He Took on Flesh and Blood

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.
         - John 1:14, The Message

This week we've been thinking about how Jesus is human and what that means for us. This verse in the Gospel of John gives such a graphic picture of Jesus's true character. He could have commuted from heaven on a fiery chariot, but instead he moved into the neighborhood. You could translate that word in the Greek, "He set up shop here." 

Jesus didn't keep his distance from humanity. He got up close and personal. He got his hands dirty, and his feet stank. He knew the back alleys of his own neighborhood in Nazareth; he attended the weddings for his extended family; and the funerals. He stepped into our world to make absolutely sure that we knew God was not far away and God could understand.

Take some time for this imaginative exercise (another form of prayer): What would it be like to have Jesus live on your street? How would that change how you thought of him? What does that say about how you might be able to grow in your relationship with him now?