Opening Prayer
Gracious God, I put myself before you in this moment with waiting heart, expectant desire. Open my eyes that I may see your promise fulfilled; open my ears that I may hear your word whispered to my deepest being.
Amen.
Passage
Luke 1:67-80
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 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 ancestors 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 our days.
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 to 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 in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Reflection - John Piasecki
Wouldn’t it be amazing to have an actual conversation with an angel sent from God? I can imagine I'd be filled with incredible fear, joy, and wonder all wrapped up into one messy puddle. I would have questions, lots of questions.
What I love most about the passage is what Zechariah says after Gabriel tells him amazing things about his son and even gives instructions on how to raise him. Zechariah ignores everything and responds with something akin to, “You serious, Clark?” I can definitely relate to him right there!
Do you ever start relating to a character so much you begin to place yourself in that situation? Only in this story I’m not a 3’ tall, barefoot creature battling orcs, or a young rebel with a laser sword facing destiny. I’m a shocked would-be dad realizing I’ll soon be welcoming a gift from God. No wonder Zechariah ultimately responded with humility; the humility that comes with knowing even though he was a religious leader in God’s favor, he was still just a petal in the wind.
Was God teaching Zechariah that love is love and not something filled with conditions? A type of love his son would need in his life.
And what an amazing story his son’s life would make. Not the son, but a son that gave up everything meant for himself so that he could prepare the way for everyone else. Wow!
It’s amazing to think how God was preparing John through Zechariah & Elizabeth. Did they really know how John’s life would unfold? Maybe not, but they knew God loved him and would be with him always. Connecting with Zechariah made me love this passage so much more. Who are you connecting with in this Advent season?
Closing Prayer
My Lord, may all that I have seen of you and all that I have heard from your word now enflesh itself in me. Send me from this place as the incarnate promise of life to all whose life I will touch this day.
Amen.