He Has Exalted Those Who Were Humble
In the 1870s Thomas Hughes was an English lawyer and a former Member of Parliament. He was also the author of the novel, Tom Brown’s School Days, which was wildly popular in both England and America. Hughes had a grand idea for an experiment on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. Hughes wanted to give opportunities to younger sons of wealthy English families. According to English law and custom at the time, a family’s wealth and property were passed down to the firstborn son. Hughes planned to establish a community in America where younger sons could learn a trade. He also wanted to help poor black and white Americans.
Hughes hoped the utopian community would be home to a cultured people who lived a Christian lifestyle. He wanted it to be free of the class structure of his native England. Hughes’ named his planned utopian community Rugby after his alma mater. The colony was officially founded on October 5, 1880. Opening ceremonies began with Morning Prayer conducted by the Second [Anglican] Bishop of Tennessee. By then the Rugby library was under construction. From the start, English and American residents populated Rugby.
In time 60 Victorian-style buildings were constructed. The population once rose to as high as 450. It included people from England, France, Germany, and Americans from the North and the South.
Many people have tried to establish utopian communities but every one of these that I have visited or learned about has failed, including Rugby. I’m convinced that the only successful utopia is in Heaven. Thomas Hughes visited Rugby almost every year from 1880 to 1887. He never lived there but his mother and his brother did move to Rugby. By 1892 Hughes knew that his colony had not achieved what he hoped it would. In a letter he wrote about his abiding faith “that good seed was sown when Rugby was founded and that someday the reapers will come along with joy, bearing heavy sheaves with them.”
In the 1960s, 17-year-old Brian Stagg from a nearby community organized a small group of Tennesseans who began working to restore historic buildings in Rugby and preserve its history. Today volunteers continue to preserve Rugby, not as a utopian community, but as a tourist destination and a quiet and peaceful place to live.
Ray and I spent last Saturday afternoon and evening at the annual Christmas at Historic Rugby.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there. We went to two open houses in the neighborhood of modern homes, which have been built in the 21st century, each with the exterior architecture of the 1880s. We had wassail and cookies in the historic schoolhouse.
We especially enjoyed going inside the library . . .
. . . with its original interior and 7,000 original volumes.
It has remained unchanged since it opened in 1872.
We stepped inside Kingston Lisle, which Thomas Hughes had built for himself, as a sort of model home for the community. Hughes set an example by building what he believed to be a modest home and said that Rugby would have no castles.
In our easy devotional idea today, we remember that God “has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate” (Luke 1:52).
Read: Matthew 2
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
And she refused to be comforted,
Because they were no more.”
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Discuss: Why was Herod afraid of a baby?
Pray as you reflect on this truth: He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate. (Luke 1:52)
Add to the basket: a crumpled paper crown, to represent the mighty who are brought low.
As Mary said to Elizabeth:
“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
“He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.”
Luke 1:52
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Optional Carol: If you would enjoy singing a carol to go along with today’s devotion, you might enjoy “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah,” which is based on Psalm 148.
Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
From the heavens praise his name;
Praise Jehovah in the highest,
All his angels, praise proclaim.
All his hosts, together praise him,
Sun and moon and stars on high;
Praise him, O you heav’ns of heavens,
And you floods above the sky.
Refrain:
Let them praises give Jehovah,
For his name alone is high,
And his glory is exalted,
And his glory is exalted,
And his glory is exalted
Far above the earth and sky.
Let them praises give Jehovah,
They were made at his command;
Them forever he established,
His decree shall ever stand.
From the earth O praise Jehovah,
All you seas, you monsters all,
Fire and hail and snow and vapors,
Stormy winds that hear his call. [Refrain]
All you fruitful trees and cedars,
All you hills and mountains high,
Creeping things and beasts and cattle,
Birds that in the heavens fly,
Kings of earth and all you people,
Princes great, earth’s judges all,
Praise his name, young men and maidens,
Aged men and children small. [Refrain]
We love Rugby! We live about an hour away, we have been up in the late summer/early fall. We enjoyed everything you wrote about and the general store and walking the cemetery and reading the tombstones, so interesting! Did you watch the film in the welcome center? It was truly an interesting concept that Mr. Hughes had.