The Humanity of Jesus –  ‘Contemporary incarnation’

In his humanity Jesus scandalised his neighbours; he came eating and drinking and they called him a glutton and a drunkard; he showed his anger, his desires, his need of male and female company; his frustration, his impatience – “Get behind me Satan,” he exploded.  And again, “How long have I been with you and yet, you have learned so little!”.   He showed his weakness, his doubt, his feelings of abandonment.  And yet, this is the humanity, with all its flaws and incompleteness, chosen by God in which to be fully revealed to us.  This is the humanity that has opened the gates of Heaven for us (Heb 5,1-10)  In his total humanity, Jesus took on the three great sufferings of physical pain,  loss of his good name, and a sense of ultimate abandonment by his father.  He also laughed, cried, rejoiced, befriended, loved, was angry, was tempted, was intimate, celebrated, rested, enjoyed eating, drinking and friendship, and probably fell in love. He confronted evil, and above all, confronted the dark night of his own soul.  He was betrayed by those he loved deeply, deceived by those he trusted.  He grew in wisdom and age and grace.  Above all he was authentic.  He did not play games.

I Love You . . .

It is to the extent that we embrace our total humanity, as Jesus did, that we will reveal the beautiful humanity of God like Jesus did.  Therefore what we do and say takes on a divine dimension.  We are already the children of God: soon, as St John insists in that striking funeral reading, we shall be exactly like God.  We are the Body of Christ, God’s work of art, the Real Presence created by God.  Jesus spoke so often about this truth – a new way of seeing ourselves, others and all creation.  All our relationships, and life itself, have been raised to a stunning level of reality.

So, when I love, it is God who loves: when I forgive, it is God forgiving: when I encourage, it is god’s only way of affirming, too.  God is so in love with us, and dependent on us, that God can only function through us.  “I have no hands now but yours . . .” (St Teresa).  I trust you.  I forgive you.  I love you.

In some real and striking sense, then, we are all parts of God, Christ-carriers, and therefore quite sacred and shining with grace.

But mostly we do not see that miracle of contemporary Incarnation happening now in and through us.

(Taken from a retreat for teachers 2005)