Peace on Earth?

     Once upon a time...“there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’”  (Luke 2:8-14)

     Peace on earth, goodwill towards men – isn’t that how the song goes?

     “Bah Humbug!” A fairy tale if ever I’ve heard one.

     Where is this peace of which the angels sang? Where is this goodwill toward men? Anger, violence and hatred appear to permeate every corner of the world. 

     At Least 40 Killed in Iraq Car Bombing. Parent Body-Slams Referee at Youth Basketball Game. Amber Alert: 11 year-old Abducted from Parking Lot. Austin Chemistry Teacher Killed in Benghazi. One Year Anniversary of Newton Shooting.

     These high profile headlines are endemic of the millions of stories that daily go untold. Angry, abusive husbands lash out verbally and physically at their families; bedraggled mothers pull their children rag-doll-like through shopping malls; rage entangles drivers in deadly road warrior rituals; youth draw guns to solve any number of problems...

     Was life really that different in the first century that the shepherds believed such a song?

     How many peasants, people located on the bottom of the power and privilege grid of life, experienced peace and goodwill? Because their main tasks were providing water and grass for their flocks, they were often on the move, resulting in a constant life of transition from one temporary dwelling to another. 

     How many outcasts experienced peace and goodwill? The nature of their occupation often times made them unclean so they were unable to observe the Law's requirements.  Consequently, they couldn't participate in worship at the temple.

     How many people lacking a firm educational foundation experienced peace and goodwill? Shepherds had no formal training in the study of the Law, so they were considered ignorant. No sheepskin hanging on their walls.

     Three strikes: peasants, outcasts, ignorant. And these are the guys that are exuberant at the angels' anthem?

     Perhaps we need to back up to the beginning of the story, before the singing started, to find the hope that drove these shepherds forward.

     "An angel of the Lord appeared to them" Did you catch that? The angel appeared to these peasants, these ‘unclean’ shepherds.

      "...and the glory of the Lord shone around them" 400 years had passed since Israel had seen a recorded, visible sign of God’s presence among His people. Now these lowly shepherds witnessed the visible manifestation of God's presence, his Shekinah glory.  

     "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." It is "for all the people"! The unclean shepherds, unable to participate in temple worship, are included in the biggest party to come. The great banquet hall in heaven has a place reserved for them.

     Then a multitude of angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men on whom his favor rests." Whoa! Wait a minute! Those poor, ignorant shepherds understood the song clearer and quicker than many of us who have sung the stanzas in centuries since. The secret of "peace on earth and goodwill toward men" was given on this very night to the shepherds.

     Do you see it?

     We've been asking the wrong question. We need to start at the beginning of the song. Where is the "glory to God in the highest"? “Ultimately God is due all glory

     We cannot expect man to be in right relationship with his fellow man unless he is first in a right relationship with God. We will not see peace on earth any other way. Peace with God must come before peace with man will arise.

     It has not come through racial reconciliation groups. It has not come through diversity training. It has not come through sensitivity training. It has not come through round-table discussions. 

     True lasting "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" will only come one way. All other efforts will mete out a seasonal cease-fire at best.

     The result of God’s visit to the shepherds? “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger.” (15-16)

     Nothing keeps them from immediate action – not even their job. They chose to worship the Lord of the work rather than the work of the Lord.

     The result of the shepherds’ visit to God?  “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (17-19)

     The shepherds became the first fishermen of the Christian era. The impact of this good news in the flesh upon their lives compelled them to go forward to “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.”

     The end of the story?  "The shepherds returned, glorifying God and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." (v. 20)

     The shepherds heard the angels’ song. They understood the song. They lived the song. 

     Join the chorus! “Glory to God in the highest!”

