“Oh, Love, How Deep,” verse 2 (ELW 322)
Devotion
God sent no angel to our race,
of higher or of lower place,
but wore the robe of human frame,
in Christ our Lord to this world came.
At first glance, this hymn's claim that God "wore the robe of human frame" looks theologically suspect. After all, God didn't briefly wear a human body like we wear our clothes; God became fully, completely human in Jesus. However, I see the significance of the metaphor in the garment, not in the wearing. In Christ, our frail, fallible mortality is elevated to the splendor of a noble robe. God could have come to us in any majestic form, but chose to take on our sin and sickness, our messy bodies and messy emotions, even our death. In doing so, Jesus transformed and redeemed our humanity into the very place where we meet God. The lowly incarnation is God's highest glory.
Prayer
Incarnate God, thank you for coming to us in Jesus Christ. Thank you for meeting us where we are. Amen.