"For God so loved the
world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not
perish but may have eternal life. Indeed,
God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through Him."
(John 3:16-17 NRSV)
The "world" that Jesus
came to save is represented in the birth stories by two groups of people who
could hardly be more varied: shepherds from the nearby hillsides and wealthy
sages from a foreign land. Farmworkers and well-connected intellectuals, one
group from the neighborhood and one who traveled from a far country. No one is
a foreigner at the manger; no one is excluded because of economic class. God
wants a full table at the heavenly banquet and is willing to look for dinner
guests in unexpected places. Our place in Christ's reign means that we are
willing to sit next to someone who appears at first to be alien to us but turns
out to be a citizen, a member with us of God's own household. Embraced by this
communion of love, we realize our call to the life of the Spirit and enjoy the
fullness of life that comes with Christ's reign of justice and peace.
-- Blair Gilmer Meeks in Expecting the Unexpected
(Upper Room Books, 2006) Used with permission.
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