Ah...the Pax Romana! It was a time of relative peace, simply maintained by the brutal force of Rome and her legions. Nations were crushed, freedoms were curtailed, soldiers could force labor on you, tax collectors could swindle you and you had no recourse.

The nation of Israel was under Caesar's control. Though allowed to carry out religions practices in the temple in Jerusalem, there was a great sense of suffering. Taxes and regulations made a poor region even  more wretched. 

God's timing was perfect, as always. Roman dominion had set the stage where relative peace allowed commerce to move quickly across the massive and diverse area of the Mediterranean world. The Greek language was commonly understood everywhere. Ideas traveled quickly as did news of major events. The time was ripe...God's time!

Rome worshipped power and despised anything remotely resembling mercy, forgiveness and grace. To Rome, those were signs of weakness and worthlessness. Humility was scorned and reviled. It was not an environment where those things valued by God and essential to the health of the human soul were encouraged.

It was into this context that the Word became flesh to dwell among us. The King of kings and Lord of lords, who could have called down 12 legions of angels (Rome had fewer active legions at the time) when the soldiers came to arrest Him in Gethsemane, would not conform to Rome's expectations of a king. Jesus doesn't conform to our demands either. He is who He is as He has eternally been.

In fact, as Mary proclaimed in Luke's Gospel, God scatters the proud and haughty in their deceit, He brings down princes from their thrones and exalts the humble. He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away with empty hands. He shows mercy from generation to generation to those who believe Him, whose lives are lived in the awe and reverence He deserves.

Rome thought power and control was the answer to ruling unruly people. Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler thought the same, as did Mao Zedong and Che Guevara. You may crush people's lives, but that doesn't change their hearts.

Power and manipulation are never be the means of the transformation of society. Choose your "-ism": socialism, Communism, totalitarianism, paganism, capitalism, legalism, Buddhism, Darwinism, existentialism, fascism, Freudianism, nihilism, positivism, pragmatism, humanism, utopianism or establishmentarianism!

None of the above can ever get to the root of the human problem. They can never change the human heart. As long as the human heart is disconnected from its true source and reference for life, humans will still oppress one another. We will still "zombify" all who disagree with us so disposing of them raises no ethical questions. We will keep sending our sons to die on the world's battlefields.  

We simply couldn't do what was necessary.  God Himself had to come if humanity had any hope of restoration. The Creator had to personally come to rescue the lost crown of His creation. Jesus came to fulfill the will of God in the earth. God's way would open the singular Door for all humanity to return to God, receive forgiveness for heinous rebellion, be given a new heart and empowered by God's own Spirit to be able to actually live new lives...to be changed for the good! 

The power of God is infinitely greater than all combined human effort. In fact, St. Paul speaks directly to this in his first letter to the Church in Corinth (1st Corinthians 1:20-25). God's means of salvation through the cross, by death and resurrection of Jesus, seemed foolish to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles. But the wisdom of God's plan is infinitely wiser than the wisest plan of man...any of our  "-isms"...and the "weakness" of God is infinitely strong than any strength mankind could possibly muster.

God chooses what the world think of as week, a teenage girl, to bear God, the Eternal Son. Mary bears God Himself in her womb. In her womb, the Word was made flesh. He didn't do things the way Rome would have or even the way Paramount Studios might have imagined. He came as a dependant, helpless baby.

Jesus, the Messiah would take His humanity from Mary; carry her DNA in His own physical body...even after His Resurrection. Fully God, Jesus Christ bears our humanity fully that we might be fully rescued and redeemed...not in the world's might, but in the might of God.

In Mary's womb was the One whom the universe could not contain. The embryo in her named Jesus was God's way for mankind's reclamation.

The mystery of the ages was about to be revealed in a very oppressive Pax Romana.

That One, once Incarnate from the Virgin Mary, is one day going to return in the fully-unveiled power of God, not hidden, but infinite in His glory. Like lightening flashing from east to west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. Every eye shall see this happen. There will be no room for misunderstanding.

There are still people who are not ready for that Day.

In the now, Life and Peace are offered in God's grace to all who will turn from self, turn to Jesus Christ in faith and surrender their lives to Him.

On THAT Day, the Redeemer will return as the Judge of the living and the dead. His majesty will make the glory of Rome look less that ashes.

I want everyone I know to be ready to receiving Him as their returning King, Lord and Savior.