Category: Luke

One of the lost arts of our day is that of good storytelling. For generations, people huddled around the hearth and heard tales passed from mouth to ear. Some were famous tales that survived over-alteration, and came from places like those from the collection of the Brothers Grimm. Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were German scholars who collected and published folklore during the early 19th century. They popularized stories such as “Cinderella”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Rapunzel”, “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Snow White”. Their first collection was published in 1812, and they have been retold countless times.

Many storytellers offered their tales because of the moral they taught the listeners – for storytelling can be a powerful way to transmit a world view and moral system. If you follow the trail back through history, one of the profound moralist storytellers was Jesus, Who used that very medium to explain some weighty truths about God and walking with Him. Jesus seems to have truly enjoyed telling stories – it didn’t matter if it were of plants, fish, rocks or gardens – He had a tale from which He could make eternal truth graspable for the average listener. Unfortunately, as time has passed and cultural references have changed, some of His best material seems dulled from its original luster.

In fact, I would argue that sometimes we struggle to follow God when we know what He has told us to do – it is a battle of the will. Yet, other times we honestly struggle to understand the record God left us in His word – and that can happen easily in grasping the truth from a story told by Jesus. We won’t do what we should and won’t avoid what we must if we don’t understand what Jesus taught about God, life, others and surrender. Some training in His time and the method of storytelling of long ago is essential to properly grasping His message….

Key Principle: We must learn to listen carefully to the storyteller to truly understand His message.

In this lesson, we return to parables as the medium through which Heavenly truths will be unfolded by God, as He taught in human skin from a hillside in the Galilee two thousand years ago. Though this isn’t a CLASS, it is a learning situation, and I want to carefully suggest that learning the pattern of a parable can keep us from extracting the wrong ideas from the Gospel accounts. A casual search of YouTube will reveal that many don’t seem to understand how to get the central truths from the stories recorded in the New Testament – so this is worth our time and attention.

There are three stories that Jesus went on to present to people that we want to look at briefly in this lesson. Each has been misunderstood and misapplied because the form they were delivered in was unfamiliar to the one teaching each passage. We want to understand parables, and get a particular grasp on how to get the intended truth from them the Teacher offered. The three parables are:

• The Parable of Joy in a string of three stories,
• The Parable of the Shrewd Learner (along with application teachings),
• The Parable of Sufficient Revelation.

For the moment, let’s rehearse the biggest principle in dealing with parables. The rule is this: Let the main thing be the main thing, and let the details fall away. No parable is intended to teach a dozen principles – that isn’t how the form was used by the rabbis of yesteryear. Don’t apply YOUR rules to the text – apply the rules of the people in the original situation. Let me illustrate this once more with the first well known parable string with three stories.

The Parable of Joy

We have explored this story a number of times in the past, but each opportunity in a passage is a new mix of listeners, so let’s stop and think through the scene, the string and the Savior’s key principle. The text is Luke 15…

The story opens with the setting that defines the need and true audience for the teaching. Luke 15:1 “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes [began] to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He told them this parable, saying…

These verses tell us clearly three things:

First, broken people and people with reputations came to Jesus – and He was approachable.

Second, religious leaders thought that Jesus’ approachability was a terrible quality, because it signaled at the least compromise and at the most outright sinful acceptance of those who should be shunned.

Third, Jesus chose to tell a story to make the point to the grumblers. That is a key. Jesus didn’t teach the three stories of the “Parable of Joy” to get broken people to learn about God’s love. He didn’t teach them to people with bad reputations to get them to understand how to clean up their lives. If the hearts of people such as these were moved, it was secondary. Jesus was responding to religious grumblers, and that sets the landscape of the teaching.

Jesus told three stories in the string: a story of a lost sheep, a story of a lost coin, and a story of a lost son. The first story referenced a man on his job. The second story was about a woman in her home. The third story was about a broken-hearted parent and two fussing siblings. In the end, Jesus included almost everyone in his audience – men, women, parents, children. Think through each story and the pattern of “something lost” followed by “something found” responded properly to by “JOY!”

In verses 4-7, Jesus used the shepherd’s craft to explain the story…

Luke 15:4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” 6 “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be [more] joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The pattern is clear: a sheep lost, a sheep found, a celebration of joy ensues. The message is simple: “When that which is lost is found, JOY is the natural result.” Jesus made the point that HEAVEN REJOICES when sinners return – because that is what redemption is all about.

The second story of the string is found in verses 8 to 10, this time in a home with a woman who lost what was likely one of her prized dowry coins.

Luke 15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ 10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.“

Again the pattern is clear – if you are listening carefully: a coin is lost, the coin is recovered, neighbors are invited to share a celebration of JOY. Again, angels are taking joy over the recovered sinner. Again the message: “When that which was lost is found, JOY should be the result!”

The final story is told of a father and his two sons in verse 11 to 32. Look closely at the text. You will see the cast of characters is verse 11. In verse 12 you will be surprised at the insolence of a rebellious and restless son. In verse 13 you watch as he journeys away, and in verse 14 you watch as he throws away all that came to him in inheritance. By verse 15 you can see his desperation in the word “impoverished”. In verse 16 – 19 we see the boy hungry, standing in pig slop, dreaming of home and rehearsing his shame before his father in his mind.

The turning point of the story can be found in verse 20, because the boy came to his senses and went home. His father raced out to him as the boy attempted to humble himself in verse 21, but his father was busy hugging and preparing a celebration. Stop. Don’t get caught in the details… in the pattern IS the point. The pattern was a son lost, a son found… now enter the detail that DOESN’T FIT. Something is wrong in the end of the story…

Luke 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 “And he summoned one of the servants and [began] inquiring what these things could be. 27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and [began] pleading with him. 29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and [yet] you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and [has begun] to live, and [was] lost and has been found.'”

Look at the older brother. He is the religious moaner from the beginning of the story. He wasn’t happy with an approachable Teacher – he wasn’t excited about broken people being restored to God. He was angry and grumbling. God was forgiving, and that never sits well with someone who has worked so hard to do the right thing. It feels like the one who did wrong got all the same benefits but didn’t have to work so hard at it!

The truth is the Pharisee didn’t have any idea how hard it was to be the lost son. He didn’t know the inner price that someone pays in becoming crushed by their own rebellion. He did right, and he didn’t have much in the way fo patience for someone who didn’t work as hard at righteousness. He saw his discipline as work, and their moral sloppiness as a short cut. He couldn’t feel what it was like to walk in the dark places the lost son knew all too well. The Pharisee didn’t understand the deep inner shame the broken boy brought to his father.

The point of the parable is simple: When that which is lost is found, joy should be the result. If that is NOT what happens, something is wrong with our heart. People who know God should celebrate broken people being restored to God, and value them as much as they do those who never walked away. I believe without a doubt that was the heart of what Jesus wanted to say.

Let me be clear: I have heard this taught many times about the father’s love – but I don’t believe that was Jesus’ intent at all. I have heard it taught about the boy’s need to come to his senses and repent – and it made a great Gospel appeal – but I don’t think that was Jesus’ point at all – and I believe taking the main point from the details of a parable is both WRONG and DANGEROUS. Let me prove my point as we explore in Luke 16…

The Parable of the Shrewd Learner

Jesus offered yet another parable. Look carefully at the setting, because you will again see the principle in light of the setting and some knowledge of those to whom the teaching was directed…

Luke 16:1 Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this [manager] was reported to him as squandering his possessions.

Jesus was addressing His followers (not grumbling Pharisees) and trying to make a singular point – but you have to read the whole thing with that ONE POINT in mind. Keep reading…

Luke 16:2 “And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ 5 “And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he [began] saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

What the man appeared to be doing was cheating his master, but that wasn’t the point of the story. Jesus made clear that the man did what he did to PLAN AHEAD, and that was exactly what his master saw that was lacking in the poor manager. The man who owned the loans was less concerned about getting back all that was owed than he was at the fact that his affairs were in the hands of a man who didn’t plan ahead, and haplessly fell into situations rather than being proactive.

Let’s see if we can pick out the main point in Jesus’ teachings in verses 8 and 9:

Luke 16:8 “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9″And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

Don’t lose focus here – this saying is hard to unravel. Jesus was trying to make the point that shrewd dealings and careful planning seemed to be lacking in His followers. There is TRUST in God’s provision, and then there is presumptive laziness. There is confidence in the Lord, and there is hubris in throwing all back on God as the owner. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that they needed to learn to be shrewd. They needed to learn to use the things of this world to promote eternal purposes. Things here will melt away – but they are given to us to steward and we must not waste them. Look at verse 9 and read it slowly. Jesus said that His disciples should make friends in the here and now and use the temporal, physical wealth (referred to as “wealth of unrighteousness”).

These words sound confusing, as if Jesus is suggesting bank robbery or some ill-gotten gain – but that is not in view at all. The translation of a common Hebrew expression (used in Targumim by other rabbis) contrasts the word “unrighteous,” against “the true riches” in Luke 16:11, and means “not real, not permanent, not to be trusted.”

When moved from Hebrew and Aramaic by teachers, it often sounds funny and requires explanation, as in 1 Timothy 6:17.

