illustration by Zach Brose for “Mary had a little Lamb” by Susan Panzica http://amzn.to/2eCjadI
So they hurried off
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby,
who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:16
Hurry. It seems that’s all we do lately. And so we are often encouraged to slow down, be still.
And yet there is a time to hurry-
~Zacchaeus, filled with curiosity, hurried ahead to climb a tree so he could see Jesus.
~The father, filled with compassion, ran to welcome his prodigal home.
~Mary and the women, filled with confusion, ran to the disciples – who ran to the empty tomb.
~Philip, filled with the Spirit, ran to the chariot to share the Word with the Ethiopian.
And the shepherds, filled with wonder after their heavenly host encounter, hurried to Bethlehem, ran to see Jesus.
When should we hurry?
~When it is running to Jesus!
~When it is hurrying to show compassion.
~When it is eagerly sharing the Word.
After they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. Then they returned [to their neighborhood, their work, their environment] glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Solomon said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” I’m going to boldly add to his list in Eccl. 3:1-8: There is a time to hurry and a time to be still. Oh that we would know the difference!
Do you (like me) ever confuse when to be busy and when to be still?
What do you do about it?
Has a phone call or conversation ever delivered incomprehensible news and you wondered, “How can this be?”
You’re not alone…
image courtesy: The Lumo Project
A devout priest, Zechariah was a descendent of Aaron. When his priestly division was on duty at the Temple in Jerusalem, he was chosen to enter the Holy Place. A religious man, schooled in the Scriptures, he was in a religious place where one would expect to encounter God.
Yet, when the angel appeared to him, standing beside the altar of incense, Zechariah trembled, gripped in fear. Gabriel comforted Zechariah, telling him not to be afraid and providing the reason for his visit. He was delivering good news. Zechariah’s elderly wife, Elizabeth, would bear them a son. Not just any son, but a son to be named John, who would be filled with the Holy Spirit and would prepare the people for the Messiah who was also coming to the world.
When Zechariah heard Gabriel’s words, he questioned him. “How can this be?” as he and his wife were well along in years and therefore could not bear a child. Gabriel discerned that Zechariah didn’t believe, and condemned him to silence until at the baby’s birth Zechariah demonstrated obedience by naming him John.
Mary also had a visit from the angel Gabriel. She wasn’t near the temple, but in a lowly village in Galilee, called Nazareth. She wasn’t schooled in the Scriptures. She was a simple devout young woman engaged to be married.
image: courtesy The Lumo Project
Gabriel greeted her, stating that she was highly favored and the Lord was with her. Troubled at his words (but not at the sight of him), he told her not to be afraid of what would happen to her, that she would miraculously bear a child. Hearing his words, Mary asked, “How can this be?” as a virgin cannot bear a child. Gabriel, discerning that she didn’t understand, explained to her about the Holy Spirit coming upon her, affirming that “nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded in faith, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
Two appearances of the angel Gabriel
– One is the place of highest esteem, the Temple’s Holy Place
– One in the lowest of villages (Can anything good come out of Nazareth? John 1:46)
Two expressing the same question, “How can this be?”
– One an unbelieving, though devout, old man
– One a believing, devout young woman
Two different responses by the angel to that same question
– One was rendered speechless for at least 9 months
– One was provided an answer to her question
So what can we glean from this?
Just because we are in a religious place doesn’t make us holy. You may have heard the saying, “Just because you are in a garage doesn’t make you a car.” Despite Zechariah’s expectation of meeting with God in the Holy Place, he was shocked and terrified at seeing the angel. Mary, however, fully experienced the presence of God in the humblest of locations. Unlike real estate, when it comes to experiencing God, physical location seems to be of little consequence.
What is of great consequence is the state of our heart. We can live a life as “devout and blameless” as Zechariah and still miss God. While it is fitting to “study to show ourselves approved,” it must not be just head-knowledge. Let the simple faith of a young virgin inspire our desire to know Him, and to be willing to serve Him in whatever way He leads.
Fortunately, Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:67-79) makes it clear that he now possessed great understanding and belief in how his child would fulfill the Messianic prophesies. This encourages me to realize that even when I stumble, there always remains hope in the future to make it right.
In her song (Luke 1:46-55), Mary doesn’t appear to have the depth of comprehension that Zechariah had regarding the coming of the Messiah. What she does have is the simple understanding that she is blessed because He was “mindful of her, His servant.”
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” Luke 1:45
Do you believe that He will accomplish what He said? Then you are blessed! When we ask the Lord, “How can this be?” let us be sure to ask with the heart of Mary, believing and trusting.
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Those words could be a thrill – or – they could strike fear in your heart.
It all depends upon what you are expecting.
2000 years ago, there was an expectation in the land of Israel that the Messiah would be coming (Luke 3:15). For 400 years (twice as long as the United States has existed!), there had been no spoken or written word from God. The prophecies pointed to this time in history as the time when their fulfillment would occur. The anticipation was palpable. How would the Messiah come? Who would He be? Would He meet their expectations?
Flash forward 2000 years. The church calendar recognizes the season before Christmas as Advent (from the Latin word, adventus, meaning “coming”). Traditionally, Advent commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. It is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.
This Advent season, what are you expecting?
If you were you expecting a season of stress, perhaps this will be the year that those expectations will notbe met!
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2
As a photographer adjusts the lens of her camera, adjust the lens of your expectations. When the circumstances of your life, the things that are so close – the earthly things – are in crisp focus, everything else is out of focus. But by adjusting our lens, we can bring into crisp focus the things of God – the things above. Then the things of earth are not so defined. We can still see them; we know they are there, but they no longer are our focus.
Lord, we are expecting…. We are expecting to sense Your presence over these December days. We expect to see You exalted among Your people. We expect to be at peace as we keep our focus on You. Thank you, Jesus!
