The Weakness of God: An Advent Meditation

The Weakness of God

…an Advent Meditation

The weakness of God. I love the phrase. It's so counter intuitive.

We typically think in terms of the power of God: the strength of God. That's what we like to hear about.

God's strength gives us hope.

“Weakness is not something that has to be covered up or pumped up or drugged up. Weakness is a part of our humanity and God isn’t ashamed of it. ”

We Like Strength

We like strength in general.  I read recently about a study involving male teens that are turning to steroids to buff up their appearance. And then there's the other end of the spectrum where older men are taking testosterone to prolong their strength into their later years.

Strength is comforting. That's why the Bible often portrays God as a warrior, or a rock, a tower, which are all pictures of strength.

The Weakness of God

Yet, God also portrays himself in images of weakness.

When God revealed himself to the prophet Elijah it says:

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11,12

Most of us would expect to hear God in the storm. Isn't that when Lt. Dan encountered God in the movie, Forrest Gump? It was in the middle of a storm.

But not Elijah. God was in a gentle whisper.

The Weakness of God in a Manger

Of course, the best picture of the weakness of God was expressed when he appeared in the person of Jesus as a baby.  I know it's a quaint little Bible story that we celebrate at Christmas, but we've lost the power of what God was saying.

It's almost laughable to think that God would even consider entering history in that medium. Who in their right mind would have ever guessed it? 

The gods of the day were Zeus or Thor or Hercules. They were gods of power and status. For the Jewish God to enter the world as a baby in a manger...what is that..some kind of joke?

If not a joke, then what? What was God telling us?

The Weakness of God And Our Weakness

God was trying to show us a side to his being that few want to see. But if we are willing to look, we will learn something about God that might encourage us even more than his strength.

The weakness of God is what tells us that we are not freaks. Weakness is not something that has to be covered up or pumped up or drugged up. Weakness is a part of our humanity and God isn't ashamed of it. God can use our weakness and vulnerability to do great things.

God came to us in a way that shows us he understands our weakness by sharing in it, not only in a manger but on a cross.

The Weakness of God at Advent

I hope this Advent season you'll see a new side to God in his weakness and it comforts you in your times of weakness. Merry Christmas!

Question: Is the weakness of God an encouraging thought? Why or why not? 

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