1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

The point is the money and physical goods of the earth are not to be wasted as the steward had done, but used for God Who supplies them. At the same time, they represent property that is “deceitful” and not to be trusted as any permanent sign of success. In fact, if you look at the three teachings that follow the parable, you can see this even more clearly…

Three Teachings on Temporal Wealth

Lesser and Greater Wealth

Jesus said that physical wealth is a LESSER thing, but spiritual wealth is a GREATER thing. If God cannot trust us with money, He won’t trust us with souls. He said:

Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [use of] unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true [riches] to you? 12 “And if you have not been faithful in [the use of] that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

It is the responsibility of the followers of Jesus to steward properly the temporal riches to be given access to the greater riches that pay in eternity. Do you want to see God at work in and through you this year? Jesus said the place to start is stewarding well the time, talent and treasure God had already given you.

Choosing to Serve

Jesus also warned that temporal wealth and eternal values will, at some point, part company. Each will pull our hearts, but the directions are not compatible. He said:

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

It is the responsibility of every believer to serve God with their temporal things, not make their temporal wealth into their God.

The Cloaked Greedy Ones

While Jesus was speaking, the Pharisees were making fun of Him. Jesus made clear their real issue was their heart – and their handling of His cousin John the Baptizer showed they wanted to keep their place at the expense of standing for truth. Luke reminded:

Luke 16:14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. 16 “The Law and the Prophets [were proclaimed] until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. 18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Don’t get thrown off by the divorce comment – it related to John’s preaching that got him arrested. The Pharisees knew Herod Antipas was wrong for stealing his brother’s wife and putting the kingdom in jeopardy with a war – and all that was going on in the background of the news at that time. This was a simple reference to what everyone knew after John’s vicious death. Jesus’ point was simple: “You men know John was right morally, yet you did nothing to risk your positions for truth. Don’t look now, but your compromise is showing your underlying greed!”

The point of the whole story and the teachings is not cloudy: Jesus wanted His disciples to learn to use and not waste material things with shrewdness and planning – in order to maximize the eternal benefits. Wealth in the here and now is temporary, but it can be used for things that produced lasting benefits if we don’t walk off into our monastery and deny ourselves any contact with what God provided for our use. Stewarding things can be God’s test bridge to stewarding lives – when we don’t fall in love with things, serve things and compromise to keep things that will melt away at our last heart beat anyway.

Don’t forget. The only way you will not end up at the wrong place in the teaching is to allow the main thing to be the only thing Jesus was teaching. If the details of a parable are the point, even a little bit, you could end up teaching that Jesus liked the deception of the manager – and that isn’t true at all. The main thing was the shrewd stewardship, not the “markdown process” on the bills he used.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

The third and final story for this lesson is the well-known story of a rich man who came from a family that did not trust the testimony of the Scriptures, and died having trusted in the riches of this life as a symbol of God’s acceptance for the next. Jesus told the story:

Luke 16:19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the [crumbs] which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and [that] none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—28 for I have five brothers– in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.‘”

The rich man in verse 19 lived a life of opulence and dressed his part. A poor man named Lazarus (whose name is from Eleazar, or “God is my help”) lay outside the gate of his villa eating the cast off scraps from his table, according to verse 20-21. Lazarus was sickly and sore-ridden, and eventually died – as did the rich man – as told in verse 22.

Jesus awkwardly juxtaposed the rich man in torment and Lazarus in comfort. Note that in verse 24, the rich man thought Lazarus should still be brought into the position of service to HIM. Father Abraham’s reply was telling: “You had a life of comfort while Lazarus suffered – he cannot come and help you now (16:25-26). The rich man begged that Lazarus be ordered to go to the house of the rich man’s family and warn the living of their end to come – a sort of Dicken’s ghost to an Ebenezer Scrooge. Father Abraham offers but one observation – “If they don’t believe the Word of God as provided, they will not believe one back from the dead!”

Remember, the point of these stories is always found in the setting. Jesus was speaking in front of two groups – the disciples and the Pharisees. One group was learning; the other was scoffing. Despite what you may have read – every evidence in the text is that this is NOT an account of the afterlife – it is a story. For one thing, Abraham isn’t a gatekeeper in eternity any more than Peter will meet you at the pearly gates. This was a parable – and the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. The introduction of a name with meaning doesn’t change the fact that it was a mere story. In the afterlife, those who are comforted don’t watch the torment of others – that was a detail like the way the unjust steward figured out how to make friends… stick to the point.

Jesus taught that the testimony of the Scripture was enough to lead people who are open-hearted to a right relationship with God. He was going to be the “dead man” that rose in the days ahead – but that wouldn’t be MORE if they wouldn’t believe the testimony of God’s Holy Word. The Pharisees that didn’t believe the LIVING WORD standing before them, nor truly grasp the Written Word provided them would later resist the RISEN WORD that would be revealed. That was Jesus’ point, and it all came to be as He promised.

It is essential that we recognize that we must learn to listen carefully to the storyteller to truly understand His message.

If we allow the details to distract us, we will be led into the stories that teach an ethic different than the Scriptures…

Look at what Jesus taught in this lesson – and clear out the details to get the key principles that change the way we think.

First, He said that JOY should come to the people of God when one who wandered from God is broken by life and returns into His arms. If we aren’t joyful about that – something is WRONG with us. Jesus’ people are to be those who hurt for the wanderers and rejoice with each who find their way home – safely into a relationship with God. One of the unintended consequences of living the truths of Scripture is that they will make us FEEL DESERVING of God’s love, welling up pride where there should be nothing but humble gratitude. Do I care about the wanderers? Am I more concerned about how their sin keeps them from God, or how they mess up my country? My inner Pharisee can quickly show – and I need to replace the sense of justice with the truth of undeserved mercy.

Second, Jesus taught that His followers need to become shrewd and careful stewards of the temporal things for eternal purposes. They don’t need to spurn riches of this world, nor serve riches of this world; they need to use them for things that will matter in the time after life’s days on earth are over. Do I love the things of this world more than the eternal purposes of God? Are my dreams about acquiring things that will one day slip away in an estate sale after I am gone from here? Do I see the value of what God has put in my hands – my time, my talent and my treasure – to be able to use them for His glory?

Third, Jesus taught that people in this world need to carefully heed the Scriptures concerning who they are, and what their end will be. If they refuse the Scriptures, the miraculous change that Scrooge made after the three visitors will be the exception – not the rule. Each time I hear God’s voice and don’t submit, a callous grows upon my heart. I become more resistant to listening. Not only that, but like the rich man, I become someone who believes I have obtained some modest riches in this life because I am BETTER than some other poor soul in some destitute village. It is a lie. I live with good things, but I am not good inside. I am self-willed, arrogant, and smug. I need to see myself in the mirror of God’s Word – a man in desperate need of the mercy of God, deserving nothing.

I am often reminded of one of Robert Frost’s sayings about our world: “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, while the other half have nothing to say and keep on saying it!” We need to approach words with care or real communication will not result.

The humorbin.com offers some encouraging thoughts on miscommunication that help set the serious tone of this teaching back into our own mixed up daily lives… They wrote:

“Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing corporations. It shouldn’t be that hard, yet even the big multinationals run into trouble because of language and cultural differences. For example:

• In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”

• In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan “finger-lickin’ good” came out as “you will eat your fingers off.”

• Years ago, when General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that “no va” means “it won’t go.” After the company figured out why it wasn’t selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

• When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say: “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” However, through mistranlation the ads actually said: “It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

These are examples of failed communication that should make us both SMILE, and take our task seriously when we open the Word. Our Savior had profound truths to tell us in his stories – but we must become students of the parable to grasp what they meant – or we could get the wrong impression – and that could make for real trouble! Wrong teaching can come from wrong listening.

Have you ever had someone suggest to you that you could find the truth about life WITHIN yourself? The other day I was invited to watch a motivational seminar on video by a Christian friend who thought I could really gain some insight from a well-known speaker. Because I know this friend well, I put it on the list of things I do for personal growth, and when it got to the top of the stack, I watched it. The man was entertaining and informative, and I found some of the information quite useful, that is, until he journeyed into “self as a source of truth.” That idea troubled me. There are many spiritual and religious groups that suggest that truth is found “within” a man or woman – many Buddhists believe this, and the Gnostics of the early centuries of Christianity taught it as well. They believed that “real truth” was sparked inside a person when they confronted the Almighty and had an incredible experience that led to the truth.

Students of the Bible – especially those who appreciate literalism – have generally dismissed that thought, and turned people to the fact that the truth is found in Jesus Who called Himself that very title: “The Truth”. In Him, we know, is the answer – in His purposes for us. If you think carefully and deeply, I think there IS an important truth that you can discover within you… but it isn’t the answer to a question – it is the problem we face. I believe that if you look inside – you will see that we are broken people, but we are also stubborn people. We can’t find the answer to our brokenness within – that truly IS found only in Messiah; but we can discover the problem – the fact of our brokenness, closely guarded by our stubborn pride.

We like to think of ourselves as competent. As Christians, we like to think of ourselves as vessels usable to our Master. Yet, if you ask almost any Christian they will tell you that for much of their life they admit to stubborn, self-oriented decision making. We who know Jesus also know ourselves – for when He came into our lives, the truth of who we are – and who we are NOT – became evident. That is a hard side of our faith… Inside each of us we wrestle with the pride and ego that hinders us from the continual surrender that invites God to work at transforming us – and for much of our life our stubborn resistance is our single greatest foe.

Key Principle: God draws near to one who opens their heart, but withdraws from one who refuses Him entrance.

There is a portion of Jesus’ ministry that highlighted the battle within those who met Jesus– the fight to surrender to God’s control – we want to continue our look at lessons in the life of Jesus with a brief stop in Luke 7. That passage is carefully framed around stories of five encounters between Jesus and people. For this lesson, let’s look at how Jesus dealt with people, and what hindered some people from really gaining the full benefit of standing face to face with God in human skin. Look at each of the five encounters. They were:

1. Jesus and the Humble Gentile: The Open Reverence of the Needy Centurion (Lk. 7:1-10).

2. Jesus and the Helpless Widow: The Surprise of the Broken-hearted and Helpless Widow (Lk. 7:11-16).

3. Jesus and His Uncertain Friends: The questioning of the familiar, yet unsure cousin of Jesus, John the Baptizer (Lk. 7:17-23).

4. Jesus before the Hardened Theologians: A fourth was a group of Pharisees that diverted the heart truths of God by theological arguments! (7:24-35).

5. Jesus and a Grateful Sinner: A shattered sinful woman that came to Jesus full of gratitude for His love, forgiveness and acceptance (7:36-50).

Step into the five scenes, one at a time – and look carefully for those who really grasped the truth of Who Jesus was, and what He could do for them.

The Humility of a Needy Centurion (Lk. 7:1-10)

Luke 7:1 When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. 2 And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Jesus finished teaching and walked back into the village of Capernaum. When he got into the town, he was met by some of the local elders of the “synagogue near the sea” who came and asked Jesus to do a good deed for a slave – a strange request. It appears the centurion previously built a great relationship with the Jewish community by showing care to the local Jewish community and helping them raise the funds to maintain and add to their synagogue. The Jewish leaders came to Jesus and sough a healing for the man’s servant.

We don’t know much about the centurion – but we know some important details. The text offers six details:

• His rank put him in charge of a “centuria” consisting normally of 80 men. Six “centuria” formed a “cohort”…. The man was in a responsible position in the Roman army.

• The Centurion had a soft heart toward his servant (7:1-2). He was a leader with a heart for PEOPLE, the object of God’s affection.

• The Centurion had a tender heart toward God’s people (7:3-5). To love me is to love what I love beside me.

• The Centurion had a deep sense of unworthiness (7:6-7a). An open sense of God’s “stooping” to us is a great place to begin a successful walk with God!

• The Centurion had a firm trust in Jesus’ authority (7:7b-8). The first step in our walk must be to stand firmly in Jesus’ ability.

• The Centurion gained Jesus’ attention (7:9-10). Jesus required only one thing of this follower – honest trust in Him!

This story made clear that Jesus aided a man of humility, tenderness and faith. The humility was not a poor self-image – it was “ranking himself beneath” out of respect. He recognized the power and position of Jesus, and he recognized his own sinfulness. His tenderness was shown in actions of assistance to those who needed help. His “faith” – the ability to see things as God says they are – was clear in the way he dealt with the Savior. Arrogance pushes God away – humility draws God in to help.

A second story also draws in a hurting and needy person…

The Surprise of the Broken-hearted and Helpless Widow (Lk. 7:11-17).

Luke 7:11 Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!” 17 This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.

Jesus left Capernaum not long after the assistance to the centurion’s servant, and walked toward the Jezreel Valley on the road that passed the foot of Hill of Moreh – a place famous because of the ministry of Elijah and Elisha long before. As he walked by the village of Nain, a parade of mourners happened on the road carrying a funeral bier of a young man. Jesus noticed a widow – walking without a husband or children behind the bier. He approached the broken hearted woman and told her to cease weeping. Next, He walked toward the bier; in a bold but shocking move – He TOUCHED the small bed with the body on it. This story offered a few details of the woman:

• The broken woman was loved, but broken beyond the hope of asking for help from God. Truthfully, in the midst of her pain, she probably never noticed Jesus standing before her! (7:11-12).

• The widow could not “cry out” for help, but Jesus picked her out (7:13).

• The crushed momma was unprepared for the incredible deliverance God brought – though He had done it before in others nearby! Elisha raised the Shunnamite woman’s son – and Shunem was a nearby village on the opposite side of the same hill! (7:14-16; cp. 2 Kings 4:36).

Consider this woman for a moment. Isn’t it true that in our tears, we can fail to see clearly? Sometimes in the midst of a terrible night, God stands ready to reveal Himself – even if we weren’t looking for Him! Jesus saw her tears, and He met her in the midst of her pain. He gave her back what she lost – but He gave her much more – He gave her His kind attention and care. Brokenness draws in the tender approach of God. There is no place so painful that God cannot touch it. There is no person so broken that God cannot repair them. There is no joy deeper than the knowledge that God is there when my pain is unbearable!

Yet a third story was collected by Luke and joined to this one, and though this one isn’t a healing, it is by someone in a desperate situation…

The uncertain cousin of Jesus: John the Baptizer (Lk. 7:17-23).

Luke 7:18 The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19 Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” 20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'” 21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

John knew about the power of God (Lk. 7:18) and John HOPED that the promises were true and found in Jesus (Lk. 7:19-20), but he was uncertain (7:21-23; cp. Isa. 8:13-15). Jesus explained that His identity should be recognized based on the promises of God’s Word and the evidence of His walk before men! (7:21-23; cp. Isa. 8:13-15).

Why is this story tucked into this passage? Is it because a messenger approached Jesus just after he encountered the widow at Nain? Perhaps…but that doesn’t seem to be true based on the cross references of the other Gospels. It appears the point Luke was making in the organization of the stories together was this: John was under arrest. His desperation wasn’t from loss of a son or sickness of a servant as the other stories – but rather the loss of his personal freedoms and the fear of his own future. John’s life was all about one thing: Proclaiming the message of God. When he pointed people to Jesus as the Lamb, was he mistaken?

We have seen that humility attracts God’s hand, and brokenness move His gentle touch – but what about desperation and uncertainty? Does God withdraw from one who cannot trust Him fully? The answer is NO! God understands our deep connection to the physical world and to our own preservation. He knows what we fear most – and much of it relates to leaving this world. God’s answer to the “doubting desperate” is to offer more truth –more evidence of Himself. Honest doubt in the face of desperation doesn’t repulse God – it draws Him in.

A fourth story was joined to these…

Religious leaders as opposed to repentant businessmen (7:24-35).

Luke 7:24 When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. 27 “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’ 28 “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. 31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33 “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” 36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.

The next story Luke paired with this set of remembrances was Jesus’ encounter, first with the crowds to pose a question about John – and then to two groups who heard John. On the one hand were those who followed John’s message – guilty cheaters who saw the need to repent and be baptized by John – acknowledging their sinfulness. On the other hand, there were some trained men that were proficient at using information and debate to deflect heart truth. They heard John, but his message of repentance meant nothing to them – for they saw themselves as righteous by virtue of what they KNEW. Jesus cut through the layer of theological objections to deliver a set of four powerful truths! These truths were targeted as a caution to those who had considerable knowledge of God’s Word, but little faith to walk in it!

The first truth was people want something that is REAL, not simply something that is highly polished. Not as many are faked out by religious nonsense as the religious may think. Jesus began His time before them with a question: “Why did you all go out to see John in the wilderness?” (7:24a) He offered several possibilities:

• Did his commitment draw you? (7:24b).
• Did his “sophisticated and polished look” draw you? (7:25)
• Were you perhaps seeking God’s truths? (7:26)

Next, Jesus affirmed that John was presenting the truth and preparing the crowd for Messiah (7:26b-27) as He explained the role that John played in prophetic truth (7:28). He was the announcer, the introducer – the pointer.

Jesus offered a second statement: When people encounter the truth and are powerfully changed by it, they are ready to take a stand for it! The many in the crowd that had been at the great revivals of John affirmed Jesus’ statements with an “Amen!” (7:29) but the theologically trained Pharisees withdrew (7:30).

A third truth became apparent: Real leaders see changes in their followers as truth is offered, while fake leaders moan about real ones! Jesus offered this observation about the religious leaders: “They lead, but they complain that no one follows” (7:31-32). “They reject the power others have found encountering God’s truth, and offer nothing but complaints about the externals” (7:33-34).

Finally, Jesus ended with this parable: “Life-changing God-given truth evidences itself unmistakably in the lives of those who follow it!” (7:35). Real truth has measurable fruit. Real wisdom transforms. Why is this story included here?

We have seen that humility, brokenness and desperation draw the tender response of the Lord… but here that truth is contrasted with those who repulse God. God is drawn to those who allow Him to transform them, but moves away from those who choose to know ABOUT HIM without surrendering TO HIM.

God isn’t seeking highly polished theologians – He seeks surrendered saints. He is looking for those who WANT Him to work in them, strongly desire Him to sculpt away their desires and leave them with a greater hunger for His touch.

There is still one more story…

A woman with gratitude, who found love and acceptance in the Savior’s presence (7:36-50)

Luke 7:37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 “When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The story reminds us that the woman presented was a well-known sinner. Perhaps it was her dress, perhaps her speech or manner – but it was clear that she was a woman with a past. Luke described her: She was filled with shame and guilt from the past, but took the most precious thing she has and offered to it Jesus to express deep gratitude that she could be made whole (7:36-37). She poured out both her earnings and the pain of their heart, finding solace in merely being allowed to touch Jesus’ feet and find His acceptance. She was unconcerned about how she appeared to those who thought they had life together. She loved that God forgave her, and she cherished forgiveness with overwhelming gratefulness (7:38).

Some people you meet don’t really sense their need of God so easily. For people like that, God may need to provide a lesson to help them understand their need – by observing the advantages of brokenness in someone else. People with a brokenness about their past are often used by God as a lesson to others – and that is the gift we have in them! Consider this:

• Even those who know something of God’s love and power can misunderstand His heart. They want justice for others, but mercy for themselves. God shows that He knows how to love in spite of sin (7:39).

• Jesus wanted to teach even the self-righteous of His own mercy, that they might experience mercy (7:40).

• God is not unclear. He knows we all owe Him – none are worthy! (7:41-42).

• Jesus wanted the self-righteous to become as the broken – to acknowledge his own unworthiness (7:43)!

• Jesus desired an “exchange of eyes” – as the self-righteous discover their neediness (7:44).

• He contrasted the extreme love of the broken woman as a model to the stayed dignity of the self-righteous (7:45-46).

• Self-righteous men and women can be shocked by how the broken, guilty and shame-filled people are able to shed the need to look good in the hope that someone can love them and accept them – and God lovingly pulls them to Himself (7:47).

God draw near to the heart filled with gratitude, but withdraws from the haughty heart. Think about it this way:

Gratitude presupposes we know we are forgiven. Jesus openly claimed the right to forgive the sin, as well as remove the shame and guilt to those who trust Him (7:48). We need to trust His word. We must gauge forgiveness by God’s Word, not by other people who are also guilty. People are not as forgiving as God is, and they will resist the cleansing of one who has acted shamefully (7:49). Don’t forget, we need to be released from the bondage of shame and guilt, so that we can LIVE for Jesus! In this story, Jesus wanted this woman to know forgiveness and acceptance so that she could go out and LIVE, not cling to Him reliving her guilt over and over (7:50). Gratitude fills us when forgiveness is truly recognized.

The simple truth is that inside each of us we wrestle with the ego that hinders us from continual surrender – and for much of our life that is our single greatest foe. Humility before God, brokenness before God, honest desperation of heart, a hunger to surrender all the dark corners of the heart within, and gratitude for God’s forgiveness and intimate companionship draw Him in. That is the message of the five stories of Luke 7.

There are many people who have stories like the five we have encountered in this lesson. They have been burned by life, and the fires have scarred them and left them hurting. Yet, God wants to use them. Consider this, as we draw this lesson to its close:

Sequoia National Park is a reserve in the southern Sierras of California, in the United States. The park was established in 1890 and spans more that 400,000 acres. It is covered with a variety of trees – some of them are a very resistant kind of pine. These “Lodge Pole pines” were created by God to withstand incredible opposition. Seeds within the pine cones of these trees are not easy to break, like some of the other pine cones we find around our yards. Can you guess when the seeds come out? The cones lay dormant and open only under extreme heat, such as what happens in a forest fire. If you place “Lodge Pole” pine cones in a campfire they pop loudly as they open and expose their protected seeds. The true value of the cone is this: the crisis of a fire, the testing of extreme heat brings the release of the life-giving seeds that will spur reforestation in a fire that destroys other trees.

Maybe your life has been tested by fire. Maybe you feel broken by pain. You should know this: that is exactly when God moves in. It is pride that dismisses Him, while trust, humility and brokenness invite Him.

God draws near to one who opens their heart, but withdraws from one who refuses Him entrance.

Our nation, despite attempts by more modern historians to suggest otherwise, has a long history of offering thanks to the God of the Bible. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the “first Thanksgiving” celebrations in the colonies. For over two centuries, days of thanksgiving appear to have been celebrated by individual colonies and nascent states, but it wasn’t until 1863, amid the Civil War, the weighted President Abraham Lincoln looked at his broken country and proclaimed a national “Thanksgiving Day” to be held each November. It is an increasingly uncomfortable part of our history to the modern secularist – but it endures in the American landscape.

Yet, I would suggest the first thanksgiving in the Bible was not a day of national celebration, but a story of seven people, tied together in a story of celebration of thanks in the face of the news of the birth of the Savior. Yes, the first Christmas was actually the setting of the “first thanksgiving”. I am not suggesting no one had ever been thankful before. What I am suggesting is the record of the birth of Jesus was the first structured attempt in the Bible to reflect on a uniform response to God’s hand at work in the redemption of the world. Luke is the first author that placed into systematic writing a treatise of thanksgiving – as he reflected on how each person came to recognize what God was doing.

In our last study, we attempted to delve into the Joseph story found in Matthew’s Gospel. We noted that both Matthew and Luke recorded genealogies, but after that they seemed very different in their perspectives on the “Pre-ministry” they disclosed:

• Matthew focused on how God directed Joseph.
• Luke focused more on thankful responses to the wondrous message that God sent Messiah.

Here is the question we are posing to the text of Luke today: “What does the Scripture tell us was the proper response to the coming of Messiah?” The answer is at the heart of our lesson…

Principle: The proper response to the Good News of Messiah is thanksgiving and praise, filled with JOY!

Look at the players that are mentioned in Luke and note their responses to the revelation that Messiah was finally coming to the world:

1. Elizabeth (1:41-43; 45) – representing the longing women of the Jewish world!

Most every woman in the ancient world desired to bear children – because it was the single act that gave them universally understood significance. In some cases in Scripture, as with Leah of old, it was a way to keep a husband’s favor. The telling reality of how deeply this was felt is expressed in the woeful weeping of Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel, before her womb was opened. Elizabeth was clearly among the women who felt “shamed” by her barren state, and because jubilant at the news that God remembered her tears and cries. Six months into her pregnancy, Elizabeth was visited by her cousin, Mary – who was also pregnant. This is the familiar exchange:

Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! 43 “And how has it [happened] to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? …45 “And blessed [is] she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Elizabeth exclaimed words of praise immediately when she saw Mary. They were LOUD praises, according to Luke! She called Mary “blessed”, she called the baby inside Mary “blessed” and then made the humblest of remarks. She asked: “Why would someone as important as the mother of my Lord come for a visit to my little home?” Yet her final words were the most significant and encouraging: 45 “And blessed [is] she who believed…” The pregnancy happened TO Mary, but the belief was her choice.

One of the aspects of the JOY of the news that Messiah has come is the continual celebration that reminds a culture and a nation that many have believed, and in believing they found life! We must admit that even that truth is quickly becoming a battle for the soul of our nation. I heard from another preacher friend some time ago:

A school teacher in the Midwest was told to remove her “Jesus is the reason for the season” pin when she entered the public school where she taught. She refused and was brought to the school principal, her immediate supervisor. According to her handbook she had the right to speak to the school board at their regularly scheduled meeting in the even that disciplinary measures were pending – and she opted to do so. Before the school board she asked: “What was offensive about the pin?” A school board member said: “This violates the establishment of religion clause of the Constitution – because we are a state-sponsored public institution in a pluralistic country.

• The teacher replied: “When, last Autumn, I wore a statement by a Christian minister – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.- concerning the inalienable rights of all men given by God for the whole month of black history, no one complained I was promoting Baptist causes.

• When in the winter I wore on a pin the words of Mother Teresa concerning the call to truly care for the hurting, no one complained that I was promoting Catholicism.

• When I wore for a whole month the words of Mahatma Gandhi “about peace within shown by peace without”, no one thought that I was promoting Hinduism.

Why is the simple fact that my pin states that we celebrate a winter holiday in our culture because of the birth of the baby Jesus now considered “an establishment of religion”? Since we teach our students each November that Pilgrims first arrived to allow the free practice of their Christian faith, why is Jesus singled out to be dismissed from public view? The board dismissed her from the meeting with an apology, and she kept the pin on for the duration of the Christmas season.

The modern push to change the memory of our nation belies the truth of why we are here and how we got to be what God made us to become. We have been blessed, and the practice of joyful celebration over the coming of Jesus is one of the opportunities we have to show our faith as tender, human and compassionate. It is a time we can pronounce the goodness of God – not leaving broken man in darkness. Our remembrances of Jesus’ birth offer a positive and reinforcing practice that helps us keep our faith in the public eye in America. It is for that reason the observation has come under attack; and it is for that reason we must joyfully and lovingly keep that engagement going!

2. Baby John (1:44) – representing all unconscious creation!

In that same visit scene, I skipped over the baby John’s little tumble in the womb of Elizabeth:

Luke 1:44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

I see two important applications here, and I hope I am not drifting too far from the text:

• First, am I stretching the point to say that the coming of Jesus also affects the REST of creation? Consider the words of the Apostle Paul to the Roman believers:

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for [our] adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

The baby in the manger was the invasion of God from the spiritual world into the physical world. It was part of the battle plan to regain that which was stolen away… but it isn’t completed yet. God is taking back His world, but the full redemption of it hasn’t happened until He calls for an end to the fight. Those who walk in rebellion look strong in this hour – but they are not equal to His mighty hand. His great patience with men make them think He is unable to silence them – but they are wrong. Creation waits for the completion of redemption, and John’s little partially formed body could not hold back from joining the chorus of excitement on behalf of all creation!

