This blog is going to take an immediate, preambling rabbit trail. I apologize for the extra length it creates, but I think it's worth it:
God is neither male nor female. God is both male and female. Yeah, that's right, read it again. God is so much more than a human gender assignment. He made us in his image and then extracted us one from another, so that we, like He, could experience love. He strategically chose certain of His attributes to "hide" within His male and female human models. He then revealed Himself to humanity, primarily using male descriptors, not to slight His feminine side, but as part of a grander plan to (1) train us in recognizing different facets of our god-like tendencies, responsibilities, and authorities, and (2) set the stage for the meaning behind the "Bride of Christ." When we come back together in marriage, we re-formalize a completed God-image, becoming "one flesh" in the way that God is "one God," though His nature includes plurality. This is no threat to our value as single individuals; but neither is it insignificant to the unique display of His image that can only be found in matrimony. Rabbit trail concluded.
That being said, Matthew, chapter 1 gives us the genealogy of Jesus and an abbreviated version of the nativity story. You're probably familiar, but let's humanize afresh. Mary is a young girl, probably about 15 years old. She really loves God and behaves in a way that makes life easy for her parents, maybe even inspires other parents to use her example as they chide their own teens. Joseph is an upstanding citizen, older than Mary, as was common, but probably not very old, as he must go away to prepare their home before the wedding. BOOM! Mary gets pregnant while Joe's away. And she says it's "God's kid." <seriously long pause> The community buzzes with the gossip of it all. Friends become scorners and this holy family is a laughing stock. "Mom, dad? So, you still want me to be like Mary?! LOL!" Joseph assumes she is too ashamed to tell the truth. He is going to opt for divorce, which was necessary in their culture, seeing as engagement carried the same power of commitment as marriage - just without the benefits. Maybe she's a trollop, maybe it was rape. No matter, she's ruined, Joseph's ruined, the whole family is a mess. Then there's the divine disclaimer: angels say that everything is alright. "It's a miracle!" they say. The closes friends and family hear the testimony of the visions and think, "Yeah right, a miracle. You guys are really reaching here." And yet...it's true. Believe it or not, like it or not, it's true.
And because of this, through all the turmoil and stress, Mary has peace. She becomes the incubator for God in the flesh. She is comforted by truth and manifests the nature of God as she, like He, is able to shut off all of the human foolishness and be the safe, healthy environment this innocent life needs. She, like He, is not afraid. She, like He, is a nurturer by nature, and a source of life and love, as she coos into and massages her belly. Joseph has peace. He becomes the identifier for God in the flesh. He is comforted by truth and manifests the nature of God as he, like He, is able to put off all of the human foolishness and boldly speak the name of identity and authority over the boy. He, like He, is not afraid. He, like He, is authoritative by nature, and a source of strength and purpose, as he claims Jesus for his own and sets Him on the path of destiny right from the womb. And we, like He, must serve to incubate and identify. We must allow ourselves to be comforted by truth and recognize the privilege we have to manifest His image by being a safe place for those around us to feed and grow. We must demonstrate the mother-ness of God, nurturing those around us in the midst of human foolishness. We must demonstrate the father-ness of God, boldly laying claim to the young around us, who are so in need of identity and unsure of destiny. And we must learn these things by watching one another, witnessing the image of God as it functions in and through those around us who share our spiritual birth. We are His image in this world. We have nothing to fear; and human foolishness is no match for the Divine Nature.
Forever panning for gold,
Chris Liotta
Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com
© 2016 Chris Liotta
No comments:
Post a Comment