I have to admit, I have been staring at Luke 1 all week. I've read the passage 100 times. We are using parts of it for Revive, parts of it for Sunday Church, and for this blog. I've read it and re-read it.
Today, i have more questions than answers. Maybe because I'll give some answers in my sermons/challenges/discussions in the next few days, but here are my questions.
1) What did Zechariah do so badly when he asked Gabriel that question? So many people have questioned God, and God has allowed it. Why was Gabriel so angry? It always gets me. (also, later on, Mary asks a similar question and is called holy and blessed!)
2) How would God prophesy so much about this child, but make his Dad mute--shouldn't he have spread the word about this amazing thing coming to pass.
Maybe question 2 answers question 1. Maybe if powerful Zechariah had talked about this messiah coming something would have happened to Mary. Something would have happened to Elizabeth. Maybe making him mute was keeping him safe.
I know some of the things I thought were the worst most awful things in my life, were really just setting up miracles that came later. Now, its way outside of what I believe to think that God brings evil in our lives--but my goodness so often I don't know the goodness between good and evil. So often I think the worst things for me or to me or around me are so often the things that make everything else fall into place. Maybe I sound too naieve or too hopeful or too optimistic by saying it. But if I could see every event through God's eyes, maybe I would be happier. Maybe if I saw the big picture I could see an illness or a move or a disappointment as a way for God to move big, I could save myself unhappiness.
That's my goal for this week--to breathe and see the big picture. To love beyond measure, and to make room in my heart for Emmanuel to come. Do you have space yet?
Blessings--
Pastor Emily
3 comments:
This is actually a concept that I ave been giving a lot of thought lately. What if the disasters in our lives are in some way the basis, even the necessary pieces we need for a blessing? There are of course many examples of this very thing happening in the Bible ( think Joseph being sold into slavery and then being in a position to save his family from famine.). The trick I think is being open to being used in this way...
When we experience a disaster, a hurt, a loss, a disappointment, I think we need to look for how God can use the bad thing for His purposes and how he can use us to bring about something good.
Don't forget to breathe,Emily! Stop and take some big breaths. It really helps in seeing the big picture and calming yourself to make room in your heart and your life for Jesus.
I have been thinking on the Zechariah thing and his being made mute. Truly, I think he was struck mute because of the impact/witness it would have on those who had been at the temple praying while he was inside the holy of holies doing his job. People are used to pastors and priests talking/preaching about their experiences, but Zechariah was unable to say anything. When he came out, people knew immediately something amazing had happened. Being mute was profoundly different. and it gave an air of mystery to the whole thing. and after all, our God is a God of mystery. We cannot understand all that he does. In the same way, we cannot always understand a bigger picture in our lives, but God knows what it is. I think no matter what happens to us in this life, God can use it to do something wonderful. Becky
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