Exhortation

St. Paul says that the Incarnation is a scandal, a stumbling block to the wise men of the age. And this is still true. The Incarnation is a scandal because we are saying that the Infinite has fingers and toes. We are saying that the Eternal was born and died. We are saying that the Omniscient became man and had eyes and ears with human limitations. But this isn’t just scandalous for the philosophical wonks who don’t think that makes sense. This isn’t just offensive because it makes logicians’s heads hurt. This is offensive because we are claiming that at the center of the world, one man did it right. At the center of human history God became man and was a perfect toddler. He went to school and grew up pleasing God and man. This Man spoke perfectly, walked perfectly, laughed perfectly, dressed perfectly, ate perfectly. The perfect, glorious God became man, and lived life with perfect glory. This is a stumbling block because it offends man’s pride. We don’t mind admitting that we’ve made a few mistakes here and there, and hey no one’s perfect, right? I’m just a sinner, saved by grace. But the Incarnation is the renewal of God’s claim on everything. He made it all; it’s all His; and He knows how it’s supposed to used. And He did in Jesus. The incarnation is not only scandalous because God became human (though, that is true), but it is also a smack in the face because we are human. But Jesus is Lord of all. He is Lord of your kitchen sink; He is Lord of your bathroom. He is Lord of your car stereo; He is Lord of your tool box. He is Lord of your job; He is Lord of your recreation. He is Lord of your computer; He is Lord of your eyes and hands and thoughts. The Incarnation is this offense, and therefore we must embrace it and we must not be surprised when others are offended. Jesus is Lord.