and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
This is a risk God takes in the incarnation. He becomes so like us that there is the real risk that we only see the similarities and miss the God in our midst.
This is a risk Paul takes in following Jesus. He is real with his congregation. He does not hide his weakness from them. He is human with them, flesh and not just spirit. There is the real risk that his congregation will only see the weakness and overlook God working in them.
But only in the midst of this weakness is the power of God perfectly revealed. Only in the humility which stoops down to meet us where we are do we truly encounter the love of God.
In the midst of God's weakness he still shows us something which we can't overlook. We can rationalize it and explain it away if we choose but deep down we know that he is full of wisdom and do mighty deeds on the earth.
And whether they heed or resist—for they are a rebellious house—
they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
Let us not resist or be rebellious. Let us fix our eyes on the Lord, pleading for his mercy to help us see his power at work in the weakness which he accepts for our sakes.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us,
for we are more than sated with contempt;
our souls are more than sated
with the mockery of the arrogant,
with the contempt of the proud.
It is true to say that we serve a weak God. The world can't stand that idea and sometimes we have trouble with it too. We'd prefer a strength solution to every problem.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us,
for we are more than sated with contempt;
our souls are more than sated
with the mockery of the arrogant,
with the contempt of the proud.
But let us listen to God speak to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you."
With Paul let us gladly boast of weakness, ours and our God's, for when we are weak, then we are strong.
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