   Prayer

 “Gracious and heavenly Father, thank you for using the shepherds to show that your value system is not the same as the world’s. Help us to look through the glitz and the glamour, the grease and the grime, to see people with Spirit-enhanced lenses. Forgive us for placing people in categories and labeling them like merchandise. Let your love flow through our lives. Oh, what a delight to see time and again that you are not silent. You desire to communicate with your creation. One angel wasn’t enough for the One who is able to do ‘exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever hope or ask for.’ You sent an army of angels that sung your praises on that precious night. And yet, they were but a mere flicker in comparison to the flame of your glory that shone forth. Help us to praise you, worship you, and not what you have created – be it angels or otherwise. Holy Spirit, help us to see the idols in our lives so that we might cast them down in pieces before you. To you alone be all glory, and honor, and praise! Lord Jesus, let our hearts sing forth your praises - as the angels did. Your favor rests upon our lives. You are Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! Let our hearts hurry to delight in coming into your presence - as the shepherds did. Let our minds ponder the mysteries of who you are – as Mary did. You truly are the Promise Keeper. Is it any wonder that the shepherds returned glorifying and praising your name when everything they heard and saw was exactly as you promised? Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God who delights in revealing yourself. ‘In the past you spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But in these last days you have spoken to the world by your Son, whom you appointed heir of all things, and through whom you made the universe.’ Let our hearts, minds, souls, and strength be spent searching out your Son that we might spread the Word concerning what you have shown us about Him.” Ω

Experiencing God’s Sovereignty

     Her tiny body shakes uncontrollably with each cry that emanates from her lungs. Strapped in a car seat, her head alternates between bobbing from chin to chest and jerking straight up – each time with a beleaguered wail. She rubs her eyes sleepily as tears trickle down her rosy cheeks.

     The couple, faces illuminated only by the glow of the instrument panel lights, exchange weary glances…and continue down the night-enshrouded highway. Construction detours plague their path. Their simple plan has gone awry. They left at 6:30 with the intent of driving ninety minutes to the next town to spend the night. But the indigo green numbers on the dashboard tell a different tale as they scream out “11:00 p.m.!” “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” they wonder aloud.

     Did Mary and Joseph have similar thoughts?

     Consider their journey. Within the past year they had been betrothed, promised to each other in marriage, and were excited about a future together. Then their trip slowly unraveled as the previously straight path began twisting and turning around ominous bends in the road. 

     “Highly favored? Me?” Mary thought as the angel’s message foretold of a child she would bear. How could her mind not race with at least a tinge of angst about the possible repercussions of an unwed pregnancy? “How can I tell Joseph so that he will believe me?” “What will my parents think?” “The neighbors?” “What will happen to me? “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Yet her faith in God’s sovereignty sustained her even at the start of the trek, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

     And what about poor Joseph? Before they came together as husband and wife, he found out that Mary was pregnant. What else could he conclude? Mary, his fiancée, had been unfaithful. Talk about a detour. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Then an angel intervened and told him the truth regarding the conception of Mary’s child.  Joseph’s faith caused him to take pregnant Mary home to be his wife.

     Yet the path to parenthood had further detours.

      “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.” (Luke 2:1-3)

    Roman rule held a throat-wrenching grasp on the Jewish nation. Even though this was the period of the supposed Pax Romana (Peace of Rome), it was not the ideal setting in which to birth a baby - at least not for parents who bowed to Yahweh, the One true God. For the Romans worshipped their emperors, and Caesar Augustus was no exception. He accepted the title of Pontifex Maximus or Highest Priest, the head of all religious worship. He was hailed throughout the land as the ‘savior’ and ‘god.’ Even his birthday was considered the beginning of the good news throughout the world.

     But the ruts in the road were more than spiritual. Mary would physically feel every one of the bumps, thanks to Augustus’ decree. Everyone went to his own town to register. The imperial edict demanded that every male servant of the ‘savior’ be enrolled in a tax census. Whether or not they bowed their knee to Augustus didn’t matter. A head count was underway. The Roman IRS was on the move. And so were Joseph and Mary.

     “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” (Vss. 4-5)

     In obedience to the authorities God has placed over them, they go, Mary riding sidesaddle while Joseph walks and guides the donkey. The couple’s countenances seem to shout, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”  Yet they forge on. Mary rocks side-to-side, feeling the pockmarked landscape jolting her with each step of the animal. Joseph, brow furrowed like the landscape they travel, steals glances at Mary – awaiting the moment. The journey is slow. The tension is high…and then Bethlehem came into view.

     Yet the sovereign detours were not over yet…“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Vss. 6-7)

    “Contrary to the traditional Christmas story, the ‘inn’ was probably not an ancient hotel with rooms to rent and an innkeeper, but either a guest room in a private residence (see 22:11) or an informal public shelter where travelers would gather for the night. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke uses a different term for a public inn (10:34). In any case, crowded conditions force Joseph and Mary from normal lodging to a place reserved for animals.”[1]

      How long they were in Bethlehem before the baby was born is unknown. But the time came! Mary is heavy with child, body writhing with the surge of each contraction. A look of desperation crosses her face when they spot the manger. No more time. No more looking. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” Or was it?