• Second, not to press the point too far – but is it not ironically true in our day that those who truly believe in Jesus as their Savior represent some of the most ardent advocates for an unborn baby who is yet in the womb?

A literal approach to the Bible yields the sense that God is at work in a child before the time of their delivery and self-sustained life on the planet. The very breath of God is within them as living beings, and God has therefore given them intrinsic worth. I*t is for this reason that believers are so ardently PRO-LIFE. The fact that our GOD became a baby, and was delivered into our world by the means all of us came into it, makes our story unique and compelling – but it also reminds that even the birth process is a created and God-ordained action.

If all creation awaits final redemption, if the fallen and broken systems of this world are anticipating the time when they will be fully free of the effects of the “Fall of mankind”, should we not JOYFULLY and THANKFULLY celebrate the reality that Jesus was sent here to save mankind? Must we not press to keep that celebration at the fore of our calendar?

3. Zacharias (1:67-70) – representing the doubting but now convinced!

We noted in the previous two lessons some thoughts about Zacharias, but it is worth mentioning his role here, because Luke does:

Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant—70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old…

The celebration of God’s goodness at the Advent Season is a renewal that God kept His promises delivered through the prophets. Skeptics attack, but many thinking skeptics are changed by what they see, both in the study of the Scriptures AND in the testimony of those who uphold the truth of the Word! Sir William Ramsey sought to prove Luke an inaccurate historian and ended his days in defense of the Gospel. The sheer weight of the archaeological evidence and geographical detail convinced him. Yet, for Lee Stroebel, it took watching other believers and the way they remembered Christmas.

Lee, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and a self-professed atheist was sitting at his desk on Christmas Eve. A slow news day he found himself reminiscing about the Delgado family that he had featured while writing a series of articles about Chicago’s neediest people a few days earlier. The Delgado’s were comprised of a grandmother named Perfecta and her two granddaughters, Jenny age 13 and her sister Lydia 11 years old. He remembered how unprepared he was when he walked into their two room apartment on the west side of Chicago for the interview; bare halls and bare walls, no furniture, no rugs, nothing but a kitchen table and a handful of rice in the cupboards. He learned during the interview that Jenny and Lydia only had one short-sleeved dress apiece, plus a thin gray sweater that they shared. On cold days when the girls walked the half-mile to school, one of the girls would start with the sweater and then give it to the other at the halfway mark. It was all they had. Perfecta wanted more for her granddaughters and would gladly have worked, but her severe arthritis and age made work too difficult and painful. Since it was a slow news day Lee decided to check out a car and drive to Chicago’s west side to check up on the Delgado’s. When Jenny opened the door he couldn’t believe what he saw! His article on the Delgado’s had touched the hearts of many subscribers who responded with furniture and appliances, rugs, dozens of coats, scarves and gloves. The girls wouldn’t have to share a sweater any longer. There was cartons and cartons and boxes of food everywhere. They had so much food that the cupboards and closets couldn’t contain it. Someone had even donated a Christmas tree, and under it were mounds of presents and thousands of dollars in cash! Lee was astonished! But what astonished him the most was what he found Perfecta and her granddaughters doing. They were preparing to give most of it away. “Why would you give so much of this away?” Lee asked. Perfecta responded, “Our neighbors are still in need. We cannot have plenty while they have nothing. This is what Jesus would want us to do.” Lee was dumbfounded. After regaining his composure he asked Perfecta another question. He wanted to know what she and the girls thought about the generosity that was shown to them. Again, Lee was not prepared for the answer. She said, “This is wonderful, this is very good.” “We did nothing to deserve this; it’s all a gift from God. But,” she added, “It is not his greatest gift, Lee. No, we celebrate that tomorrow. Jesus.” Lee was speechless as he drove back to the office. In the quiet of his car he noted a couple of observations. He had plenty and along with it plenty of anxiety, while the Delgado’s despite their poverty had peace. Lee had everything and yet wanted more, but the Delgado’s had nothing and yet knew generosity. Lee had everything and yet his life was as bare as the Delgado’s apartment prior to the article running. And yet the Delgado’s who had nothing were filled with hope, contentment and had a spiritual certainty. Even though Lee had so much more than the Delgado’s, he longed for what they had in their poverty. (From a sermon central illustrations quote by Bryan Fink “Christmas is for all the Lees/Leighs of the World” 12/25/2008)

4. Mary (2:10) – representing those to whom God has made a personal promise – and then delivered EXACTLY as He said!

Mary’s story is so well known, we need only touch it here:

Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. … 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn…17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

The memory was hard. Mary wasn’t accepted by the whole family, and gave birth in the room at the rear of the cave in the three-room cave style home. She listened to the shepherds, and she pondered what God was doing. She would suffer the pain of loss later, but for now she could lay quietly and drift along between thought and sleep… Did not God do exactly as He promised? Yet, in the days to come, the world would make that gift about their own gifts, and that day about everything BUT the Savior that came to rescue a lost mankind.

We shouldn’t be surprised… that is what the world does when God shows Himself through the lives of men and women – they shift the subject!

“Valentinus was the name of a young man who lived in Rome during reign of Claudius II (Gothicus) during the third century, when Christians were being persecuted. Though Valentinus did not claim to be a Christian himself, he was instrumental in helping early believers. For that he was imprisoned. From that dank holding cell he surrendered his heart to Jesus Christ and was later condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs, stoned and finally beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate (near modern Piazza del Popolo) on February 14, 269 CE. After his death, this gate was known as Porta Valentini, but that name faded into history. While he was in prison he sent messages to his friends saying, “Remember your Valentine!” and “I love you.”

Can you imagine the story moving from God’s “agape” love from a believer to “eros” and modern Hallmark cards for lovers? Of course you can. It is what people do with the testimony the church doesn’t insist is kept alive in our culture!

Here is the truth: If believers don’t hold on to the truths of the events of our faith – the world won’t do it for us. The USE our faith to make more products and get more wealth. Those who know what God said must make a priority out of keeping the truths of God’s Word a part of our celebrations, and allow the world to observe how these things have changed us.

5. Shepherds (2:8-20) – representing a caring few!

We can all remember the shepherds and their involvement on that strange night:

Luke 2:8 In the same region there were [some] shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This [will be] a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds [began] saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”…

Look at the way the Heavenly army framed the coming of the Savior. They offered a Savior, a sign and a song – and off they went. Did they go with anticipation and joy, or solemnity and sorrow? I think of the words of Charles Haddon Spurgeon:

“It is joy to all nations that Christ is born, the Prince of Peace, the King who rules in righteousness…Beloved, the greatest joy is to those who know Christ as a Savior…The further you submit yourself to Christ the Lord, the more completely you know Him, the fuller will your happiness become. Surface joy is to those who live where the Savior is preached; but the great deeps, the great fathomless deeps of solemn joy which glisten and sparkle with delight, are for such as know the Savior, obey the Anointed One, and have communion with the Lord Himself…you will never know the fullness of the joy which Jesus brings to the soul, unless under the power of the Holy Spirit you take the Lord your Master to be your All in all, and make Him the fountain of your intensest delight.“

6. Simeon (2:28) – representing anxious believing Israel!

On the eighth day, Jesus needed to be named and circumcised. Joseph and Mary took him to the Temple in Jerusalem, where He first shed His blood for the covenant with Abraham.

Luke 2:21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was [then] called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. … 25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this [Child] is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul– to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.“

Imagine standing on the south porch of the Temple that day! You moved into the line at the Mikveh (the ritual bath) and emerged from its chamber with a ticket that said “cleansed”. You made your way into the Hulda gates, your ears catching portions of the crowds singing as they entered the Temple of the Lord. Up the stairs you climbed, and onto the open space of the Gentile court. You turned back, and the crowd was gathering around an old man who was prophesying. He was proclaiming that what God said in the PAST WAS COMING TRUE and what God was promising for the future would also be upon them people in the days to come. The celebration of Messiah’s coming was seasoned throughout with people who proclaimed God’s faithfulness to His prophetic word!

In his book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applied the modern study of probability to eight prophecies regarding Christ. He offered these words: “The chance that any man might have …fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000″ (one hundred quadrillion). Stoner suggested by way of illustration that “if we take 10 to the 17th power in number of silver dollars (which we could not do) and lay them on the face of Texas (which because of the value – we WOULD not do!)… they will cover all of the state two feet deep. If we were to mark one silver dollar and mix the mass thoroughly… and if we were to blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?” Stoner concludes, “Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man,…providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.” – Peter Stoner, Science Speaks.

7. Anna (2:38) – representing the people God redirected!

If there was ever a case of God’s redirection, it was in the life of Anna. She learned a critical lesson: God may call upon you to reset your personal expectations to be of best use to His service:

Luke 2:36 “And there was a prophetess, Anna (shortened: Channah, or “Grace”) the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Anna was very old by the time we are introduced to her in the Word. She was widowed after a marriage that lasted only a brief seven years. Now eighty-four years old, Anna learned patience and dependence upon God. She fasted and prayed day and night, never leaving the Temple. She was not like most women of her time. She chose a different path. Instead of finding her identity in a second marriage and raising children – she heard God’s direction and went a different way than people expected. She chose to serve the Lord. Her expectations, probably the same as other women of her day, were dramatically altered by God’s superintending in her life. She learned to move through the terrible pain of losing her husband, relying on God to financially and emotionally meet the needs of her life.

The people who have encouraged me the most were the people who over the long haul of life have learned to drink from the well of satisfaction from the Lord even when their life circumstances were not ideal. Sixty-five years of waiting is incredible patience to wait for anything – much less a baby to mark the redemption. God is in no hurry! We will not experience instant depth, instant passion, instant deep praise. Genuine change of heart takes time. Genuine weaning of self-satisfaction to God’s purposes requires time and a painful transition as I leave the throne of my heart and He takes it.

What if Anna decided not to come in on Tuesdays because she was feeling lazy? What if she accommodated her feelings of disobedience and thought: I don’t feel like looking for the Messiah this morning – I will go in latert? The blessings of being obedient far outweigh the temporary satisfaction of placating my wants and desires.

Luke 2:38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Others are defined by their roles – Anna’s role was stripped from her and THEN God defined her real purpose. God used her in spite of being the definition of poor and hopeless. She was not forsaken, she was being set up to accomplish her life’s purpose!

One after another, the people of Luke’s account gave PRAISE to God for what He did in sending His Son! Can we not do the same?

In the midst of the moral collapse of our generation, can we not ask: “What happened to our JOY as believers?”

I recognize the need for sobriety in these days. I see the same news you do. Yet. GOD invaded the planet. His salvation is now freely available – regardless of my background and any of my past failings. I can KNOW GOD, I can WALK WITH GOD… and all of that happened because Jesus put on skin and took my place in the penalty of my rebellion.

He came to set men free! We can hang our long faces as much as we choose to – allowing the enemy to make those who have been set free weep like the world is still bound in chains… but it IS NOT! The Son has come to dispel the darkness, to break the chains, to lift the fallen, to crush the enemy. The Savior has become our Rescuer, and our lives need not be dominated by the momentary issues of the flesh. We CAN celebrate. We SHOULD celebrate. Our world will be nothing but dreary if those set free by Messiah succumb to living like they are still in chains. Truly, the proper response to the Good News of Messiah is thanksgiving and praise, filled with JOY!

Pain changes you. I was speaking the other day to a friend who has been caring for his wife through a recent cancer surgery. He was encouraged at her progress, and she is doing well. As he spoke, he reminded me that this was her third cancer surgery – and that she had learned some important things that she passed to her husband. She called cancer “the great clarifier”. When the treatments were a memory and the pain had mostly passed – she was able to see her life more clearly than she ever could before. It was the trouble of her life, the threat to its continuance here on earth that gave her a different perspective. She was changed by the pain. She was transformed by the threat, the discouragement, the questions toward God and the world – and she emerged a different woman.

I am glad that I had that simple encounter the other day, because her simple lesson encouraged me to think about life in deeper terms. In the business of the daily, the broader picture of things can be obscured. Thank God He places people in our lives to cause us to pick up our heads from the task before us, and think about the distant horizon and where we are going.

As I work with believers of all ages, I think I begin to recognize some of the wisdom of God in placing us together in the local body of believers. Some among us have passed through enormous pain – the loss of a dream, the loss of the love of our lives, the loss of our health and physical stability. Sitting beside them at any given meeting are others who believe deeply, but have experienced little. They are not to be belittled, for their zeal and their energy are essential to the progress of God’s church – but they really don’t have that much experience, thankfully, with deep pain and disappointment.

Tucked between the two groups are “game changers”. These are people that have both experienced the pain, and kept the optimism and belief. They are the un-jaded sufferers among us that help all of us keep things together. They know what it is like to be discouraged – they have visited that address, but they have refused to move in and live there. They have felt the searing pain that comes with living in a fallen world, but they have found God’s balm of healing, and have moved on. They are the heroes and heroines of our story – and they have found a voice in Luke’s recorded story of Elizabeth. Here is the lesson…

Younger and older believers need each other. Some of the most learned believers are in the process of growing past their troubles while some of the most uninitiated can profoundly speak – but they haven’t been tempered by the troubles ahead.

Key Principle: God uses the one who has been changed by the pain to teach others to move ahead with Him.

For the Bible students among us, I would like to take a moment and see if I can make clear how I came to the conclusion that this was the key truth at the heart of Luke 1. If you read through the entire chapter, you will notice if falls into three “natural” parts:

• The story opened with the angel Gabriel foretelling of a son to a Senior Priest named Zecharias at the Temple. He was accomplished in ministry, but operating with a whole in his heart when it came to vibrant faith. (Luke 1:5-25). In a sense, Zecharias was jaded by the long trail of troubles unanswered in his life and he silently returned home to the encouragement of his loving wife at the end of the segment of the chapter given to his announcement.

• Luke recorded yet another story of a similar announcement – a message of an exciting coming birth. The angelic announcer was the same. The conditions were the same – she was working on her daily tasks with no thought of anticipation. The key difference was the attitude and experience of the hearer. (Luke 1:26-39) Mary was tender of heart, but also very young and lacking the experiences of pain. Her scene ended with a trip to the very same encouraging woman Zecharias went home to live with.

• Both scenes have their representative song – an anthem about God and His fulfillment of promises. Mary’s song flowed from her heart went Elizabeth encouraged her firm belief (Luke 1:46-46). Zecharias’ song took longer, because it came from beneath scars of trouble, and didn’t come until his faith was fully restored (Luke 1:57-80).

When you look at the whole of the chapter, you quickly note some similarities in two stories of the same chapter:

1. Two people who knew and served God were living their lives and doing their daily duties.
2. Both received an astounding visitor from Heaven that came to give them exciting news.
3. Both got a promise of an addition to their family.
4. Both were promised that the coming child would change the world.
5. Both got a prophetic song that was so important, it was included in the Scripture.
6. Both got their encouragement from the same lady (Elizabeth) – an experienced woman who both loved God, and knew pain.

At the same time, you cannot read this chapter and not notice some startling differences in the two people who encountered God’s messenger:

1. One went through years of pain and doubt before the message, and couldn’t just accept it when it came; he demanded proof, and needed time to be encouraged to see things differently.

2. The other spoke joyously of the promise, but didn’t yet know how difficult it was going to be to live through the pain of that promise. She had no clue what the snickers at the well of town would feel like, or how hard it would be to tell her fiancé of the promise.
The most exciting person in the narrative wasn’t the angel that encountered both people – it was Elizabeth. She encountered both of them, knew them both very well, and had passed through the pain in a way that would help both of them gain a proper footing to be used mightily by God. God uses the one who has been changed by the pain to teach both.

With that overview in mind, let’s take a few minutes in this lesson and look at each of the three sections of the story, and see if we can recognize what Elizabeth took away from her pain that can help all of us:

Zacharias and the Problem of Jaded Faith (Luke 1:5-25)

You don’t have to be walking in rebellion to have a faith “cooled” by the pain of disappointment. Look at the way Zach is introduced…

Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.

How do I know they weren’t perfectly happy then? Because the rest of the story makes clear that their home was filled with a hole – a pain that bothered both Zach and Liz…

Luke 1:7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years…24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked [with favor] upon [me], to take away my disgrace among men.”

The text reminds that Liz felt “disgrace” over being barren. The term “óneidos” means “defamed, reproached, censured, and even blamed”. Don’t you wonder what was behind that loaded word? In any case, “disgrace” is not a term you use for a happy feeling in an idyllic home. Liz was an embarrassed wife, and she was married to a disappointed husband. Her aging priestly husband prayed and prayed that God would give them a son – but God didn’t answer the way Zach wanted Him to respond. Zach wanted a baby – and so did God… but God’s plan was much bigger. It always is when God says “No!”

God never refuses to give you what you want because He is mean or doesn’t love you. He only refuses to give you what you want if it is too small for His plan for you. God wanted a “miracle baby” that would profoundly change the people’s hearts – beginning with the heart of his dad. Zach just wanted to feel normal. His request was far too small for God’s big plan.

Enter providence – the word that has been replaced in a pagan culture by “coincidence”… God was about to put “points on the score board”:

Luke 1:8 Now it happened [that] while he was performing his priestly service before God in the [appointed] order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

The priestly job given to Zach was to represent the prayers of the people of God in the Temple. All Jerusalem awaited on the time of the incense to loft their prayers up to God. Ironically, the guy who felt the worst about prayer was given the task of representing the prayers of all. God not only noticed… He pre-planned the whole event to get Gabriel the angel into the room, and make clear what the next part of the plan would be for Zach and his wife… and the whole of the nation!

Gabriel related in Luke 1:12-17 that Zacharias’ wife would have a baby, that it would be a boy, and that Zach was to name the child “Yochanon”: (The Lord has been gracious). That baby was going to grow up, be used by God’s Spirit, and challenge the whole nation of Israel. He would come in the place and power of Elijah in announcing Messiah… This boy was going to be like a prophet of old….How exciting! Yet, the next words out of the mouth of the old priest showed like a clean window the jaded color of his heart… He asked for proof…

Luke 1:18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this [for certain]? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

Look carefully at what Zach said. Had they “thought” on a few occasions that Liz was pregnant, only to have that hope crushed? Besides, Zach was no fool. He knew his own age, and he knew his wife’s potential for having a child had long left… He knew what we all know when God wants to do something incredible….”WE CAN’T!”

We can’t make life from old bones. We can’t fight physics, aging or science. We are stuck with what is… unless God wants to re-write the script. What we forget is that God is not bound to the rules of the world – He is the Ruler of it all!

Stunned, Gabriel didn’t get it. Angels don’t really always know what to make of men. He came from Heaven, and brought his message… end of story. What kind of being doesn’t get that God can do whatever suits His plan? In two words, jaded believers. When you have asked and asked – and hurted with each rejection – you start to think God isn’t looking out for you at all. In those dark hours, it never occurs to you that God is the one that put you where you are, because He has a plan at work.

Luke 1:19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 “And behold, you shall be silent … 23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.

The believer who cannot believe God needs to keep his mouth shut. He isn’t going to be obedient in proclamation, nor encouraging in delivery. He is going to whine and doubt – and that helps no one. God made it clear to everyone that He was at work – that God had spoken… and then God took Zach’s voice for a time – to get the point across to HIM before God used him to get it to anyone else. Zach wanted proof – and he got it. He was mute. Everyday he couldn’t speak he would recall that meeting with Gabriel wasn’t an apparition – it was an event. Then his mind would recall the message of that meeting. God was about to do something…

What I find interesting is that he went home to an encouraging, believing wife. She KNEW God was going to remove her disgrace long before her belly swelled. She heard and believed, anticipated and celebrated. He was quiet because the jaded heart was being recolored by a miraculous God.

Mary and Naïve Faith (Luke 1:26-56)

Move to the other main story of Luke 1 – that of the familiar meeting in Nazareth between Mary and Gabriel. The time for this lesson is tight, and the story familiar, so let us look at the high points to grab the main truth of this incredibly rich and cosmos changing event. The story can be broken into three parts:

• Gabriel’s announcement to Mary (Luke 1:26-38);
• Mary’s encouraging visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45);
• Mary’s song of celebration called the “Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-56).

In the meeting story of Luke 1:26-38, we are dropped into the scene as Mary encounters the angelic messenger…

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you.”

Beyond the startled nature of the appearance, Gabriel explained that God was going to fill the womb of Mary with the One that was long promised. Messiah was to be born in her, as God had promised through prophetic voices of the Hebrew Scriptures…Look at Mary’s response:

Luke 1:34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary offered no doubt that God COULD do these things, only that she didn’t understand the mechanics. Was she being told to DO something? Gabriel was clear – she needn’t worry about the conception – God was handling that issue. She offered consent beautifully.

Now wait… this begins to sound like Zach was the old crusty and jaded priest, and Mary was the pure-minded, always obedient servant. That’s fine. It fits the flannel graph and matches the history of church art. Mary the pure, Zach the deficient…but is that REALLY FAIR?

Is it fair to say that Mary had not lived with snickers at the well like Elizabeth did? Is it fair to say that Zach had much more experience in trying to be encouraging to a humiliated life partner than Mary ever could have understood? My point is this: Mary quickly embraced God’s vision for her – but was far too naïve to really understand what pain she was buying into. Zach may have hesitated much more, but he had much more history behind him. Let’s not be so hasty to paint perfectly adorned togas on the good guys in the Biblical story. The jaded had the pains that left the cloudy marks on their heart.

Stop for a moment, and go to the pivotal character of the whole story – the woman that suffered pains but clung to her faith…

Elizabeth and Firm Faith (Luke 1:25,39-42)

Follow Mary to the meeting with Auntie Liz…

Luke 1:39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb!

Listen to the sound of encouraging words that came from her mouth. Elizabeth was EXPERIENCING God’s interruption of grace in “real time”, when Mary stepped through the door. Before the Magnificat was sung, the senior believer, scarred with years of disgrace, was singing the celebration of a GOOD GOD!

Freeze the scene and remember what Elizabeth went through to get to that place in her heart.

1. Neighbor after neighbor celebrated their pregnancies with gifts from Elizabeth’s hands – but there was never any such celebration in Zach and Liz’s home.

2. Morning after morning Liz made her way with the other women to get water from the nearby spring for their daily needs. All the while as the women walked they talked, “How little Eli is growing” and “What to do about Miriam’s bed wetting”. Liz kept silent, and held back tears because God evidently didn’t think she needed… or worse… deserved children. The water she brought back in her pot was nothing compared to the tears that stained her face when she finally got back inside.

3. Month after month she begged God for a baby, but with each month’s passing, she felt both more helpless and more forgotten. Was Zacharias angry with her? Even if he didn’t SEEM like it, did he hold HER to blame inside?

Look at the way she handled the news that God heard her prayer:

Luke 1:24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked [with favor] upon [me], to take away my disgrace among men.” Later, when Mary came, you hear her voice again…43 “And how has it [happened] to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 “And blessed [is] she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Here is the Elizabeth picture sketched out:

• She knew pain, but still believed God was good, and would deal with her in grace.
• She knew the impossible was made possible when God decided to touch her body.
• She knew it wasn’t coincidence, because she took seriously the Word of God and the prophetic promises God made.
• She encouraged belief in Mary.
• She trusted that God was good, and that her rescue was because of His goodness.
• She refused to let the pain determine her view of God.

Let me ask you something…”Who are you most like in the story of Luke 1?” Are you working for God but deeply jaded because He isn’t doing things the way you want them to play out in your life? Are you anticipating great things, and just “don’t get” why some of those who have known God for a long time aren’t more enthusiastic and excited about what the Master is doing right now? Could it be that you may even be the one who has been tempered by God in trouble, and right now God is nudging you to get busy helping those around you see God’s faithfulness in spite of troubles.

Not everyone knows how to face pain and trouble – but God made some of us to help others figure it out…

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth the effort to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey seemed to realize what was happening and cried horribly. Then to everyone’s amazement, the beast quieted down. A few shovel loads later the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing! He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off….There are a number of ways we can handle pain and trouble. It is easy to get discouraged and give up, or get angry and blow up, but if we really believe that God is in control, then we will look for a way to build our trust in Him to help us get through it His way.

Recognizing the True Hero

It is worth remembering that God’s deepest work can be done by the one who has the scar-riddled body, when that one refuses to allow scars to be torn open and become scabs. The hero among us isn’t the polished angelic messenger, nor the weathered and experienced believer – but the Faithful God each of the others represent before a lost world. He is the One guiding all of us through the journey. He has a purpose for every pain in the story He is telling – and we must trust Him through each hurt. He also has a place for the wounded – as comforted testimonies for those who come behind them. God uses the one who has been changed by the pain – provided that change has led the wounded into His arms. The story of the Bible isn’t about people who “figured life out” and “did the right thing”. The story of the Bible is about a God who wouldn’t leave broken people in the dark – and how He grabbed and holds them tightly.

Have you ever gotten the chance to meet a celebrity? Have you ever bumped into someone that you thought might be a TV personality? You watch them at a distance, too timid to ask, but you are just sure “it is them”! One of the most vivid images of my youth was a time I was watching a black and white television set, and viewing a group of teenagers inundating the singing group, the “Beatles”. People were screaming as though the building was on fire, and some even passed out as they passed by! Meeting celebrities must be an experience that some are overcome by!

Today, we want to share a story about a celebrity meeting of the strangest and most fantastic kind. It comes from the beginning of the New Testament, from the Gospel according to Luke, beginning in the first chapter of that story. It strikes me that each of the four Gospel accounts open differently, but they all do exactly the same thing – tell the story of how God put on human skin and met a variety of people among His creation. He went about doing good, but brought out the barbarism and inhumanity that came as a byproduct of the Fall in the Garden of Eden. In this lesson, we want to focus on the one human being that He knew most intimately of all in human history – the young woman who carried Messiah in her womb. Her story doesn’t begin exactly like any other, for no one on the planet would ever experience God the way she did. Yet, the meeting between her and Jesus, in other ways, is very similar to the ways we all meet Jesus. Not only that, but her life journey is not dissimilar to ours.

Key Principle: Our walk with God is a journey, each step defined and explained by God’s Word.

Think of it this way. Our journey with the Savior usually takes place in six stages:

• First, we meet someone who is a messenger of Jesus. They show love and a stability that is uncommon. We are attracted by the nudging of God’s Spirit, though we don’t know that is what it is that drives us to look more closely. They are our burning bush, and we must draw closer to see what empowers them. We call that PRE-EVANGELISM.

• Second, we hear words that don’t initially sound familiar to us. They speak of God’s love and favor for us, and we want to believe that it is so – He Who created us truly DOES care. We don’t want to live life without Him, and the enveloping of His love. We call this our GOSPEL ENCOUNTER.

• Third, His messenger makes clear what He wants – surrender. God never invites us into His Kingdom on our terms. We need not pay to enter, but we must stop resisting His right to be the King. God isn’t hoarding rebels for Heaven, but refugees. We must recognize His Sovereign right to rule – not only the universe – but our lives. We call this the POINT OF DECISION.

• Fourth, we respond by yielding to Him. We see His care as a GOOD thing, and His rule as a POWERFUL lifting up of our broken lives to restore us. We call this practicing FIRST STEPS as disciples.

