The wonderful poem below by Luci Shaw captures why baby Jesus isn’t enough. No doubt the incarnation is stunning. That God, the creator of all things, took on human flesh and was born among us is so wonderful an idea that it ought to cause us to stop and reflect very deeply.
But none of the New Testament documents stop there. The story moves so swiftly to Jesus the man that we know almost nothing of Jesus’ childhood. This Christmas and every Christmas, we need Jesus, the man. We need him to stride into our lives. We need his death on the cross for us.
We need to meet him in the pages of the Bible.
IT IS AS IF INFANCY WERE THE WHOLE OF INCARNATION
by Luci Shaw
One time of the year
the new-born child
is everywhere,
planted in madonnas’ arms
hay mows, stables
in palaces or farms,
or quaintly, under snowed gables,
gothic angular or baroque plump,
naked or elaborately swathed,
encircled by Della Robia wreaths,
garnished with whimsical
partridges and pears,
drummers and drums,
lit by oversize stars,
partnered with lambs,
peace doves, sugar plums,
bells, plastic camels in sets of three
as if these were what we need
for eternity.
But Jesus the Man is not to be seen.
We are too wary, these days,
of beards and sandalled feet.
Yet if we celebrate, let it be
that he
has invaded our lives with purpose,
striding over our picturesque traditions,
our shallow sentiment,
overturning our cash registers,
wielding his peace like a sword,
rescuing us into reality
demanding much more
than the milk and the softness
and the mother warmth
of the baby in the storefront creche,
(only the Man would ask
all, of each of us)
reaching out
always, urgently, with strong
effective love
(only the Man would give
his life and live
again for love of us).
Oh come, let us adore him—
Christ—the Lord.
Meet Jesus in the pages of the Bible
If you’d like to start or restart reading the Bible just google, ‘Risen Church start to read the Bible’ to check out our reading guide. We’d love to help meet Jesus in the pages of the Bible