We will be convening here at the ZigZag café, Suisse, on Thursdays for conversation and dialogue. I invite you to stop by every Thursday for the question of the day. Your thoughts and participation are most welcome. Pull up a stool, avec un café, un thé, ou un chocolat chaud, et un croissant, and join in here on Thursday at the ZZ café.
For today:
Why did Word become flesh?
4 comments:
In Exodus, God gives Moses the plan for a tabernacle so that he might dwell with the people. John 1 tells that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Phil. 2 gives even greater key: that God came down that he might lift us up to himself. I have lots of thoughts about the sacrificial demands so that the people could approach the holiness of god; that those were not enough. Did the word become flesh so that we might see that the kingdom of god is at hand? And so that we might be clean enough to participate in that work of establishing his kingdom?
Carter,
Thanks. There are excellent insights and I appreciate your sensitivity to both testaments in your comment.
I think the response to your questions is yes and yes. In many and diverse ways Word becoming flesh is a way of decreasing ambiguity, while leaving mystery intact.
I read somewhere yesterday that the concept of "the word" is key to both Hebrew and to Pauline and Johanine writings: God created when he spoke; God gave to man the instruction to "name" the animals; saying the name of God was forbidden as it might result in taking his name in vain. Peter tells that the word of God is sharper than a sword. Finally in the Revelation, out of the mouth of the Son of Man comes a sword. I don't think anymore that Peter's reference is to the Bible so much as it is to Christ as the Word.
Carter,
Might it be referring to both?
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