2 Corinthians 8:1-15

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9, NLT)

We are preparing to celebrate the coming of the Messiah, the long-expected priest and king who ushers in a new age of justice and freedom and peace. One of the great paradoxes of this celebration involves the circumstances of that coming. I fear we tell the story of Christ’s humility so much that it has lost its zing. That would be a shame, because the fact of God’s becoming flesh in the person of Jesus is one of the most radical truths that we can ponder. Moreover, it has the power to change everything about how we see ourselves and our relationship to others. What would it look like if we who are rich (in so many ways) became poor so that others might experience abundant life? How might such an exchange on our part enrich our world and our common life? Let us give thanks to God for the “happy exchange” effected by Christ’s coming among us, and let us pray that we might be bold enough to imitate our Lord in humility and service, so that the world might experience anew God’s gracious presence.

Holy God, you sent your Son to bring life and love to all. Empower us by your grace to be instruments of Christ’s love, that others might be made rich, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

– Pr. Andrew Chavanak, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA)