The Incarnation (God becoming flesh) can also be called the Downward Mobility of God's Son. In the 80s and 90s, baby Boomers participated in what sociologists termed as upward mobility. By that they meant that Baby Boomers had a constant obsession with and willingness to sacrifice health and relationships for new cars, bigger houses, better jobs, nicer clothes, and giving their kids better than they had received...upward mobility.
The Incarnation of Jesus is the opposite of that. The Incarnation shows us Jesus' willingness to participate in downward mobility. He already had it all but he left it all to come and live among us.
2 Corinthians 8:9 says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Philippians 2:5-8 says, In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!
The Incarnation is downward mobility. It is the great condescending. It is the great coming down.
Martin Luther said, "He condescends to assume my flesh and blood, my body and soul. He does not become an angel or another magnificent creature; he becomes man. This is a token of God's mercy to wretched human beings; The human heart cannot grasp or understand, let alone express it."
Perhaps this Christmas season might be a time for us to think about scaling down and having less rather than striving to gain more...a time for us to think about kneeling before God and allow him to work in us...a time for us to think about humbling ourselves and repairing some broken relationships.
Because the Incarnation of Christ is about downward mobility. The Incarnation.