God in the coming of Jesus, revealed something that people had been waiting for and longing for, for centuries. In the advent stories recorded in the gospels, some amazing events took place with angels appearing to people, miraculous births to old people and a virgin, a star appearing in the east leading sages to come find a king, two old people in the temple seeing the baby Messiah God had promised he would reveal. However, despite all these huge revelations and powerful events, a lot of the story was hidden and unseen. Much of it went by unnoticed by the vast majority of people, including those who should have been looking and known better – namely the religious leaders.
But it seems over history that this is often the way of God. He reveals himself in unexpected places, to unexpected people, and often on the margins to those whose hearts are right but who may not be highly regarded in society. Mary is chosen by God to carry his Son, but she is nothing special and comes from an out of the way country town way up in Galilee. In the coming of the long awaited Messiah who will change the world, there is a hiddenness in the way he arrives. Mary is young, insignificant in many ways. She lives a long way from the centre of power in Jerusalem. She is poor, which we know because they could only afford two young pigeons when Jesus is presented at the temple, as opposed to a lamb which more well off people were supposed to bring. Yet Gabriel visits her and says she is highly esteemed, and that she has been chosen by God to carry the long awaited Messiah.
The wise men had the revelation of the star and made a long journey in search of a great king based on what they had seen, even though they were foreigners. The religious leaders of Israel however, knew the answer about where the Messiah would be born, but didn’t even bother going the short distance with the wise men from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see if actually what they were saying had merit. They knew better and of course God would not reveal something to foreigners that he hadn’t revealed to them! They were the religious leaders of the people after all. So it was hidden from them but revealed to those who had eyes to see and faith to follow.
The shepherds were also fairly humble folk, certainly not priests, and were out in the fields tending sheep when God chose to reveal to them the amazing news that the Christ child had been born. Like the wise men they responded and sought him out to worship him, but only a few of them saw the angels and received the message. It was an amazing revelation yet at the same time very hidden from the majority of people. As with all these things, it seems that is the way God works. On the margins, to the least, revealing himself to those whose hearts are open and responsive to him. God is still working around us in our world today, but in places that might be more hidden and not always seen by the majority of people. He reveals himself to those who are seeking, to those who are expecting, to those who are longing for his presence. This advent, can I encourage you to look for the presence and work of God in your life and around you in unexpected places. Take time to pause and seek to see where he is at work and what he is doing and what he might be trying to reveal to you. Ask for eyes to see his work and a heart that is open to the move of his Spirit afresh as we remember his coming – Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Joy to the world, the Lord will come!
Grace and Peace - Garry