Lavish Love

Reflections from Pastor Colin’s sermon series (Phil 2: 1-15) and the Christmas stories this year

At Christmas, God lavished His love on us by abandoning heaven and coming to be born in a cattle trough, humbling Himself to take on frail human flesh. Not a comfortable crib lined with hay, a cattle trough where the animals feed – where pigs, sheep, horses, cows eat.

And the true God-King of all the cosmos subjected Himself to the hunt of the pseudo king Herod. The true King did not consider power to be grasped and exploited for His benefit, but laid that all down for love; whilst the false kings of this world fight so hard and kill to grasp at straws to preserve their moments of fleeting fame.

Jesus gave up the adoration of the angels, for the praise of a few lowly shepherds. Shepherds who left their flock behind to go worship the Lord of the universe. Even the little baby was worth it all.

Jesus obediently submit to His Father’s will, to die cursed on the cross, and redeemed us for God. So God exalted Him to the highest place, that the Son of God and Son of Man is seated on the right hand of God, interceding for us, loving us.

How then shall we lavish our love on God? On Jesus? On the Holy Spirit?

Jesus did not leave behind His deity when He came to earth, and He did not stop being human now that He is in heaven. I am so thankful that He is one of us. This made me think about the catchy song by Joan Osborne – One of us. It’s a whimsical seemingly thoughtful song, but as I think more about it, my Jesus is one of us, not in a way that the song suggests. Hence my attempt to rewrite/ respond it..

One of us (response)

God had a name and it is Jesus
And I can call Him by His name

If I was faced with Him in all His glory
What would I ask if I had just one question

Yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

God became like one of us
Not a slob like one of us
A holy stranger in this world
So He can take us back home

So God had a face, He looked ordinary
And would you believe
He gave up heaven and glory

So He can obey His Father and fulfill what was said by all the prophets

Yeah, yeah, God is great…

God became like one of us
Not a slob like one of us
A holy stranger in this world
So He can take us back home

He died and made His way home
Back up to heaven on His throne
Where He hears us calling on Him

Not just the pope nor just in rome

Yeah, yeah, God is great...

He came to be born in a stable

Then He rolled away the stone

Went back to heaven on His throne
Because He loves us sinners so

He hears us calling without the phone

Not just the pope nor just in rome