Sunday, December 25, 2011

Word made flesh

From today's reading: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:1, 14

Bruce Marchiano after playing the part of Jesus in a Bible production, wrote a book called Jesus, Yesterday, Today, Forever in which he asks the following questions:

"What kind of God would choose to be born in a stable - a small stable in one of the tiniest little towns in the ancient world? What kind of God would choose a peasant girl for His mother and a no-name blue-collar worker for His father? What kind of God would choose a feed trough as His first resting-place, and farm animals for His first companions?"

The answer is: This is a God who sets an example instead of demanding service. This is a God who comes among us as a little child, willing to touch and to hold the world in his hands. This is a God who understands human love and human suffering, the joys and sorrows of life.

He didn't pick a rich palace for his place of birth. No fancy trappings that turn the eye and tarnish the soul. But a humble stable where no ornament detracts from the baby whose soul purpose is to redeem a broken and hurting world.

He didn't pick an earthly queen to bear the holy babe. He picked a simple peasant girl - one who knew how to love - who would love and cherish the child to be born.

And he didn't pick a rich king to give the child all the material wealth his heart could desire. No, he picked a common laborer, a craftsman who was proud of his work; who would protect the boy with his very life, and teach him honor, and respect.

He is real. He laughed and he cried, he got angry and he forgave. This is the God who walks with us in love, not just today, but every day of our life. This is God incarnate - God made flesh. This is the God who dares to become one of us - the one we call Jesus.

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