"Suppose there was a king who loved a humble maiden," begins a parable by Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard (1813-1855). How could he declare his love for her? She might respond out of fear or coercion, but he wanted her to love him for himself.

So the king, convinced that he could not appear as a king without crushing his loved one's freedom, resolved to descend. He stepped off his throne, took off his royal robes, and wrapped himself in a shabby cloak. It was no mere disguise, but a new identity. He took on the life of a servant to win the young woman's hand.

What a gamble! She might love him or she might spurn him and send him away, and he would lose her love forever! But that's a picture of the choice God gave to mankind, and that, of course, is what the parable is all about.

Our Lord humbled Himself in an effort to win our love. "Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation" (Philippians 2:5-7). That is the story of Christmas: God in a manger; God found in a form that no one could possibly fear.

Now the question is this: Will we love Him, or will we spurn Him and send Him away?    — David H. Roper