Random thoughts for epiphany, if you will excuse my makeshift theology...
Foreigners and undesirables; the people God chose to witness to the arrival of His son. People who in fact, couldn't bear witness at all - people who would never be called to testify in court, people who would largely be laughed at for stories of new stars and angels dancing across the sky.
The first to testify that Jesus wasn't in the tomb, the first to see Him alive, women. More unreliable witnesses, surely not accidentally so? If you wanted to make a story more believable, in that time, saying a bunch of women saw it would hardly do.
Why? Why not show important people, those with power and authority, those who could pass on the news and convince every doubter?
Again, after miraculous events, healings and all, how often did the Christ say, "go, and tell no-one of what you have seen"? Why? Surely it was meant for everyone to know. Surely God could have tied the loose ends, made everything make sense to us, fitted into more comfortable stories - I mean, dirty shepherds and later, strange learned men bearing gold?
My quiet little theory is this. No witnesses were needed. God didn't send scores of singing beings of light, didn't work miracles or reach down and touch His creation, didn't call wise men and shepherds to see what He had done, for SHOW. He did it for love of His created. For sheer joy and vitality.
Did He call the wise and foolish in order to show off? No, He called them precisely because they were not Good Witnesses - the time to leave no doubts was not yet at hand, but He still longed to share His delight. Can Christians still imagine a God who laughs, cries, feels? A God who smashes our neat little politically correct boxes?
I can't imagine one who doesn't.
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What a lovely Epiphany post! One that has, in fact, given me a wee Epiphany of my own.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put!! Have a lovely kings' day
ReplyDeleteSan x
Aw, how reflective of you. I've been listening to a podcast produced by Scripture Union for the last couple of months, and they had an interesting couple of points. Firstly, God sent Jesus to the world, not just the clean and elite. Secondly, there were lots of prophecies to fulfill - that doesn't really give a reason I suppose, because you could just as easily say, "why prophesize that?!". And it's a valuable leason for us all. We should love all mankind, not just those that are easy to love!
ReplyDeleteAnd as for telling no one about their miracles, well, clearly that didn't work, since we do know about them, but I think it adds a lovely personal touch, what can be better than a God who does wonderous special things, JUST for you. That would make me believe that he was a God for me! Lol. And I think (but would have to check) again that there were lots of prophecies to answer here in terms of what people were touched by Jesus.
Anyhows, that's just some of my reflections brought about by yours, so I thought I'd share!xxx
Oh Ash, I agree Re: the telling about miracles, He didn't really expect them to keep quiet - what I think God was saying was simply that He cared more about the person than about publicity. :)
ReplyDeletePS - Thanks to you all for commenting, I get antsy when I post musings like this that I might have offended someone! xxx
I couldn't agree more with that post, but often wonder what other miracles Jesus performed, but of which there may be no surviving accounts. I mean, there is no way that evry one of Jesus's actions can have been documented accurately. If only for a way to travel back in time and look through the windows of the TARDIS without interfering...
ReplyDeleteAs always, very well put and thought provoking!
ReplyDelete