As We Are, One of Us

In the fourth century the church father Gregory of Nazianus wrote “God became human and poor for our sake, to raise up our flesh, to recover our divine image, to recreate humanity.”  Or, as another of the early church fathers put it, “he became as we are, so that we might become as he is.”  This is the mystery of Christmas: that the infinite and omnipotent creator of the universe would voluntarily put aside his divinity in order to become one of us.

In John’s gospel we are told that the Word that was with God in the beginning and is in fact God himself became flesh and lived among us.  He was, as the carol says, “Pleased as man with man to dwell.”  He made himself nothing, for our sake.

Though he was in very nature God, he did not consider equality with God something to be grasped or exploited, but he made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being mad in human likeness.  And, being found in human likeness, he humbled himself even further and became obedient to death, even death on a cross! (Philippians 2: 6- 8)

He was poor.  He was weak.  He was helpless.  And this was for our sake.

He emptied himself of everything and made himself nothing so that he could give us everything.  This is why we celebrate.  That God became as we are so that we could become as he is. This is an amazing love!

He came to restore a fallen and broken creation.  He came to restore a ruined relationship.  He came to make all things new.  When we were unable see, he came to restore our sight. When we were sick, he came to heal us.  When we were poor, he came to fill us with good things.  When we were dead, he came to raise us up and to give us life and life to the fullest.

We were unable to come to God, so God came to us as one of us.

“Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more to die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth,
Risen with healing in his wings,
light and life to all he brings.
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Hail the Heaven born Prince of Peace!”

I recorded this for KJLY radio in Blue Earth, Minnesota.  It should be broadcast this morning at about 8:40 AM. I thought I'd post it here for those who are not within the listening area of that station.