It began in a manger
Author Max Lucado, who among other things provides daily podcast devotions at his website, has put together a collection of Christmas reflections [PDF].
In six short chapters, he explores the Christmas story from several different angles and talks about what it means for us today. Here’s a short exerpt from his discussion of Jesus:
Jesus may have had pimples. He may have been tone-deaf. Perhaps a girl down the street had a crush on him or vice versa. It could be that his knees were bony. One thing’s for sure: He was, while completely divine, completely human….
To think of Jesus in such a light is—well, it seems almost irreverent, doesn’t it? It’s not something we like to do; it’s uncomfortable. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Clean the manure from around the manger. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Pretend he never snored or blew his nose or hit his thumb with a hammer.
He’s easier to stomach that way. There is something about keeping him divine that keeps him distant, packaged, predictable…. But don’t do it. Let him be as human as he intended to be. Let him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out.
Great discussion material there. These essays would make good family reading as Christmas nears.
