Dec 08 2008
Turning Logic Upside Down
In reading Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ (See Matthew1-2), I saw some things that intrigued me. I knew that Jesus, the perfect Son of God, was born of imperfect people. And while not news, this certainly is a paradox.
Matthew chapter 1 lists in detail the lineage of Jesus, starting from Abraham, and including the names of several women, including Tamar, who had children by her father-in-law; Rahab, who had been a Jericho prostitute; Ruth, a Moabite woman, and Bathsheba, with whom David committed adultery. Eerdman’s commentary says it is almost unheard of to include the names of women in the geneological line, let alone women of questionable character.
It’s as if God is advertising the fact that Jesus was born to a line of ordinary, visibly fallen people. I don’t think this is a coincidence. In fact, if you think about it, this kind of logic turns man’s preconceived notions about God on its ear. Most human authors would leave out the black sheep of the family entirely, opting to include only those worthy of praise.
We know God is perfect and holds up a standard of holiness that no human being can expect to meet. And yet He loves us, imperfect as we are. That is paradox number two. How can a holy God love fallen man? It should encourage us to know that He is not afraid to use fallen men to accomplish His purposes, once they have yielded themselves to His plan. It should give us great hope that, while imperfect, we can still be useful tools in the hand of the Master Designer.
When the star appeared over Bethlehem, three Magi got really excited. These were men we would call astrologers, who looked to the stars and their meanings for wisdom. Now in my mind this is another paradox, that God would use these three worldly-wise men to help spread the news of the Savior’s birth. And yet, they had to have been seekers of truth in their own way in order to have received the message at all.
Even their gifts were anointed by God, with special meaning. One brought gold, an appropriate gift for a king. Another brought incense, suitable for a deity, and the third brought myrrh, which signified mortal man. Myrrh was the spice used in burial rituals of that day. Onlookers might have felt confused, because these were extremely unusual gifts for a newborn infant. Another paradox.
But, paradoxical or not, every single detail of this story was ordained and orchestrated by God, as if conducting a symphony whose parts and timing had to fit together in perfect harmony, leading up to a crescendo, His crucifixion that ultimately birthed our salvation.
As we look forward to celebrating His birth, we need to see the bigger picture, the picture of a God who loved us, planning for our redemption from the very beginning of time, defying logic on every hand and orchestrating every detail for our good.
And even more than that, He is still orchestrating the minutest details of our lives to bring glory to His name, and to bless us. It truly is a season for rejoicing as we celebrate the love of our wonderful God!
Because of His great love…
Nancy
