perfect translation

He glanced down at his dirty feet and dusty clothes, remembering the beautifully clean and tranquil environment he had relinquished to come and work in this foreign land.  He had left a home that was serene and inviting, but there was no serenity here.  The sweaty grittiness of this place was unlike anything he had ever known.

He bit into a fragrant crust of bread, fresh, warm and good.  Yet having come from a lifestyle where he had known no need or want, it was humbling to find himself reduced to a humble daily dependence for every meal.  

He had willingly crossed cultures, moving to a place governed by corrupt leaders, and teeming with masses of people greedy for temporal gain, blind to their greater spiritual need.  He spoke the language fluently and had friends in the community, but none who truly understood his heart.  And as he considered the terrible charge that lay ahead of him, he was intensely distressed.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14

Yes, it was Jesus who forfeited His culture of perfection, the splendor and serenity of the Father’s home, the companionship at His Father’s side.  It was Jesus who entered this foreign earth, taking on human flesh to dirty His feet on our roads, taste our daily bread, speak our language, and lay down His life in ransom for ours.  

It was Jesus who was the perfect translation of God’s expression, as the Word of God wrapped in human likeness.  What He sacrificed that we might know Him!  

This is the heart of Christmas.  Immanuel. God with us.

...Word of the Father,

Now in flesh appearing,

Oh come, let us adore Him,

Oh come, let us adore Him,

Oh come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord!