He came to upend life as we knew it and to open the way to the kingdom that is not of this world. He blesses what we despise and declares woes on what we treasure. 

Movies give us one picture of a hero. ChatGPT puts it like this: Heroes are strong, brave, confident, determined and inspiring. They wear capes.

If that’s the picture, Jesus is an anti-hero.

A baby!

That baby depended on others for everything. He was vulnerable to childhood illnesses and accidents. He needed to learn how to walk, talk, read, feed , bathe, dress and toilet himself. He would get tired, thirsty, lonely and feel emotions like anger and grief.

If we indulge our imagination, we can imagine the magi ending the long westward journey feeling a big letdown. They came looking for a king but found a baby. Eyes rolled. What was he going to do with the gold, myrrh and frankincense that were gifts fit for a king?

A hero in a diaper instead of a cape? A king in a cradle? A saviour in a stable? Surely this is some kind of divine comedy.

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