The Condescension of God

  

  

“The Condescension of God”

Oil on board

16 x 33

2018

   

In preparing to paint this nativity scene, I began some research into cultural and historical factors that would have played a part in the beloved nativity story. I was inspired by a BYU devotional given by Russel M. Nelson in 2002 entitled, “Christ theSavior is Born” in which he spoke about the inn that had no room. He explained that in the Greek New Testament, the root from which inn was translated is kataluma.The Greek prefix kata- (or cata-) means “a bringing down” and when combined with the suffix-luma, it meant “a breaking down of a journey.” A kataluma was a guest chamber in a lodging place.

 

In those days a lodging place had to provide accommodations for traveling caravans, for both the people and their animals. Caravans stayed at what is known as a caravansary, or khan. This type of facility is typically rectangle in shape and has a central courtyard for the animals that is surrounded by walled cubicles where people rest. Animals such as donkeys and dogs, sheep, and possibly camels and oxen were secured in the center courtyard along with all of the animals’ discharges and odors.

 

As the Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 2:7 indicates that there was no room in the“inns”, this suggests that all of the cubicles or katalumas of the caravansary were occupied. Therefore, Joseph possibly made the decision to care for Mary’s delivery in the center courtyard of a caravansary among the animals. It was in this lowly circumstance that the Lamb of God was born.

 

I chose to depict the caravansary courtyard as the setting for this nativity scene with the Savior wrapped in swaddling clothes. President Nelson explains that the phrase“wrapped him in swaddling clothes” is translated to sparganoo in Greek, which means to envelop a newborn child with special cloth, strips of which were passed from side to side.

 

And as for the manger, the French word for manger means “to eat.” A manger is a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed, provender, or fodder for animals to eat. This feeding trough became the cradle for our Lord! Artist Jenedy Paige shared on her website an article of archeologist Jeffrey R, Chadwick, a researcher specializing in biblical narrative backgrounds who suggested that the manger would have likely been carved out of white limestone and that it was not likely to store hay as animals ate grass from hills around Judea and was instead probably used for water.

 

Also, rather than depicting the Bethlehem star as is custom, I wanted to show the star as it was described in the Book of Mormon, as close to the earth perhaps as our own sun. “Behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness…but it was as light as though it was mid-day.” (3 Nephi 1:15-19) I like to picture the birth of Christ happening not on a dark night, but a bright morning. For in His own words, “I am thel ight and life of the world”.

 

I also wanted to add other plant and animal symbols describing what the birth of Christ means to this world. Plant symbols of the laurel, acanthus, and fig leaf were common in the Roman era in which Christ was born. Also, the use of geometric circles overlapping describe the coming together of heaven and earth, showing that Jesus condescended from a heavenly realm in order to save and lift us up.

 

I hope this painting helps you to experience joy in the miracle of God’s sending HisOnly Begotten Son to this fallen world and that through it I can share my faith that Jesus Christ can truly be with us to help us in all times and seasons regardless of the difficulties and challenges we may face.

 

Merry Christmas and may the love of Christ fill your heart!