Scripture: John 1:14�?FONT color=#0000cc>And the Word became flesh and lived* among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
Reflection: The Fourth Gospel was written by someone entranced by the deep meanings of words and their revelatory power. He used a word here which most of our translations render "lived" or "dwelt," and that's certainly okay. But the verb* he chose is an unusual one—it means "pitch a tent." To Jewish readers steeped in scripture, this
would bring to mind the tent in the wilderness where Moses met with
God and God spoke with Moses.
Johanine writings are the most heavily nuanced writings of the New
Testament and John's choice of words is subtle but deliberate. This
apostolic hymn was implying that Jesus was the tent where God and Man met in the Incarnation. The "body of Christ" is the continuation of the Incarnation—and the place where God and man meet. To be "in Christ" is to be an insider to that tent where God reveals Himself
and makes believers to be "partakers of the divine nature," and
shares with them His own joy and glory.
Prayer Starter: Thank you, Eternal God, for putting on flesh and
meeting man in the Incarnation. Thank you, Jesus, for pitching your tent among us and providing us with a refuge from the wilderness of our human sojourn. Thank you for revealing the Father's love and giving us your Spirit. Amen.
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Shared by Robert Barkley
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