If he had come …
If he had come as a king with a robe and jewels
and a crown of gold,
he would have been impressive.
But there would have been those
who envied him his wealth,
tried to steal his jewels,
or attempted to rob him of his crown.
If he had come with a sword and shield
and a following army,
he would have demanded obedience.
But there would have been those
who feared his sword,
claimed he was hiding behind his shield,
or accused him of using military force to conquer them.
If he had come as a priest with elaborate vestments,
sanctimonious speeches and zealous religious rituals,
he would have commanded respect.
But there would have been those
who found his vestments ostentatious,
suspected him of hypocrisy in his speeches,
or felt unable to live up to
the impossible regulation of his religion.
So, when Jesus came as a vulnerable baby,
grew up in a carpenter’s workshop
and walked around in everyday clothes,
meeting and talking to people about God,
it really was a revelation.
Jesus brought no threat of wealth, or force of might,
or blocking of the pathway to God.
He was a man and of the people
and though his robe was stained with blood,
his crown made of thorns
and his death an ignominious execution,
the power of his life has everlasting authority.
Marjorie Dobson © Stainer & Bell Ltd published in Unravelling the Mysteries
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