Tuesday, June 26, 2012
But Jesus
looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things
are possible.’ Matthew 19. 23 – 30
My
very favorite Christmas book is Madeleine L’Engle’s The Glorious Impossible.With illustrations from 14th
century Italian artist Giotto’s frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, L’Engle
tells the story of Jesus’ birth and life with the premise that, like love,
Jesus’ life on earth cannot be explained but only rejoiced in. In her first
chapter entitled "The Annunciation," L’Engle tells of the Angel Gabriel’s visit
to Mary, of Mary’s excitement and serenity and then she continues:
“And
so the life of Jesus began as it would end, with the impossible. When he was a
grown man he would say to his disciples, ‘For human beings it is impossible,
but for God nothing is impossible.’
Possible things are easy to believe. The Glorious Impossibles are what
bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, songs to our lips.”
In the chapter entitled “The
Nativity,” L’Engle says, “And so he was born, this gloriously impossible baby…God,
come to be one of us.”
How often do we have to
remind ourselves that without God, we are impossible. Riddled with reality,
hubris, temptation, fear, and whatever else seems to have power over us, we are
doomed to failure without God. However, we do not have to look far to see indications of
the wonderfully impossible miracles that happen daily in our lives and our
world. God is working his purpose out in his time, not ours, and it is always
for our good. That which happens that is not good is not of God and as Madeleine
L’Engle concludes,
“Jesus came to us for love, and he died for us for love,
and he rose from the grave for love, and he ascended into Heaven for love, and
the Comforter came to teach us love. So, beloveds, let us love one another as
Jesus has called us to do. Amen. Alleluia! Amen.”
Sure does sound simple…but
it isn’t. Almost seems impossible sometimes!
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