"What is the way out of shame?
Start with Jesus.
Look outside yourself to Jesus, who has been both highly honoured and deeply shamed.
Somehow, you must be associated with Him.
You associate yourself with Him by faith." (p. 108)
Attachment theory tells us that when we are attached to someone in love, their acceptance and reputation keep us in a secure attachment and from there we can venture forth, grow and mature to become the people we were meant to be. Imagine if that lover had a perfect love! Welch tells us to imagine no longer but our job is to get to know the better LOVER and to trust in Him!!
Jesus -- the Servant-King, someone who no one expected to be like He was -- A King from David's line, King of the Jews heralded by angels, a royal envoy preceding Him; yet He was also Nothing -- identifying Himself with things and people considered to have no value. This incongruity, Welch tells us, is where we find our hope for our own rejection and contamination. He understands Nothings because He chose to BE one; He elevates Nothings when they associate with Him, King Jesus. Welch now goes on to show how Scripture introduces Jesus to us.
Royal Blood
To get rid of shame we need to be connected to someone who can actually do something about it - a King, and Jesus was royalty. We can read His lineage in Matthew and Luke, but also see that Tamar (became pregnant through her father-in-law), Rahab (an outsider and prostitute), and Ruth (an outsider reduced to nothing) are included in the royal line. These women were sinful, didn't have much worth but their sin and shame would no longer define them because, through God's mercy, they were honoured as part of the royal line of Jesus, the Messiah. Can you think of any other King who can reverse shame and replace it with honour???? (p. 110)
The Right Place of Birth
Want to let people know how important you are? Start dropping names of who your ancestors were, perhaps they were founding members of the church or community. Then make sure you tell everyone where you were born, and make sure it wasn't on the poor, rejected side of town.
Now lets look at Jesus. Remember the incongruity of His royal blood? Jesus was born in Bethlehem, nothing to boast about in those days (Micah 5:2). Then His family is forced to flee to Egypt, the place where the Jew had been enslaved!! Welch compares this to a Jew in Hitler's time, fleeing to Germany to find safety!! Jesus' family in Egypt were outcasts, with no privileges or reputation, poorer than poor. Next they go to Nazareth, a place about as far away from Jerusalem in prestige as you could get because it was associated with Gentiles, unclean people who would make you unclean if you came in contact with them. This is the town (John 7:41) that Jesus was identified with; common and poor people saw Him as one of their own, the ruling class thought He should stay there.
Dreams and Announcements
Welch tells us that Scripture gives Jesus' credentials to us -- a commoner, outcast who knows us and identifies with us so we can identify with Him; a King who takes us to the heights of honour and privilege (p. 112).
Famous births come with signs, dreams and pageantry but Welch points us once again to the incongruities of these for Jesus.
- angels sang at His birth -- but sang to shepherds, the lowliest of occupations
- angel Gabriel tells Mary she will bear a Son of the Most High God -- but she will be pregnant before she is married, about as shameful as you could get in that day
- This was how King Jesus chose to be born -- took on human flesh, taking on the most rejected place on the social ladder
Envoys and Ambassadors
Now Welch describes how Kings don't just show up, they have to be properly announced, therefore these ambassadors have to be impressive, standing out in the crowd with their uniforms, medals, banners flying (p. 113), making all the proper arrangements.
Jesus' ambassador was John the Baptist whose uniform was a primitive coat of camel's hair, his royal food -- locusts and wild honey, very popular with the poor and common crowd yet called the ruling class a brood of vipers (Luke 3:7). John's ministry offered cleansing symbolized by baptism (John 1:26).
The message Welch wants us to hear is that the King identifies Himself with outcasts, and that the OT continually shows that people NEED cleansing, shown by all the sacrificial rituals. But now John and Jesus unveil a radical message -- unclean, shamed people can experience cleansing by confessing their sins; if you were contaminated by others, you were cleansed and accepted. No more would sacrifices be necessary, you do not need to bring ANYTHING!!! Jesus was the Servant-King (Mt 20:28), the Lamb-King (Jn 1:29), the Outcast-King, the Naked-King -- an unexpected King who cannot be compared to anything/one else! We who are Nothing, may understand that He considers us as one of His own!
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