“And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this man is set for the fall and rising of many […] and for a sign that will be spoken against”
There could be no other way for God to be incarnated in human history without being posed as a contradiction. The divine nature of the Christ contradicted the fallen world as ours.
This contradiction, placed on this boy as Simeon's prophecy, has always been a conceptual truth within the history of Jesus who was the Christ, and later of the Christ who in history was Jesus.
This boy contradicts the renowned theologians of Jerusalem who were able to decipher the messianic prophecies, interpret Micah that such an advent would take place in Bethlehem; but they were not able to follow pagans who received the revelation in their hearts and followed in faith, guided by the stars;
This child, as a sign of contradiction, confused kings and priests, which led to their downfall and elevated the humble and unknown gentiles of Mesopotamia.
This boy, as a sign of contradiction, proved that Kings are not born only in palaces, gold or feathers, but that from the simple, the revelation of the Eternal always comes.
This boy, as a sign of contradiction, makes men of knowledge act with indifference and those of power and thrones hate him.
This boy, as a sign of contradiction, divided history.
He has confounded the wise, cast down the mighty, and exalted the humble, for it is the fall or rise of many.
Because the Word of the Cross is madness! Madness because it contradicts.
This Man brought newness of life, the gospel, the good news, and that which is high among men and an abomination before God, and that which often abhors men and is high in the eyes of the Lord.
As a sign of contradiction, to what they said YES He said no, and to what they said NO He said YES.
And he often expressed, “The ancients said so, but I tell you.”
A God man, a man God – contradictory.
The Gospel contradicts the world, the good news brings newness of life because it makes life not a new thing, but a new life. It is new wine for new containers, it is God in life with new life, it is a new heart for the new of God. Everything, everything… It has always come, comes and will come as a contradiction.
It is impossible to be His, to serve Him, to be inhabited by Him without your life being contradictory to the world.
Happy New Life that contradicts the world. Happy Old Christmas that brings the New in Life.
Fabiano Moreno