Sunday, December 20, 2009

Behold the Babe! Rejoice! by Patti Lacy


Put down the gift wrap. The mug of hot chocolate.



Turn off the caroling CD. Mute the Christmas special.
Retreat to a lonely place. A closet. Your study. Bow your head and behold…



The tiny babe, lying in a manger, who brought salvation through grace by faith.
Tiny hands. Tiny feet. As helpless as every newborn since the beginning of time.
Yet supernaturally, unutterably different.
The babe you behold is Christ the Lord. Part of the Triune God.



“The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became…a baby, and before that, a fetus inside a woman’s body.

If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab” (Mere Christianity, Lewis, 179).



For you, for me, Jesus Christ allowed His glorious attributes to be imprisoned in human flesh.
Allowed men to scourge Him. Slander Him. Hang Him from a cross.



In your lonely place, behold that babe! Touch His downy cheek. Hear his mewling cries.
And treasure in your heart the knowledge
That for you, He was born to die.

May the inconceivable joy of the Newborn King set your soul ablaze as never before.

19 comments:

  1. Beautiful writing and thoughts, Patti. I'll be continuing with this theme on Wednesday with a first person story about Mary birthing the savior of the world.

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  2. Hi Patti,
    A wonderfully thought out post for us and one we should recall all year long. Thanks for your words and the pics. I'v always loved any pictures of Jesus holding a lamb.
    Peace.

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  3. Beautiful Patti! And what a great way to start this Sunday morning!

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  4. Hi Patti -

    Thanks for focusing on the purpose for His coming. It's sobering to think about what it cost Him, and fills my heart with gratitude and love.

    Blessings,
    Susan

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  5. I loved the CS Lewis quote. Sometimes we forget all it cost Him to robe himself in flesh. Beautiful post, Patti.

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  6. Lovely post, Patti. Thank you. I needed to read this today. I pray that I'll cling tightly to this reminder.

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  7. Mary did you know that when you kissed your tiny child, you kissed the face of God?

    The thought just knocks me over.
    Thanks Patti. I pray your words touched someone who needed to hear them today and bless them as much as they blessed me.

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  8. Thank y'all for taking the time to visit on a Sabbath.

    We had such a wonderful sermon on hope and why we as believers should be BURSTING with it!

    Great reminder!
    Patti

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  9. what a moving post...this 'story' will stay with me for the week...thank you.

    karenk
    kmkuka(at)yahoo(Dot)com

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  10. This reminds me of one of my favorite chapters in the Bible: Philippians 4. Christ Jesus humbled himself and took the form of a servant. And we seem to want to be at the top of the heap! If God wanted us to exalt ourselves, God's son would have come as a king, not a humble baby.

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  11. Wow- thank you Jesus! I'm still singing the Now Behold The Lamb!

    Wonderful Savior!

    I tagged you over at my place.

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  12. Dear ones, this song was sung tonight at our church:

    Silent Night
    Sorrowful night
    A mother quakes at the sight
    Her Son, the child that she tended and fed
    Despised and forsaken, broken and dead
    Jesus Lord at thy Cross
    Jesus Lord at thy Cross

    Silent Night
    Violent Night
    Hung with the sinners
    Though blameless in life
    Glorious beams of thy holy grace
    Tears and blood streaming down from your face
    Jesus Lord at thy cross
    Jesus Lord at thy cross

    Silent Night
    Holy Night
    Son of God, Love’s pure light
    There in dying you win for us life
    The self-sacrificing, you pay for our choice
    It’s Finished, Lord at thy cross
    It’s Finished, Lord at thy cross

    May Christ illuminate your heart with His glory.

    Patti

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  13. What a beautiful post! I'm so thrilled to know Jesus!

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  14. Thank you, Patti. This theme is foremost in my mind this week as we practice for our church play. I am Mary and I spend the time behind the manger watching as others come to bow before my baby. So far the manger has been empty at our practices but I can imagine Him sleeping there. I've tried to imagine how Mary felt but I'm awestruck just thinking of it.

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  15. The most perfect and loving being who ever walked the earth started out the same way as we all did. A tiny, helpless, newborn babe. In need of his mother's nuturing and the strength and care of his earthly father and our Father in Heaven. Humans grow from infancy into adulthood, but we never outgrow our Savior's care. Even as we age and move through our life's passage of time, we are all still newborn babes needing our Heavenly Father.

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  16. Dina, can't wait to read YOUR post; that is if my daughter will let me on her computer!!! Sigh. Will there be a laptop under the tree (NO)

    Andrea and Adge, love to see y'all on our roll call! Keep on comin'!

    Jill, since my best friend is a Celtic Shepherdess, those lamb pictures will keep coming!

    Susan, LOVE being Bloggites! You have wonderful posts!!!

    Lisa, I will tell hubby, a dreaded book purger, of your post. My friends the books have to be kept in our house for quick reference!!! Luckily Mere Christianity was just down the stairs, waiting to help...

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  17. D'Ann and Susanne, love saying y'all's names together! Love being Inkies together!

    Jill, "Mary, Did You Know?" is one of my favorite hymns. Am pondering a post on "Jesus, Did You Know?"
    Did He, as an infant, realize what was going on?

    Karen, LOVE seeing your name at the roll call!!

    My dear Wilda, such a gorgeous writer, I would know your "voice" even without your name tag!! Thank you for sending me to Philippians.
    Did Jesus have the thoughts of an infant? I've been pondering that the last couple of days.

    Tamika, you have a beautiful spirit and Spirit that radiates your writing! LOVE visiting your site, as does half the world!!

    T. Anne, your joy sizzles across cyber space! Blessings to you!

    Oh, Anita, what an honor! Praise God that you ponder as you kneel.
    Reminds me of that hymn "I Wonder as I Wander."

    Virginia, isn't that the TRUTH???? Still wearing emotional diapers and all!!!!

    Thanks for supernatural mingling of joy, sorrow, hope and peace that our Christ brings!!!!

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