The Weight of Glory

2 Corinthians 4:17
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;"

It didn't look heavy on the internet. When I saw the nativity set, all one unit of the holy family (JESUS, Mary and Joseph...and no, I'm not saying that expression because I just hit my thumb with a hammer) together, I thought it was one of those light plastic hollow things you could put a light bulb in and put out on the lawn. But I was going to put it in front of my fireplace instead of decorating the living room with a Christmas tree. Using a nativity set or creche instead of a tree probably goes back to my Roman Catholic upbringing. Like cringing at the sight of rulers remembering when nuns from the order of "Our Sisters of Perpetual Pain" used them on our knuckles or whatever they could reach at the time...But I digress. Bottom line is, I should have understood that "resin" in the description of the statue didn't mean plastic...or lightweight.

So when I saw this huge box sitting on the ground in front of my garage as I pulled up after work and I began spewing ugly thoughts toward the lazy mailperson who didn't leave it on the porch instead, I should have known better. After three attempts (and much back pain) trying to get the box into the house I realized the best thing to do was unwrap it there in the garage. This left a box the size of a casket...nearly my own...as I huffed and puffed trying to get this rock a third of my own height into the house. I don't know if "bad touching" counts with statues, but I got to know Joseph a little better than either of us would probably like to admit struggling up the stairs with my fingers up his nose and around his waist.

I finally got it into place and gently lowered it onto my toes, catching myself before I cursed in front of the Virgin Mother. After thanking the LORD for not letting me have a heart attack in the process I took a moment to catch my breath and think.

That thing sure was heavy...but not as heavy, I bet, as being JESUS, having been Spirit for eternity past, waking up encased in heavy flesh. I thought of the clay we used as children molding it into little people perhaps as GOD fashioned Adam and Eve from the mud of the Garden and the horror it would be to be encased in clay and try to live in it when you'd never felt physical weight or pain before. And even more than that, to be the GOD of eternity, able to spin solar systems at will, having your arms held so tight at your sides with baby swaddling cloths that you couldn't move...to protect you from yourself and scratching our eyes out. And then the weight of the cross, years later, and all that put Him there... the heaviness of hatred, greed, lust, guilt...none of which He earned but all of which He took upon Himself for love of us and of the Father who wanted us Home with Himself.

Today's verse tells us that no matter how painful and heavy our trials here on earth seem to be as we struggle to live a life honoring to Christ, not because we have to, but out of love for Him for what He has done for us, our pains here can't compare to our joys in eternity with Him. Those thoughts, of His Glory and love so intense willing to do so much for us and of the greatness He offers us freely in the midst of the struggles He shared and for a pain-free forever, should weigh upon us so heavily that it's no wonder we drop to our knees in prayer.