artwork unpacked

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

What child is this?

Sharon Roberts

acrylic on canvas

What child is this?

“What child is this?” asks Mary as she ponders in her heart the angel's message.

“What child is this?” asks Joseph as he remembers the angel speaking in his dream.

The message to Mary,

delivered by an angel -

 “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” “ Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”  (Luke 1:28, 30-31)

The message to Joseph,

 revealed in a dream, 

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20 - 21)

Nine months of anticipation, and in the fullness of time the promised son was born...

And placed in an animal feed trough! 

Mary and Joseph didn't hear the angels singing...

They didn't follow the star...

Mary gave birth to her first born son...

Wrapped him in strips of cloth...

And laid him in a manger. 

The angels hadn't told them this part. 

Shepherds came - and told them of choirs of angels...

Kings came bearing gifts - and told them of a star, and worshipped the baby...

And Herod came... 

What child is this? We ask, when life doesn't look like the dream. 

What child is this? We ask, when reality doesn't appear to match the vision.

“Do not be afraid, Mary.”

“Do not be afraid, Joseph.”

Shepherds, “Do not be afraid.”

“Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

Sharon Roberts, 2016

Scripture references New International Version