     Jesus gave up the glory of heaven to be born in a lowly manger. Hardly the surroundings one would expect for the King of Kings. The God of heaven who deemed that a census should be taken so that his Son would be born in Bethlehem could also have provided a luxurious birthplace. But that was not his plan.

     The Living Water and Bread of Life received life-sustaining nourishment from a teenaged mom, under the watchful eye of a surrogate dad, with a feeding trough as his resting place. Remember this next time you find yourself traveling that pock-marked path to placed unknown. Jesus not only understands…but He is traveling with you!

   Prayer

“Gracious and heavenly Father, open our eyes to the truth that you alone place rulers on the throne and you also remove them from their seats of power. You alone are the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth. Open our eyes, Holy Spirit, to see how you have used rulers like Caesar Augustus as a tool for your divine agenda. The one person that people thought was the savior of the world was merely a conduit through which you birthed the true Deliverer into the little town of Bethlehem. Help us to feel your presence as we journey over the daily ruts of the road – when we’re often pregnant with apprehension. Calm our fears. Let our lives be like Joseph’s and Mary’s, who willingly obeyed those in authority over them – even when the circumstances were highly unfavorable. Grant us the wisdom from your Word to know if a time arises when we need to defer to your Kingship and disobey a worldly authority. Let our knees bow to you alone, Lord Jesus! Let our attitudes be the same as yours: ‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.’ We desire that the ‘Vacancy’ sign burn brightly in every area of our lives. Help us, Holy Spirit, to passionately prepare the inn of our hearts for the return of the Anointed Traveler.” Ω

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[1] Arnold, Clinton E. (General Editor); Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary – Vol.1. Gran Rapids, MI:  Zondervan Publishing House, 1978, p. 341-342.

“Your Will Be Done”

     Early on in life, the traditional method of praying via the Presbyterian Church became my staple diet. Head bowed, eyes closed, fingers clasped so tightly that knuckles turned white…all the while wondering what we were doing. Any peep during the service, other than from the responsive reading, met with scolding glares. Never mind the fact that I couldn’t understand half of the responses – “Wither thou goest, I will beith with theeith for evereth.” 

     Tapping my brother’s leg, I whispered out of the side of my mouth, “This stuff sounds a lot like that country singer Mel Tillis when he tries to talk. Maybe we should stick with singing, too,” I added.

      Opening one eye with my best Popeye imitation during prayer time caused further wrath to descend upon me during my early years. (How they knew I opened an eye without opening theirs I will never know). They sensed it…the gift of oversight? All the white knuckles around the sanctuary reminded me of being on a flight experiencing serious turbulence. Maybe Jonathan Edwards was onto something with that sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This scene repeated itself wherever I visited friends and relatives; Methodists did it. Lutherans did it. Even Baptists did it – the only difference was the preacher’s ability to say Jesus in more than two syllables.

     I’d heard the Catholics did things differently than Protestants – including praying.  Something about Hail Marys and ‘grocery beads’. Now I confess that paying close attention was not one of my strong suits growing up. Just ask Miss Morris. I apparently didn’t learn everything I needed to while in her kindergarten class.

     Being of Irish descent, a visit to my Catholic kin in Pennsylvania gave me a chance at a first-hand education. My first Mass we solemnly paraded down the center aisle, each person dipping his or her finger in water, kneeling and doing the sign of the cross before entering the pew – except for me. Felt right at home as every eye wagged its finger at me as I scooted in without washing my hands or taking a knee. The tell-tale lump in my throat got me to reflecting, “Maybe this Protestant/Catholic divide isn’t as big as they all think.”

     Didn’t get any better as the service progressed. Have you ever seen the person in the marching band who is a step behind, frantically looking side-to-side only with their eyes in an attempt to figure out which direction to head next? That was me. Like a fully automated factory, every other person rose in synch, sat in synch, genuflected in synch, and flipped the kneeling pads down and back up in synch. Looked more like an up/down football drill than any worship service I’d been to. 

     Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, prayer, sign of the cross, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk. Sounded like the seats at Shea every time the fans rose in unison for a big play by the Mets, and then settled in until the next hurrah. No trouble telling which farm team was training me for the big leagues. 

     Frantically flipping through the Catholic order of worship, I’d just get to the right page when they finished their prayers – which everyone else had memorized. “...Died under Pontius Pilate, buried, rose three days later…” I thought the Mel Tillis imitation was bad until the priest broke out praying in Latin! 

     “There’s gotta be a better way to figure out this prayer thing.”

     After becoming a disciple of Jesus at age nineteen, I figured that praying would be a snap. Open mouth, prayers flow forth, done deal. Wrong. I sounded more like Mel than Moses...at least how Charlton Heston portrayed him parting the Red Sea.

     I searched everywhere I could think of to get a grasp on prayer. Talk about chasing after the wind. Healing services plopped me in a pew next to a person speaking something that sounded like a variation of Fred Flinstone’s, “Yabba, Dabba, Doo.” (At the time no one had explained to me the phenomenon of praying in tongues). I had one eye on that lady the entire time of prayer…and afterwards. I didn’t care if a cadre of elders escorted me out of the sanctuary – I was kind of hoping they would! 

     Charismatic prayer times seemed like a spiritual aerobics class. I kept waiting for Richard Simmons to show up and lead everyone jumping on one leg, head whipped back, left palm high toward heaven, right hand shaking the Bible as if it were a clacker at a football game. All the hootin’ and hollerin’ left my ears ringing and my head shaking. I didn’t understand a word. “Is this the right way to pray, Lord?” 

     Certainly graduating from a Christian university and two seminaries would bring fluidity to my prayers. Unfortunately, all that formal training didn’t include one class on prayer. So the words of James continued to haunt me. Were my prayers “self-centered, seeking to squander what I received on myself?” “Did I have evil motives or pure ones?” “How could I possibly know with certainty that I was praying God’s will?”

The true end of prayer is to say to God, ‘Thy will be done.’ The prayer of the man who is pleasure-dominated is: ‘My desires be satisfied.’ It is one of the grim facts of life that a selfish man can hardly ever pray aright; no one can ever pray aright until he removes self from the centre of his life and puts God there. In this life we have to choose whether to make our main object our own desires or the will of God. And, if we choose our own desires, we have thereby separated ourselves from our fellow-men and from God.[1]

   

     “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Are you living your life so others may live?

     “Lord, your will be done!”

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, grant me the passion to go where you tell me because you know what is best for me. I praise you, Lord Jesus, for coming in the flesh so I might see and understand you more clearly. Help me to fall at your feet and worship you who I see throughout Scripture. And Holy Spirit, help me to perceive when the Great Deceiver is in my midst. I never want to doubt the reality of who my resurrected Lord is – and fail to properly worship you. What a joy to know that you, Lord Jesus, constantly pursue me because of your great love. I do believe that you have all authority in heaven and on earth. So ‘I bow my knee before your throne, I know this life is not my own.’ Grant me the eyes to see where you want me to go to make disciples, the wisdom to know when to baptize them, the ability to teach them your commands, and the heart to believe that truly you are with me always. You alone can empower me to love you with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind, and all of my strength…and to love my neighbor as myself. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” Ω       

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[1] Barclay, William; The Letters of James and Peter. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1976 (The Daily Bible Study Series, Rev. Ed), S. 102.

Who Are You?

    

     What’s your name? How did you get it? Have you ever named a child? How much thought and wrestling went into it? You didn’t casually toss any old name on your child, did you? Why not? Because names matter – oftentimes knitting and binding children together with their ancestors…and sometimes giving them a sense of destiny/purpose.

     Ask my brother Dann. Before Dann was born, dad wanted to name him ‘Patrick.’ Mom was opposed to it, so ‘Patrick’ became Dann’s middle name…except to dad. From Dann’s birth until dad’s death, Dann was always called ‘Patrick’ by dad. That naming aided in a bond that caused them to be closer than dad was to any of his other five children…as witnessed by the fact that Patrick chose to be dad’s primary caretaker throughout his battle with Parkinson’s. Patrick saw dad through his daily suffering and helped him cross the great chasm from death to eternal life…because he felt called by God to the endeavor.

