The Government Is On Whose Shoulder? (Ros' Blog)

It’s a time of political turmoil. Refugees are on the move. People are divided in their views on whether the current government is working for the good of the nation – many believe it’s just in hock to a foreign leader and doing his bidding. One thing everyone agrees on though, the people at the top just don’t care about the lives of the poorest, many of whom go hungry. Disabled people are hit hardest, many even having to beg on the streets.

No, I’m not talking about the 2019 General Election. I’m talking about the situation in 1st century Israel, the political atmosphere into which Jesus was born. Before he was many months old he too was a refugee, fleeing for his life to a neighbouring country, his parents hoping they would be able to find enough work to feed their family.

It wasn’t what those looking and waiting for the Messiah had been expecting. Yet why wasn’t it? It was completely in keeping with God’s modus operandi. He could be expected to bring a different kind of government.

When God wanted someone to bless Jacob and ensure that the spiritual effects of that blessing passed down through the generations, He chose an old man, too blind and confused to distinguish between his two sons. When he wanted someone who could speak powerfully to Pharaoh he didn’t choose a mighty orator but a man who was afraid to try and speak in public, whether because of anxiety or a speech impediment is not clear. When He wanted once and for all to destroy the evil Philistine god Dagon he chose a man who had been blinded by his enemies. When he wanted a warrior-leader to bring victory he chose the youngest son of the least family in the smallest of all the tribes – Gideon.  When he wanted to appoint Israel’s greatest king of all time, He passed over all the gifted and strong older brothers and chose David, the lad who had been relegated to looking after the sheep out in the field.

God doesn’t see things the way we see them. He doesn’t see us the way we see ourselves. God sees through all the hype, all the pride and arrogance, but also through all the insecurity and self-deprecation. He sees the potential He has placed in each one of us. Those who were expecting the Messiah to be a mighty, wealthy ruler who would crush his opponents under his feet simply didn’t understand the ways of God. 

They saw a child who had been born, a son who had been given. But God saw in Him the wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

As you rejoice in His coming once again this Christmas season, I invite you to reflect on what God sees in you when he looks beyond the outward appearance, the self-doubt, the limitations of disability, and sees the potential He has placed in you. Who knows what adventure He will lead you on in 2020!