"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it" (Isa. 40:5).
The Lord promised to reveal Himself in great glory...
The Lord promised to come...
God fulfilled His ancient promise and appeared on
earth. But how did God reveal Himself in His glory? In inexpressible humility and obedience. In such a way that His angels seemed more resplendent, and His prophets greater than He.
When the prophet and the Master showed themselves on the Jordan, the prophet caught the eye more than the Master. John the Forerunner appeared stranger and greater than Christ the Lord. Christ the Lord hid His glory and majesty behind two thick curtains: those of human flesh and humility. And so men neither noticed nor
recognized Him, while the eyes of all the heavenly powers were fixed on Him more than on the whole created world. Clothed in real flesh and in true
humility, the Lord Jesus came from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized by him.
Wonderful is God in His works! Through all His works, He teaches us humility and obedience. He hides Himself behind His works, as the sun at
night behind the shining of the stars, as a nightingale in the bush behind its song. He lends light to the sun, and the sun shines as though with its own light, while the fact that it is God's light is ignored. He lends a voice to His thunder and His winds, and they are heard; but He is not heard. He lends beauty to His mountains and meadows,
and they are resplendent in beauty as though it were their own, while God's beauty remains shrouded in mystery.
He lends beauty and fragrance to the flowers of the field, and the beauteous flowers give off their fragrance as though it were their own; while God's fragrance goes unnoticed. He lends strength to every creature, and each creature preens itself in front of the others, showing off its strength as
though it were its own; while God's immeasurable strength neither preens itself nor cries for attention. He lends of His mind to men, and men cogitate and think as though with their own minds; while God's mind stands in a calm from tumult, turning from the world's praise.
St. Nikolai Velimirovic