Week of December 18, 2011 – (Joy Sunday of Advent)
Reflections: Incarnation – the central Christian doctrine that God became man in the form of Jesus, the son of God and the second person of the Holy Trinity. In Jesus the divine and human nature are joined but neither is changed or diminished. This difficult doctrine gave rise to a variety of heresies, some denying Jesus' divine nature, others his human nature. For orthodox believers the conflict was settled at the Councils of Nicaea (AD 325) and Chalcedon (AD 451).
What does it mean to believe that God was/is incarnate in a human being? Why would this be a central Christian doctrine? You can go to thousands of websites, read hundreds of books and talk to many different pastors and theologians and get so many and varied answers to these questions. But what seems most important to me is the idea that God became human, became like you and me. Why did God do this? I believe because God wanted to know what it was like to be human; God was trying to understand all the various emotions, desires and beliefs that we humans have and how they affect the choices we make and the things we do. God is all knowing (omniscient) but knowing isn’t always understanding and I believe God sought to understand God’s human creations. There is no better way to understand another then by walking in their shoes therefore the Incarnation!
God also needed to show us that we could do it, that we could live as God wants us to live and do as God wants us to do. God needed to be sure that God’s creatures had the stuff to be able to live in such a way as to make the universe over into God’s dream for creation. Jesus is our sample, our mold, our way of knowing how we can and ought to live so that God’s kingdom can come and God’s will be done.
And so, as God had done before, a message arrives with a messenger only instead of an angel or a prophet, a burning bush or cloud of smoke and pillar of fire, a still small voice or a thundering earthquake God comes as a baby, born to a teenage mom in a stable in a backwater town. God comes to show us the way, to teach us about love and to call us to the task of being beloved Children of God – loving and serving – witnessing – practicing what we preach and putting faith into action – caring for the least and lost – working to change the world into God’s intent for creation.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)
God also needed to show us that we could do it, that we could live as God wants us to live and do as God wants us to do. God needed to be sure that God’s creatures had the stuff to be able to live in such a way as to make the universe over into God’s dream for creation. Jesus is our sample, our mold, our way of knowing how we can and ought to live so that God’s kingdom can come and God’s will be done.
And so, as God had done before, a message arrives with a messenger only instead of an angel or a prophet, a burning bush or cloud of smoke and pillar of fire, a still small voice or a thundering earthquake God comes as a baby, born to a teenage mom in a stable in a backwater town. God comes to show us the way, to teach us about love and to call us to the task of being beloved Children of God – loving and serving – witnessing – practicing what we preach and putting faith into action – caring for the least and lost – working to change the world into God’s intent for creation.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)
Meditation:
What does it mean for God to know what it feels like to be human – to know our emotions and desires and ways first hand? When has the Incarnation had meaning to you? Why then? Is it meaningful to you now?
Prayer:
Thank God for coming to us and experiencing human life first hand. Ask God to help you move on to perfection so you might be as Jesus was and is. Pray that others will know God and Christ and find in this relationship hope, peace, joy and love.
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