What shall we offer you, O Christ?
Who for our sake appeared on earth as a human?
Every creature made by you offers you thanksgiving.
The angels offer you a hymn,
The heavens, a star,
The magi, gifts,
The shepherds, their wonder,
The earth, its cave,
The wilderness, a manger,
And we offer to you, a Virgin Mother.
(Vesper Hymn)
The simplicity of the story of Christ’s birth reveals the depth of God’s love and the mystery of His actions in our life. As we celebrate Christmas anew this year, once again Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and wise men, the angels and animals direct our attention to the Lord Jesus. He who is truly the ‘way, the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:1) who reveals Himself in the humble circumstances of a cave in Bethlehem. All of time is centered upon his coming. All of creation surrounds Him who fashioned the creation!
The Expression of Divine Love
The story of the birth of Christ is a vivid reminder of the depth of God’s love for us. He loves us so much that he has entered into life in this world in the person of Christ. The infinite God mysteriously accepted the limitations of our humanity. It was not enough for God to act through signs and wonders of the physical world. It was not enough for God to guide us through the prophets and teachers of old. No, this was not enough for our God. To express his boundless love for us, the Living God appeared among us in the person of Christ Our Lord. By fully identifying himself with us, Christ has come to teach us, to heal us and to lead us back to the Father. He has come to remind us that we are the Father’s precious daughters and sons. As St. John the Evangelist says: “God so loved the world that he sent His Only begotten Son so that all who believe in him will not be lost but will have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).
Many years before the Beatitudes were taught and many years before His glorious Resurrection, Christ revealed God’s love for us through the simple events of his birth. The Lord of Glory demonstrated his love for us simply be entering into our life and by sharing in all that is truly human. St. Basil the great reminds us of this saying: “Every act and every word of our Savior is a guide for holiness and virtue. For this reason he became human, so that in images he may depict both holiness and virtue for us…For this reason he bears a body so that we may imitate His life” (Ascetical Principles, 1)
Through His birth in Bethlehem, Our Lord reveals to us the breath and depth of God’s love for us. Whether we see him as the child in Bethlehem, the teacher in Galilee, or the Risen Lord in Jerusalem; Christ is truly the greatest gift of the Father ‘for us and for our salvation.’
A Sense of Wonder
The story of Christ’s birth speaks to us about the mysterious ways of God. The Triune God acts in ways that we do not always expect! His ways are truly wonder-filled. For centuries, the Ancient Israelites had expected the Messiah. The prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, called the people to readiness and openness to God’s actions. Their message provided the people with indications about the coming Messiah.
Yet, when ‘the fullness of time had come’ (Gal. 4:4), the Messiah did not arrive as a conquering hero in a golden chariot with pomp and splendor. He was not robed in expensive clothing. He did not appear in the capital city. Throngs of adoring followers did not accompany him.
When the Messiah finally arrived, he came first as a baby. He was born to a young girl who was not formally married. The event occurred in the simple village of Bethlehem. He was sheltered in a place reserved for animals because the inn was full. There, in such simple circumstances, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth…” (Jn.1: 14). This is the mysterious way of God!
Through the Christmas story, Our Lord reveals that God acts in ways that we do not always expect. We cannot shape the mighty acts of God to our limited understanding. The Triune God is greater than our limited perceptions of Him. He acts in mysterious and wondrous ways to draw us to Him and to one another in love.
To Christ Our Lord be glory, now and forever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen
~Adapted from “God Becomes Human to Show Us the Way,” by Father Thomas Fitzgerald, Professor of Church History & Historical Theology and Dean of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, (http://goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/outreach/resources/reflections/showus).
