Naked Jesus. It’s very much a likely reality that at the ultimate humiliation of the cross Jesus was naked. In fact, I remember walking through what felt like miles in the Vaticanto get to the Sistine Chapel, I rounded a corner and was horrified. I instantly averted my eyes. Michaelangelo had a painting of Jesus, naked on the cross. It was shameful and abominable. Jesus knew what it was to be sexually humilated.
And again as I read through the gospel story of Jesus birth, I’m amazed at yet another event that help many identify with Jesus–He was a refugee. Along with about a million other Jews. He was a child, and his time in Egypt was uncertain but perhaps a couple of years. But Jesus’ family was a refugee family. I can’t relate to much of the refugee kind of life but there are millions of refugees, Syrian, Sudanese and otherwise who may find this tidbit of Jesus’ life encouraging. He indeed not only understood, but he lived it.
