Contrasting Advent faith and patience in two lives
Advent 4. Elizabeth, Zacharias and faith---Luke 1:39-46
Something I never quite caught as I read and re-read this Gospel for today is that there is doubt here and faith as well. Doubt makes the history seem so much more real to me, for I am a doubter if the truth be told. Is there anyone else here who is like that too? We live by faith because we are really believers in what God has said and done, but we doubt as we go through difficulties, and even beautiful surprises as Zacharias did. But before he saw, he doubted. Who else is there? Who else lives there from time to time?
We doubt because ....fill in the blank. We doubt because we do not always have faith in God and His promises to us. Zacharias was given a great privilege to go into the Holy place by the lot that was cast. " And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense." Luke 1: 11 Vs 20 says that the angel is Gabriel and that Zacharias does not believe him. If an angel came to me, I think I would believe more than he did, but perhaps not.
Zacharias brings up the situation. " I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years." 1:18 Now I want you and I to list all our doubts and fears about whatever we cannot fathom that is going on. Let God hear them all for we need to speak them outloud if they are troubling us.
---I am afraid because.... and what did you put in there? no money, no future, no health forecast you like, things are messed up in the world and our nation, we have no patience, God has spoken but I want more.......or ? I really am just tired of it all, and it is getting tiresome?
" Zacharias would not accept the word of the Lord; he would not praise Him for His goodness and grace. Therefore, his tongue was to be silent and he was to be unable to speak until at last his lips were opened in glad thanksgiving. Unbelief is never joyous; infidelity has no songs." Charles Erdman
2. In contrast there was Elizabeth who was greeted by Mary .
" And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Elizabeth believed in contrast to Zecharias. The Church calls this the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. It is hard to wait, and be patient in faith. But apparently Elizabeth was an example of that, and is that to us as well.
3. Zechariah's song --- He wrote on a tablet the name John. 1:63 " And his mouth was opened immediately, and ...he spoke blessing God." Here was the song of belief and joy. It along with Mary's song are in the prayer Book for Morning and Evening Prayer to be sung .
Both songs are about the faithfulness of God to His people and in their faith. Also humility is a strong note in both as well.
" That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear; In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life."
Blessed Advent as we approach Christmas EVE tomorrow nite.
Something I never quite caught as I read and re-read this Gospel for today is that there is doubt here and faith as well. Doubt makes the history seem so much more real to me, for I am a doubter if the truth be told. Is there anyone else here who is like that too? We live by faith because we are really believers in what God has said and done, but we doubt as we go through difficulties, and even beautiful surprises as Zacharias did. But before he saw, he doubted. Who else is there? Who else lives there from time to time?
We doubt because ....fill in the blank. We doubt because we do not always have faith in God and His promises to us. Zacharias was given a great privilege to go into the Holy place by the lot that was cast. " And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense." Luke 1: 11 Vs 20 says that the angel is Gabriel and that Zacharias does not believe him. If an angel came to me, I think I would believe more than he did, but perhaps not.
Zacharias brings up the situation. " I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years." 1:18 Now I want you and I to list all our doubts and fears about whatever we cannot fathom that is going on. Let God hear them all for we need to speak them outloud if they are troubling us.
---I am afraid because.... and what did you put in there? no money, no future, no health forecast you like, things are messed up in the world and our nation, we have no patience, God has spoken but I want more.......or ? I really am just tired of it all, and it is getting tiresome?
" Zacharias would not accept the word of the Lord; he would not praise Him for His goodness and grace. Therefore, his tongue was to be silent and he was to be unable to speak until at last his lips were opened in glad thanksgiving. Unbelief is never joyous; infidelity has no songs." Charles Erdman
2. In contrast there was Elizabeth who was greeted by Mary .
" And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Elizabeth believed in contrast to Zecharias. The Church calls this the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. It is hard to wait, and be patient in faith. But apparently Elizabeth was an example of that, and is that to us as well.
3. Zechariah's song --- He wrote on a tablet the name John. 1:63 " And his mouth was opened immediately, and ...he spoke blessing God." Here was the song of belief and joy. It along with Mary's song are in the prayer Book for Morning and Evening Prayer to be sung .
Both songs are about the faithfulness of God to His people and in their faith. Also humility is a strong note in both as well.
" That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear; In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life."
Blessed Advent as we approach Christmas EVE tomorrow nite.
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