Reflection: Naked and shamed

“It was in him that the full nature of God chose to live, and through him God planned to reconcile in his own person, as it were, everything on earth and everything in Heaven by virtue of the sacrifice of the cross… And you yourselves, who were strangers to God, and, in fact, through the evil things you had done, his spiritual enemies, he has now reconciled through the death of his body on the cross, so that he might welcome you to his presence clean and pure, without blame or reproach. 

Colossians 1:19-20,21-22 (PHILLIPS) 

Naked-and-shamed bodies have been walking this earth since Adam.

But another naked-and-shamed man is about to reverse that curse.

Like a mighty tree being felled, at Jesus’ crucifixion the dark and terrifying drama of creation-cursed shivered, shook, groaned and split. (Matthew 27:50-53)

God’s plan had required a perfect body.

The Son, the image of the invisible God glimmered into our darkness.

Stepped into our time and chose to be that body broken.

‘Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered.’*

Repercussions rippled through space and eternity—

broken once for all time on behalf of all mankind,

and even we are welcomed, pure and blameless into relationship with our holy God.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “…in the incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God”.

*Graham Kendrick

Prayer:

‘Christ our Saviour draw you to himself 

that you may find in him crucified a sure ground for faith, 

a firm support for hope, 

and the assurance of sin forgiven… 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.’ (Anglican blessing and dismissal)