God With Us
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 NKJV
This week one of the events that made news was the visit of Facebook's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. What caught many people's attention and created a buzz was his expressed simplicity and humility, eating at a “kibanda” and his way of dressing, coupled with the places he chose to visit as well as the people he was comfortable having take him round. Jokes went around people claiming he had asked for a meeting with them, as admins of Facebook and WhatsApp groups. All this got me thinking. More than two thousand years ago the Founder and CEO of the heavens and the earth made a personal and physical visit to the earth, and in the highest expression of simplicity humility He blended in to His surrounding and with mankind so much that it was hard for many to recognise Who He really was (Mk. 6:1-6, Phil. 2:6-8).
He chose the poor, sinners and tax collectors as his company, and was often criticised for eating with them. If a personal meeting with an earthly CEO like Mark could make someone feel humbled and esteemed, what about the choice of the Author of Life and the One to Whom all CEOs and kings must bow down to to not only fellowship with you but also dwell with you? It's buffling to say the least, and David was also so amazed that he said, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!... When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” Psalms 8:1, 3-4 NKJV. The more knowledgeable we are about the greatness of our God and aware and conscious we are of His presence constantly with us, the more we’ll learn of what true humility is and be encouraged to walk in it, following His example and letting the mind that was in Him to be in us (Phil. 2:5), not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should (Rom. 12:3), not setting our minds on high things but associating with the humble (Rom. 12:16).
Reflection:
How do you view power? Might you have allowed status, responsibility, possessions, power and so on to puff you up? Are there some people you feel embarrassed to be seen or associated with just because they seem “not of your class?” Where do you get your identity and status; from what you own and the society, or from your Maker? If Jesus was God owning all that exists and didn't brag or look down on us, no one has a right to brag or look down on others, and His choice to dwell with us should give us status and identity enough.
Grace and peace to you!
This week one of the events that made news was the visit of Facebook's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. What caught many people's attention and created a buzz was his expressed simplicity and humility, eating at a “kibanda” and his way of dressing, coupled with the places he chose to visit as well as the people he was comfortable having take him round. Jokes went around people claiming he had asked for a meeting with them, as admins of Facebook and WhatsApp groups. All this got me thinking. More than two thousand years ago the Founder and CEO of the heavens and the earth made a personal and physical visit to the earth, and in the highest expression of simplicity humility He blended in to His surrounding and with mankind so much that it was hard for many to recognise Who He really was (Mk. 6:1-6, Phil. 2:6-8).
He chose the poor, sinners and tax collectors as his company, and was often criticised for eating with them. If a personal meeting with an earthly CEO like Mark could make someone feel humbled and esteemed, what about the choice of the Author of Life and the One to Whom all CEOs and kings must bow down to to not only fellowship with you but also dwell with you? It's buffling to say the least, and David was also so amazed that he said, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!... When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” Psalms 8:1, 3-4 NKJV. The more knowledgeable we are about the greatness of our God and aware and conscious we are of His presence constantly with us, the more we’ll learn of what true humility is and be encouraged to walk in it, following His example and letting the mind that was in Him to be in us (Phil. 2:5), not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should (Rom. 12:3), not setting our minds on high things but associating with the humble (Rom. 12:16).
Reflection:
How do you view power? Might you have allowed status, responsibility, possessions, power and so on to puff you up? Are there some people you feel embarrassed to be seen or associated with just because they seem “not of your class?” Where do you get your identity and status; from what you own and the society, or from your Maker? If Jesus was God owning all that exists and didn't brag or look down on us, no one has a right to brag or look down on others, and His choice to dwell with us should give us status and identity enough.
Grace and peace to you!
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Blessings.