Tag Archives: the Incarnation

December 26
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“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”  (Luke 2:52, NASB)

Bethlehem, the manger, the heavenly host, the visit of the wise men, and all of the other wondrous features of our Lord’s arrival were a great beginning; but it didn’t end there.  The baby Jesus became the boy Jesus, who became the adolescent Jesus, who became the fully-grown man.

In our lives, there are many wondrous beginnings: The birth of a child; a wedding; a new lease on life after a serious illness; a new day.  It is only the first step.  Advancing through each step that follows is as expected as night following day.

We grow in stature because we take nourishment over time.  We grow in wisdom by the same principle, but instead of food, it is obedience to the word of God that increases wisdom and divine favor.  – Luther

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October 27
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“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  (Hebrews 2:18, NIV)

Empathy = “‘Been there.  Done that’. . .  and reaching back to help others traveling the same road.”

The cost of empathy is always a personal one, which is why it resonates in a way that “informed” but “inexperienced” advice and presence cannot.

As the architect of humanity, Jesus was certainly informed of the human condition; but without becoming fully human Himself, it is like being the designer of a house, but never living within the house of one’s own design.  Living in the human condition is different than being informed of it.

When you endure hardship, know that there is One who has walked in your shoes Who is able to help you live through the difficulty; and also know that you are becoming the one who, like Jesus, is able to empathize with others in their distress.  It is a gift.  – Luther

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January 10
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“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11, NIV)

According to the liturgical calendar, we are in the season known as Epiphany.  The significance of Epiphany is the revelation or the manifestation of the Jewish messiah, Jesus, to the gentiles.  Most of us recognize this event as the time when the infant Jesus was visited by the three wise men — non-Jews from a place East of the holy land — who presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as tokens of His lordship.

As the disciples of Jesus, we need to guard against keeping Jesus — the Savior of the world — for ourselves only.  It was never God’s intention in sending His only begotten Son into this world that Jesus should be only for one group of people, or for one kind of people.  The scripture tells us: “God so loved the world. . . ”

We do well to ponder the great love of God in not only coming through the house and lineage of David, but in also coming to us: Gentiles, exiles, foreigners, and strangers.  – Luther

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