High and Low

Reading: Psalm 8

What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

(Psalm 8:4)

Meditation:

Have you ever stood before the natural wonders of the world—the ocean, a mountain range, the northern lights—and simply marveled at the grandeur of it all? Amidst all the splendor of God’s creation, one really does feel small.

And yet, God says that we are of greater worth than all of these. Only mankind is created in God’s image and God has set us as stewards over the rest of his creation. We are marvels ourselves.

And it’s this strange mixture of humility and dignity that reflects Christ our Lord. For he was seated in the highest heavens; yet it was not too low a task for him to become human. He was the eternal Son of God; yet he willingly went to his death. He is Lord of all; yet the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.

To embrace the image of Christ, we must hold these two in tension: our smallness and fragility on the one hand; our nobility and worth on the other. From that place we will see the gospel message—that we are far more sinful than we could have imagined; and that we are far more loved than we ever dared hope.

Prayer:

Father, teach us the humble dignity of Christ. Teach us the ways of true love.

Amen.