So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Lk 2:16-21)
Today’s reading says that Jesus is an infant and he is lying in a manger. He is like any other child which needs care and looking after. Though the authors of the gospels are motivated in writing the stories connected to Jesus the Christ, yet they are very clear in speaking about his human situations and human conditions. He is not shown with any extraordinary (divine) qualities. But they were wondering on what the shepherds were saying about Jesus. The shepherds heard about the divine origin of the child (they were told by the angels) but what they saw was totally a different reality. They were taken by surprise and amazement.
Jesus was also circumcised on the eighth like any other Jewish child. The parents followed all the human, social, religious regulations of their time. Again a divine element is inserted in this by the authors saying that the name given to the child was revealed by the angels. Both the divine and human side of the story of Jesus go hand in hand and the authors of the Gospels intertwine these tow elements beautifully. The child that is born is both human and divine.
