The other day as I was putting away plates in the kitchen a thought struck me: what was it like to live in Joseph and Mary's house? The Bible gives us some information on Jesus' childhood, but nothing like a full biography for the period.
I don't intend to speculate much in this post; rather, I'd like to emphasize the point that when Jesus 'took on flesh' He entered into history and lived a real life, just like you or I. Think about that for a moment. He had conversations with His parents; he talked to His siblings; He helped around the house; He learned Joseph's trade. Jesus is Jehovah God, the Almighty. The Almighty humbled Himself and lived the life of us mortals.
I know we talk about this a lot as Christians, but what struck me on this occasion, this little epiphany, was that Jesus was like us not only in the so-called 'big things', like temptation or suffering, but also in what we consider to be boring or insignificant, the Thursday evenings round the television.
I know that's peculiar language to use, and, of course, they didn't have televisions in those days, but I want to really hammer home this idea. We so often think of the great missionaries or the 'great sinners' as the people with whom Jesus identifies, be it through the Cross, Temptation, Ministry, or Persecution. This is undoubtedly true - but He also knows us as the family people, the quiet people, the 'ordinary' people. There is no part of life that Jesus hasn't touched.
He was, is, and always will be the God-Man. He is our Intercessor, our Great High Priest, the Second Adam. In short, He is the one who became like us because He cares for us.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment