The Cry of Jesus

 

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12

 

Yesterday I had the privilege and blessing of spending the day with five of my eleven grandchildren. The two youngest ones were part of the group. Abram is just short of nine months old and Harper is six months old. Neither of them is talking but both of them are great little communicators. Abram has eyes that speak volumes, even in pictures. His moods and opinions are pretty clear if you can see those big beautiful eyes. Harper uses her whole face but it’s her mouth, they way she opens or purses her lips that give her away. Both of them have a certain head tilt that is equally adorable and telling. They let you know their opinions, wants and needs with facial expressions and noises, not words.

Joey, who at nine years old is our oldest grandchild, spent the night with us. While we were admiring the new crèche that Pop Pop built for the Holy Family, Joey was explaining to me that Jesus wasn’t born in December.  Later in the night I was thinking about that conversation and about Jesus as a baby. The images of my precious Abram and adorable Harper came to my mind, in particular how different they are. When Harper wants something she yells, short, sharp sounds that if unanswered turn into a disappointed cry. Abram is quieter at first with his tears. Where Harper opens her mouth wide, Abram’s sweet face crumbles, his lip quivers and his cry starts, sad and plaintive. As their grandmother all I want to do in either case is give them whatever they need or want. My little angels should never be sad!

Thinking of Jesus as a baby in comparison to my angels I started to wonder.  Jesus would have to have cried for what he wanted and needed just like Abram and Harper. I pictured him both ways, Harper’s way, a tad more insulted that we hadn’t anticipated her needs and Abram’s a bit more poignant, how could we not know he needed us? How would baby Jesus cry? And why?

We learn all through Scripture that Jesus was fully man yet fully God. This is a being who could and would eventually heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind and save the world. Doesn’t it follow that he could have just looked at Mary and said, “Mother, I’m a bit chilly here, not to mention hungry and wet.” He didn’t. He came to us as helpless, needy and limited as Abram and Harper. Like my sweet ones Jesus had to cry for attention. Oh yeah!

When my thoughts got there I realized that the Savoir of the world, the One true God, the Almighty, did grow as a boy and man. He did speak, quite eloquently in due time, just as my babies will. Then after humbling himself to that most dependent form, he literally gave his life for us. Yet, he still cries for our attention. There I see a bit more of Abram’s heartbroken cry.  Jesus does not demand our attention, though he could. He waits, he calls and he beckons. Sometimes we answer and sometimes we don’t. ( See Luke 19:41-44 for an example )

To think of Abram or Harper crying and crying to no avail is heartbreakingly sad to me. I cannot stand it. I am so grateful to have them in my life and now I’ve learned an important faith lesson from them. They’ve given me an image of Jesus as a baby and now, that I hadn’t fully considered before. One day soon both Abram and Harper will use words instead of just sounds and facial expressions but for now I’ll enjoy their unique ways of communicating.

Merry Christmas and may Jesus touch your life today and every day.