     If that doesn’t convince you regarding the importance of names, ask Elizabeth.

     “When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, ‘No! He is to be called John.’” (Luke 1:57-60)

     Like rain upon a parched land, grace upon grace showers down upon this aged couple. Every promise brought by the messenger Gabriel came to pass. The family legacy will live on through this young boy. Rejoice!

 

     Then like a dry, chafing desert wind, the neighbors and relatives try to name the child. Elizabeth will have none of it. It is not a mild response she gives, but rather an emphatic “No!”

     But the neighbors aren’t content with their idea being summarily dismissed: “They said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives who has that name.’ Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, ‘His name is John.’” (61-63)

     If they didn’t get Elizabeth’s intent, Zechariah’s strikes like a lightning bolt, “His name is John.” Zechariah does not fear what his neighbors and relatives think. Rather, his desire is to be obedient to God’s message brought by Gabriel. Zechariah responds with faith, not doubt as he did in the Temple nine months earlier.

     “The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it asking, ‘What then is this child going to be?’ For the Lord’s hand was with him.” (65-66)

     More soul-refreshing rain falls from heaven as Zechariah’s mouth opens. Then, like a drenching summer storm sending flood waters rushing down the desert ravines, the news descends upon the entire region. And what words shower forth from Zechariah’s lips after a nine-month drought?  Praise, sweet praise, singing of God’s great mercy:

     “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us – to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all of our days.’” (67-75)

     If the neighboring tongues were set loose merely by John’s given name, this was going to whip the gossip into the storm of the century. “God has come to redeem his people? The mighty and glorious Messiah? After all this time, it’s really here?  Salvation from our enemies? God desires that we serve him without fear?

     Like thunder reverberating against windowpanes, tremors shake the people loose from their apathy. Suddenly the significance of this little one named John is felt (“Yahweh is gracious”). “What then is this child going to be?” Ask Zechariah:

     “‘And you my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven and will shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.’ And the child grew and became strong; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.” (76-80)

     John’s task was to ready the people to meet their Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, Jesus Christ. The way of the Lord is the way that leads to salvation. Darkness would soon be fleeing as the voice cried out from the wilderness – “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

     Who are you? If you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you have been adopted into the royal family. You are a child of the King! Are you living out that calling upon your life? Or is the Great Deceiver trying to convince you that you haven’t received a new name, a new life, and that you are a new creation?      

     Cling tightly to the words of John, and live in that light: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, we praise your Name. You are the eternal Promise Keeper from age-to-age. Great is your faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies we see. Help us to be like Elizabeth’s friends and relatives who rejoiced with her because of your manifold blessings in her life. Never let us be jealous or spiteful of the blessings you bestow upon our brothers and sisters. Holy Spirit, grant us the boldness to stand firm on your commands, like Elizabeth, even when those closest to us balk. Help us to be like Zechariah. When we open our mouths, let your praises ring forth. Let our lives and words be melodies that cause the world to desire to dance to your tune. We do praise you, Lord Jesus, for sending the gift of the Holy Spirit. Only by his indwelling are we able to know any of your will for our lives. You are the God of Israel and we have been grafted into that marvelous tree of life. Praise your merciful Name for remembering your Holy covenant with Abraham. What joy to know that we are part of that family, children of God, and all those promises belong to us also. Thank you for promising to rescue us from the hand of our enemies. And we, too, will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Bind Satan, the deceiver. For you enable us to serve you without fear in holiness and righteousness before you all of our days. We receive these promises in the name of Jesus. Let our lives mirror John’s calling – help us to give people around us the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Use us to shine your light into the darkness and the shadow of death in order to guide others’ feet into the path of peace. For you are the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.” Ω

I Will Wait

     “Silence is golden”?

     Tell that to the empty-nester parents who just dropped off their youngest child at college and are heading home…alone.

     Tell that to the parents of a sixteen-year-old driver as they wait for him to return home from his first solo flight.

     Tell that to the parents staring over the rails of a crib, straining to hear their newborn breathe or make any audible sound.

     Tell that to Zechariah and Elizabeth who have never had the chance to experience any of the above.

     “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.”  (Luke 1:5-7)

     The questions circle like vultures over Elizabeth’s barrenness: “Doesn’t the law tell us that fertility is among the blessings of obedience to God?” “Why doesn’t he answer our prayers?” “Is he listening?” “What have I done to cause this disgrace?”

