Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - Dec. 31 - 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas
[1 John 2:18-21 and John 1:1-18]And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth. [John]
The "Prologue" to the Gospel of John is one of the most beautiful and theologically profound reflections in the entire Bible. In itself it is a complete statement of the whole gospel, serving much like an overture to an opera or musical in which the main themes of the whole work are stated. I urge the Beloved Congregation to read the passage today and reflect on it.
The centerpiece of the passage is quoted above: And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. This is what the Christmas/Epiphany liturgical season is all about - a preaching of the truth of the Incarnation of God as Jesus Christ. The manger scene with its statues of Jesus in the manger, Mary, Joseph, angels, Magi, shepherds and various animals are all meant to remind us of that simple statement in the Gospel of John.
Since the Gospel of John was not put into writing until at least the 90's A.D. (according to many scripture scholars), it shows the influence of many years of reflection on the meaning of the events that the gospels of Matthew and Luke give us about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus. We who live now benefit from that Spirit-inspired reflection and add to it with our own faith and reflection. Today may be the end of the calendar year, but the Magi are still on the way. The same Spirit that inspired the gospel writers lives in us to enable us to understand more and more the meaning of the words: And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. AMEN