Jesus' Humanity

Hans Urs von Balthasar in his book, Prayer,describes this joy. "The contemplative's gaze continually returns with great attention to the humanity of Jesus. It is the inexhaustible treasure entrusted to us by the heavenly Father. In a true sense He has 'despoiled himself' (Jn. 3:16) of Him to whom He is always pointing: ipsum audite (Mt. 17:5). The Son is no floating interstellar body; He is the fruit of the earth and its history; He comes from Mary (who is the exponent of the Old Covenant and of all humanity) just as He comes from the Father. He is grace ascending just as much as grace descending; He is just as much creation's highest response to the Father as He is the Father's Word to creation. He is no God in disguise, acting 'as if', simply to give us an example. . . No. He is the apex of the world in its strivings toward God, and He cuts a path for all of us, gathering up all men's efforts into Himself, the pioneer, the spearhead. He can do this only by being 'In every respect tempted as we are, yet without sinning' (Heb. 4:15), by bearing our burdens as the scapegoat (Heb. 13:11), the Lamb brought to the slaughter, slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Thus, He stands at the summit of heaven and earth."