     At least when they were younger, the candle of hope burned brightly. But no longer. Not even a flicker remains – just a wisp of black smoke curling skyward, leaving the aging couple waiting and wondering.

     Yet life must continue on for this righteous couple – even in the silence.

     “Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.”  (Vss. 8-10)

     After traveling from the hill country of Judea, it is Zechariah’s turn to serve at the Temple. Each of the more than eighteen thousand priests had this privilege during two non-consecutive weeks each year. Yet Zechariah bears a heavy heart as he proceeds on this holy journey. The silence from God regarding a child is deafening.

     The issue of a child is not the only area where Zechariah’s questions have been unanswered. It has been 400 years since the last recorded message from one of God’s prophets. 400 years of offering incense representing the people’s prayers ascending into heaven. Yet when the smoke disappeared, so did many of their hopes. Yet some came again this morning; desperate for a word from God to break through the hush that hung over Israel.

     As dawn breaks on this fateful morning, silhouettes can be seen purposefully moving about the temple preparing for the morning sacrifices. To keep order and humility, lots are cast for the morning services that need to be performed. Despite the lottery-like odds, Zechariah hits the jackpot. God has chosen him to burn the incense on this day. The hope of every priest has been handed to him. From this day forward he will be considered “rich and holy.”

     As he approaches the golden altar, Zechariah is alone in the silence…or so he thinks. “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard…’” (Vss. 11-13a)

     On this day, Gabriel’s voice breaks the silence…and the message will thunder across the generations.

      “…Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13b-17)

       But even this saint of a man expresses doubt after such a prolonged drought: Zechariah moistens dry lips and haltingly asks the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (vs. 18)

     And for this moment of disbelief in the power of the Almighty, another ten-month period of silence will ensue for the nation of Israel.

     “The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not be able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.’ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.” (Vss. 19-22)

     When the time came for Zechariah to stand on the temple steps and bless the assembled worshippers, he remained speechless. Yet God’s plan continued to unfold in Elizabeth’s once barren womb.

     “When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ‘The Lord has done this for me,’ she said. ‘In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.’” (Vss. 23-25)

    Don't let the silence deceive you! God is at work. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-33)

Prayer

 “Lord Jesus, what a joy and delight to know that you watch over the way of the righteous. Grant us the understanding that we are like your chosen ones, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Because of the blood of Jesus, we are upright in your eyes! Help us to fervently be like those who were waiting for Zechariah’s return. May we also devote our lives to prayer and worship. Thank you for hearing our prayers and answering, ‘yes,’ to those that are aligned with your purposes. Through the study of your Word, help our hearts to be so intertwined with yours that our prayers divinely mesh with your plans. When we hear your voice, help us to respond in faith – even when we can’t comprehend what you’re doing. Help us in those periods of prolonged silence to stay on our knees, trusting that you are preparing to birth a plan at just the right time and in just the right place. Grant us the wisdom, Holy Spirit, to follow the principles of the Nazirite vow. Show us how you want us to be set apart from the world around us. Grant us the desire, discernment, and ability to prepare the way for Jesus to be introduced to those in our lives. Help us to die to ourselves so that all glory will be given to you. For you took away disgrace in our lives as you hung on the cross in our place. You are the fountain from which blessing upon blessing springs forth. You are not speechless…and neither should we be. To your Name alone be all glory, and honor, and praise!”  Ω

“You’re Hopeless!”

“Dr. G.P. Gibner was and still is, one of the best and most beloved country doctors of his day and generation. He is a country doctor the people will never forget. Those who know him and had him to minister in their homes will testify to his love and loyalty for his patients, to help them back to the road of health and happiness…The horse and buggy carried Dr. Gibner on errands of mercy, with love and charity, and he was met by rains, storms, sleet and hail. Still, he went on to be by the bedside of his patients: Never thinking of self when duty and hardships were facing him, even in the cold and snow. He lived an unselfish and devoted life to his profession for more than one half of a century…The country doctor meant the same in our home as the old circuit rider. We as children always looked upon them as ‘Angels of Mercy’ and felt that the blessings of God had been showered in the home, when either had come to see us…” [1]

     How many of your ancestors can be described in such glowing terms? That’s how my wife’s Texas family tree begins.

