Jesus left His power and splendor.
Sent by His Father in a Love unfathomable,
the Prince was born into the most ordinary humanity.
No son of priest or prophet was He.
Step-child of a poor carpenter.
Son of a simple girl.
Jesus slipped into the world in humility . . . obscurity . . . frailty.
A tiny cast of players in an obscure setting moved upon
the stage of this Unspeakable Event.
Mary carried.
Joseph served.
Shepherds beheld.
Magi worshiped.
A barn sheltered.
A feeding trough cradled . . .
and Herod murdered.
By that Divine Invasion,
hidden in the depths of such abject beginnings,
the dark history of mankind was interrupted by Light.
The earth groaned under the ...
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Jesus left His power and splendor.
Sent by His Father in a Love unfathomable,
the Prince was born into the most ordinary humanity.
No son of priest or prophet was He.
Step-child of a poor carpenter.
Son of a simple girl.
Jesus slipped into the world in humility . . . obscurity . . . frailty.
A tiny cast of players in an obscure setting moved upon
the stage of this Unspeakable Event.
Mary carried.
Joseph served.
Shepherds beheld.
Magi worshiped.
A barn sheltered.
A feeding trough cradled . . .
and Herod murdered.
By that Divine Invasion,
hidden in the depths of such abject beginnings,
the dark history of mankind was interrupted by Light.
The earth groaned under the touch of
the One who imagined it
and
the heavens glowed in bursting ecstasy.
But the religious-knowing and the ignorant-unknowing
- all the weary world -
slept on, the silence unbroken during that
just-another-night.
We all - ones who know Him and ones who do not -
hang suspended between that
Strange Night and the Thunderous Day of His coming,
when Christ will shake the still-sleeping world
by an entirely different appearing:
in splendor, majesty, power
and . . .
decimating glory.
And all will wake to see Him, only to fall prostrate
at His blazing feet.
And the question in our suspension is . . .
Are you carrying Him within? . . . as Mary
Do you serve Him by sacrifice? . . . as Joseph
Have you seen Him? . . . like the shepherds
Will you worship Him . . . like the Magi
or murder Him? as Herod . . . the religious leaders, and Judas.
A Blessed Christmas to our friends around the world.
We extend our hearts to pray for you the presence of this Holy Savior throughout your holiday season and may your new year be filled with the grace and the knowledge of Immanuel, the God who is ever present, with us.
- From all of His children at Shulamite Ministries
Copyright © 2001 Martha Kilpatrick
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