![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/55\/2021\/12\/titus-with-paul-holding-crete.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAbove, Paul and Titus and the Church in Crete. Paul never really talked about the birth of Jesus much, though Paul mentions he was born of woman, born under the Mosaic Law (Gal. 4.4) and that he was of Davidic descent (Rom. 1.3).\u00a0 \u00a0Clearly, as Phil. 2.5-11 would show he is more concerned with the significance of the incarnation of Christ as a human and yet divine person than about the particulars in regard to how and where he came into this world. If Luke was indeed his sometime companion, he will have known some birth stories about Jesus, but chose to focus elsewhere.<\/p>\n
But the focus of this third Sunday of Advent should be on Mary and her virginal conception and giving birth to Jesus. I have written a poem about the larger significance of this.<\/p>\n
MOTHER LOAD<\/p>\n
From the very beginning
\nThe burden was clear
\nSometimes bearable
\nSometimes severe<\/p>\n
Ate from the apple
\nShared it with him
\nDisobeyed the order
\nIndulged the whim.<\/p>\n
What was the outcome?
\nThe fruit of the act?
\nShe \u2018knew\u2019 good and evil?
\nShe experienced it in fact?<\/p>\n
Did the earth creature join her?
\nDid he crumble into dust?
\nDid he die in an instant?
\nOr just tumble into lust?<\/p>\n
To love and to cherish
\nBecomes \u2018desire and dominate\u2019
\nObjectify the \u2018other\u2019
\nSo you can subjugate.<\/p>\n
Suddenly self conscious
\nInstantly aware
\nThere are no coverings
\nOnly nakedness there.<\/p>\n
Hiding in the garden,
\nThe creature in shame
\nRunning from her Maker
\nLike some kind of game.<\/p>\n
Passing the blame on
\nFrom God to the wife,
\nFrom the wife to the snake
\n\u2018The\u2019 creator of strife.<\/p>\n
Banished from the garden,
\nBut clothed by their God
\nNot allowed to live forever
\nFind a living from the sod<\/p>\n
Pain in her labor
\nShortness of breath
\nThe mother of all living
\nGives birth near to death<\/p>\n
And would she be able
\nTo raise Cain at all?
\nOr will her next offspring
\nBe first to fall?<\/p>\n
And how to redeem this?
\nSet the process in reverse
\nPut a stop to the death toll
\nUndoing the curse?<\/p>\n
II<\/p>\n
From the very beginning
\nThe burden was clear
\n\u201cBe it unto me as you said,
\nThe Lord\u2019s servant is here.\u201d<\/p>\n
A virginal conception
\nHad a child without a man
\nWhich no one expected
\nAnd few would understand.<\/p>\n
She received a word of warning
\nA sword would pierce her soul
\nBut the death of her first born
\nWould make the race whole.<\/p>\n
There beneath a crooked tree
\nStood that woman and a man
\nNeither disobeyed the orders
\nEach accepting the plan.<\/p>\n
Then He rose in the garden
\nReopened its gate
\nTo the tree for the living
\nTo the Adam without mate.<\/p>\n
And there in the Scriptures
\nWas a promise true and sure
\n\u201cShe\u2019ll be saved through the childbearing\u201d
\nThat Mary did endure.<\/p>\n
The story revisited
\nThe human tale revised
\nMotherlode now delivered
\nCurse reversed before our eyes.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Above, Paul and Titus and the Church in Crete. Paul never really talked about the birth of Jesus much, though Paul mentions he was born of woman, born under the Mosaic Law (Gal. 4.4) and that he was of Davidic descent (Rom. 1.3).\u00a0 \u00a0Clearly, as Phil. 2.5-11 would show he is more concerned with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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