     As hardy as these roots are they wither in comparison to the mighty oaks from which Jesus sprouted.  “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). Jesus was destined to wear royal robes forever. “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33).

     But it doesn’t stop there. God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). King Jesus is also a direct descendant of the father of the faith. 

     So who else is in this celebrated line?

     “Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.  David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife” (Matthew 1:2-6).

     Okay, be honest now. Did you read the above passage in its entirety? Skim it? Skip it altogether? There are still eleven more verses to go in Jesus’ genealogy. I know, I know, What's the point?  What good can a person possibly glean from a list of names?

     A careful reading of Jesus’ genealogy reveals something that is markedly different from a stereotypical Jewish genealogy. Women are listed. So, why would Jesus' genealogy take a radical departure from the norm and list Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah's wife…and Mary, the mother of Jesus?

     Put on your seatbelt. The ride is about to get bumpy. In Genesis 38 we read the story of Tamar and her father-in-law, Judah. When Tamar’s husband died, it was the responsibility of her oldest brother-in-law to marry her in order to continue on the name of her husband (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). Onan, Tamar’s oldest brother-in-law, refused to fulfill his duty, so the Lord took his life. After this episode, it became obvious to Tamar that Judah did not intend to put his remaining son in the same possible predicament.

     Tamar decided to take matters into her own hands. She disguised herself as a prostitute, and Judah slept with her. From this unholy sexual encounter came the birth of Perez and Zerah, two of Jesus’ ancestors. 

     And what of Rahab? We read in Joshua 2 that she was a prostitute and a non-Jew.  Two major strikes against her – sexually and ethnically unholy.

      Speaking of non-Jews, how did Ruth ever get included? Hold on tight…the airbag might actually deploy on this one. She was from Moab - a nation born of incestuous relations between Lot and his daughters when they got him drunk and lay with him (Genesis 19:30-38).

     And who can forget the story of Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife) in 2 Samuel 11? Remember David (the greatest king of Israel) hanging out on top of the palace roof and spotting a woman over on the next rooftop taking a bath. From that furtive glance, an adulterous liaison ensued that led to an unplanned pregnancy and the murder of Bathsheba’s husband.

     Jesus could have been from a pure and unstained background, free from any whispers behind-the-back, free from any backyard-fence gossip, free from any hints of scandal…but He came to seek and save those very people (Luke 19:10).

     “…Jesus is presented as the one who will ignore human labels of legitimacy and illegitimacy to offer his gospel of salvation to all, including the most despised and outcast of society.  A question for the church to ask itself in any age is how well it is visibly representing this commitment to reach out to the oppressed and marginalized of society with the good news of Christ.”[2]

     Feeling like “you’re hopeless”? Take heart! None in Jesus’ genealogy were innocent and able to stand before the judgment seat of their own accord. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-24).

     Jesus is extending his invitation to you…and your neighbors: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). How will you respond?

Prayer

 “Praise you, Father, for opening our eyes to the truth that all of Scripture, even genealogies, is inspired by you and useful to help train and equip us to become more like you. Praise you for showing us grace upon grace within this list of names. Lord Jesus, thank you that you are God who broke into history. You are not merely a myth made up in the mind of someone from ages past. No, you came forth from the line of David and Abraham just as the prophecies foretold…and walked upon the earth that you created. All of these fulfilled prophecies throughout Scripture prove that you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. You could have entered history in any number of ways, yet you chose to be born into a line of sinners. You willingly chose to associate yourself with the dirt and corruption of this world in order to bring cleansing. Every man and woman listed in your genealogy was a sinner. There are no saints without your shed blood to make them as white as the driven snow. Story-after-story shows that each of these people desperately needed a Savior. Your very genealogy shows that you offer rebirth, redemption, and freedom to all – ‘saints’ and sinners; men and women; Jews and Gentiles; the rich and poor; the spiritually elite and the spiritually bankrupt. To all you provide a way home. Grant us the desire and ability to herald your invitation to all we encounter through thought, word, and deed…that we, too, might be ‘angels’ of mercy. Help us to trumpet the good news that you came to set the captives free!” Ω

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[1] (J.H. Nichols, The Spearman Reporter – 9/30/54)

[2] Blomberg, Craig L.; The New American Commentary – Matthew. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1992, p. 56.