Josey Butcher is the Director of Evangelism and Communications at Clarkesville First United Methodist Church.
When I think about reverence, I think about standing in awe of something. I think about structures, such as large cathedrals that are so elaborately decorated it is hard not to stare and try to take in as much of the detail as possible. I think about landscapes and sunsets that take my breath away because their beauty is hard to explain in my own limited vocabulary. To revere is also to hold something in high regard, to acclaim, admire, and appreciate. Reverence is a form of respect. We hold certain individuals, such as royalty, in high regard because their role in society can evoke a certain reverence.
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” This scripture from Matthew 2 paints a beautiful picture of the magi paying their respect to Jesus, the infant king. In this story, God takes our previously discussed association of reverence towards things of great size, structure, or status, and turns it upside down. Jesus is revered, even as a tiny baby.
The reality is, if we look beyond the gaudy cathedral structures, their beauty is only meant to point towards Christ. Cathedrals can make it easy to feel respect and appreciation towards God. Landscapes and sunsets too have an effect on us because we recognize that something greater than ourselves, a creator, is responsible for such a beautiful display. In light of these thoughts, I believe that we can conclude that reverence is less about the size of something, but rather, reverence is a condition of the heart. The magi and the shepherds, who also appeared on the scene early on, wanted to appropriately show their respect with humility in their hearts to the infant king. Regardless of size or status, Jesus was revered as Savior.
To revere Christ within our own hearts is to humble ourselves before Him. The magi offered gifts of great value unto Christ in order to demonstrate their reverence towards Him. We show reverence towards Christ by offering our own great gift, our life, unto Him, and we acknowledge that all we have is His. During this season of Advent, we have the opportunity to reflect upon the Christ’s birth while also anticipating His second coming. The call is to remember, while still preparing our hearts for His return. Oftentimes, the story of Christ can become something of the past, a story to entertain us, instead of something that should challenge us in our daily lives. Let us not forget that the purest form of reverence is humbly offering ourselves unto Christ, for His plans, His purposes, and His glory. Amen.
