Wonder Of Advent #21

The Humility of God

Read: Matthew 2:3-6

And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah.

Matthew 2:6

MARY WAS PREGNANT with Jesus for nine months, but the world had long been pregnant with the promises of God. For ages, creation had been groaning for its redemption, the human heart had been longing for fulfillment, prophecies had built up anticipation, and souls—many of them, anyway—were primed for deliverance. How would salvation come? Who would rise up in revolt? What thundering voice, flash from heaven, or quaking earth would signal the coming of the Kingdom? How would God do this amazing work?

Quietly. At least that’s how it would look to human eyes. In eternal realms, this stunning rescue mission likely played out as high drama on a cosmic stage. But on earth, it had to be more covert. If it had been too thunderous, people would have bowed down in servitude rather than faith. They would have chosen the winning side because it was winning, not because it was good. Their hearts would not have been sifted. No one would know who really hungered for God and truth and love.

For all those reasons and more, God was much more subtle. He didn’t descend from the clouds of heaven to some great city like Rome or Jerusalem, though such drama is prophesied to come. No, he sent his Son into a tiny town known only for its link with King David and an obscure prophecy in Micah 5:2. Those were significant credentials, to be sure; David’s long-latent dynasty was the messianic line, and the Micah prophecy made it clear that a ruler was coming. But the questions of how and when and what he would be like remained unclear. God was coming incognito to the eyes of most.

God has no need to impress. He is completely secure and excruciatingly patient. He has the subtlety of an artist and the precision of an engineer. He is content to dress in unassuming clothes until the eyes of faith recognize him.

That’s one of the greatest themes of Advent. Who will be drawn to the plainly wrapped gift? Who will see the drama in the mundane? Who will be bold enough to assume that the star might mean something and the shepherds in the field actually matter? The gift of Christmas is opened to such as these. The God of humility seeks hearts that beat with his.

Prayer

Lord, give me eyes of faith to see you wherever you reveal yourself. Humble my heart to beat in sync with yours. Show me what really matters. Amen.

REFLECTION

If you lived in the time of Jesus, do you think you would have recognized him as the Messiah? Why or why not?

Further reading: Isaiah 53:1-2

Today has been born the One without a beginning.

“O WHAT GREAT NEWS,” ROMANIAN CAROL