesus from far,
With rich gifts to greet Him and led by a star,
They found in a stable the Savior of men,
A manger His cradle, so poor was He then.
Though laid in a manger, He came from a throne,
On earth though a stranger, in Heaven He was known.
How lowly, how gracious His coming to earth!
His love my love kindles to joy in His birth.