Scandalous! Is that a word you associate with Christmas?
I’m reading a series of Advent devotionals this year that uses the word repeatedly. To be sure, it catches my attention. That the Creator of the universe willingly chose to clothe Himself in helpless infant flesh shocks me. That He chose a young woman with no special pedigree, an honest but humble carpenter, and shepherds who were regarded as the lowest of the low to be the main characters in this greatest of all dramas stuns me.
But scandalous? The 136 synonyms in my thesaurus all have negative connotations. Would God ever do anything that is disgraceful, shameful, or dishonorable? Of course not. But would His methods be so unorthodox that people in power might view them as scandalous? Quite possibly.
Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the townspeople, Herod, the Magi . . . who among them really understood what was happening?
God surprised them. He continues to surprise us. Drama sketches of Bible characters allow us to see the situation from their viewpoint. As we do, we discover truths that transcend the centuries. We also find we’re faced with the same dilemma they faced: Will we trust the God who orchestrated this great drama of redemption, or will we judge Him as scandalous? Which is, if you think about it, quite scandalous!