• Fifth, we learn to celebrate His work in us. We enjoy praise, and we exalt in His use of our body, life and choices. We learn to stop clinging to controls and enjoy when He does through us what we could never do alone! We call this growing in WORSHIP.

• Sixth, we let Him lead us through the hard times, and trust that He knows what He is doing. As the path of life unfolds, we learn that God’s plan for us isn’t always sweetness and light, but includes His patience toward evil and allowance of pain. Hard experiences befall our lives and those around us, but we learn to lean and to trust in the face of it all – until we are gathered in His arms at the end of our days. We call this THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Let’s look at the journey of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and compare it to the stages of our own journey with Jesus.

I recognize that our walk won’t be exactly the same. Mary delivered a baby that grew up and delivered her from sin. She tenderly counted the fingers of hands that would one day feel the pain of nails piercing them for our transgressions. At the same time – not everything was so unusual… Remember the first stage of meeting Jesus in YOUR LIFE? For most of us it is like that of Mary – it began when we met someone who was a messenger of Jesus. Before we could hear the Gospel, we needed to see the love of someone who KNEW GOD WELL. God’s Spirit pricked our hearts with the reality that we were encountering someone with an answer to nagging questions that we couldn’t shake – “Why are we here? Does life have a purpose? Can I know what that purpose truly is?” These are the moments drawing us to Jesus and His message, and it is a time called PRE-EVANGELISM.

First, the pre-evangelism: Meet a young woman living in a small, poor village in the Galilee.

Let’s look at the example from Mary’s life. The description of Dr. Luke from his writing is small, but rich:

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at [this] statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

The text helps us understand the young woman, and her walk in life. We learn four important factors that help explain the story, and “add meat to the bones” of the account.

• Mary was a virgin (1:26-27). Her experience with a man was limited to a distant glance. She wasn’t naïve, because the agricultural life of a villager of the time was openly exposed to biological processes – as those who grow up on a farm can attest. The process of bearing a child was no mystery to her – it was a future hope when the time was right according to God’s law. Because of the day in which we live, perhaps we should also make clear that she was not feeling “left behind” other “more adult women” of her day. She looked forward to the opportunity to raise children – as women of the period, like her cousin Elizabeth did. Bearing a child was one of the highest stations for a woman in the Bible. It was not a quaint decision of a woman who “couldn’t qualify” for the rigors of the working world. It WAS her significant dream of work – and she longed to perform the work of bearing and raising a child.

• Mary was engaged (1:27). In Mary’s case, it just wasn’t time yet for bearing a child. She understood the Biblical pattern: marriage commitment, then family blessing. She required a man to leave his father and mother and bring her to his own built and established home – so that he could become her husband. She was close to having the longing for a child fulfilled in her, and probably anxious about many things. What kind of husband would Joseph be? Would she bear him healthy children? In a world of high infant mortality rates and high rate of mortality among child bearing women – they faced this joy with a much greater concern for their own strength. Many women died in childbirth – something that we have thankfully almost forgotten. Let me suggest that she was excited, but also probably somewhat apprehensive.

• Mary was favored by God (1:28). Like children of believing families through the ages, she had always heard about “the things of the Lord” from as far back as she could recall. One of her earliest memories was likely drawn from a Biblically commanded feast, with the joy of her family gathered near. She knew simple village life in the Galilee, surrounded by families of religious Jews that viewed the passing Gentile caravans from a distance. The messenger told her of God’s favor on her life, and she heard with JOY that her Creator was not a STRANGER.

I cannot let the opportunity pass when I read the words of verse 28. Do you recall when you first heard that God truly loves you? I don’t think there is ANY MESSAGE in the world more important to hear and grasp. Without understanding God’s love, we have no basis for eternal hope. As a thoroughly depraved individual, it is hard for me to grasp how God could love me, care for me, and WANT a relationship with me. That message puzzled Mary, and it still puzzles me.

It still doesn’t often get the headlines in the news of the church, either. We are fast becoming a people driven by the latest outrage – and wrestling with our response to it. We forget the most amazing truth is still ours – the Creator loves us. He KNOWS us. He NOTICES our life. While pausing the story, let me take a step even further from the ancient world into our world. We not only FORGET God’s love – we forget to communicate it.

Bret Trotman shared a selection from Soul Talk, by Dr. Larry Crabb a few years ago: “”Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t get off the ground or one person sitting every Sunday in the back of the church who remains unknown? A Sunday school class that once drew hundreds but has now dwindled to thirty or a Sunday school teacher whose sense of failure is never explored by a caring friend? A family torn apart by the father’s drinking, his wife’s frustration, and their third grader’s learning disabilities or a self-hating dad, a terrified mom, and a lonely little boy, three human beings whose beauty and value no one ever discovers? A national campaign that fails to gain steam for the pro-life movement or a single woman on her way home from an abortion clinic in the backseat of a taxi, a woman whose soul no one ever touches?” We may notice the unknown pew sitter, we may wonder how the teacher of the now small class feels, we may worry over each member of the torn-up family, and we may feel for the guilt and pain of a woman who has ended her baby’s life. But we do what’s easier. We design programs, we brainstorm ways to build attendance, and in our outrage over divorce statistics and abortion numbers we fight for family values. These are all good things, but [NOT WHEN] we don’t TALK to the pew sitter; or ASK the teacher how he’s feeling; or INVITE the dad to play golf, or take the woman to lunch, or invite the little boy to play with our children; or let the young woman know we CARE about her soul….That response to hurting people, I would label disunity. Disunity is not just fighting over personal preferences. It’s not just leaving the church because someone hurt your feelings. It’s not just gossip that tears down other members of the body. It’s leaving needs unmet. It’s failing to love people the way God would have us love. Unity is lived out in caring concern for others.” (From sermon central illustrations, adapted).

• Mary didn’t expect special things from God (1:29). Go back to Mary’s inner turmoil concerning the angel in verse 29. The text reminds: “But she was very perplexed at [this] statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.” She may not have been a “woman of the world” with extensive social interaction, but she never heard anyone offer a greeting like this one. I suspect it was because the message was so hard to grasp. You see, Mary possessed no spirit of entitlement. She didn’t think of herself and anything special. She did right, and she was happy to do it – but she didn’t think that was particularly rare. On occasion, someone will do an uncommon act and be thrust in the “public eye”. I can think of numerous examples. The ones I draw particular JOY from are the ones where the recognized person offers some variety of saying like: “Hero? I am no hero. I was just doing what I hope anyone would in this situation!” That was Mary. She lived her life well, but didn’t expect a special reward or recognition for doing the decent thing.

Mary was met by a stranger that carried a message from God. The words were loving, and the messenger communicated clearly, and with grace. Don’t forget that is ALWAYS how the love of God and the saving message of Jesus moves out. People know YOU before they know the Jesus you serve. Be the example of a believer, and you will do the work of leading others closer to Jesus with your life. Pre-evangelism is about showing genuine love to another – not to win them to Jesus – but because Jesus made them. They aren’t an agenda or a ministry – they are a human being and as such deserve love, care and compassion.

Second, the Gospel Encounter: Watch Mary engage the strange messenger.

As Mary listened, the messenger took the next step in the encounter – the presentation of the Gospel. Jesus and His salvation was being presented to Mary. The GOOD NEWS of the Rescuer was as startling to Mary as it was when it was presented to you and I. Listen to her GOSPEL ENCOUNTER:

Luke 1:30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

• Mary felt apprehensive about flattery (1:30). Notice that Mary was afraid. I suspect that some of the fear was wrapped up in her query about the identity of the messenger. Part of the fear probably related to the unexpected message that God favored her. Part of the apprehension was likely related to the embarrassment to being so directly congratulated when she didn’t feel particularly deserving of such a compliment.

• The message was not unknown – but seemed misplaced (1:31-33). Unless Mary’s family hadn’t told her ANYTHING about their faith – she knew about the promise of the coming King to redeem the Jewish people from their sorry state. When you look closely at the verses, some of the promises of the King were enumerated:

He will be called “Savior” or “Rescuer”. He was the fulfillment of God’s promise in Genesis 3:15 to crush the head of the enemy through the womb of the woman. “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

He will be exalted. The “greatness” is likely a reference to Isaiah 9:6-7, as in being distinguished in power and wisdom. 9”6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

He will be called the Son of the Most High God. The one who started that rumored title from Gabriel’s mouth, later fueled it from Heaven when in Mt. 3:17 God said: “and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

He will sit on David’s throne. The promise to David was a perpetual inheritor if the kings followed God, as in 1 Kings 2: [Do these things] 4 “and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’”.

He will have an unending dynasty that restores the household of David in Judah. This sounds like the reference of Isaiah 9:7 “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

Mary wasn’t mystified by the promises – she knew them. What was a mystery to her was clear by what came out of her mouth next…

• The method was a puzzle (1:34-37).

In Luke 1:34 it records: “Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” There isn’t anyone who would have heard this and WOULDN’T have had this question. It is reasonable, logical and necessary for Mary to have an understanding. She wasn’t resisting the WHAT of the message of God, she was questioning the HOW of that message.

Third, the Decision Point: Mary gave God her life.

The stunning point of the narrative is that this young woman named Mary appears to have already decided that God’s message was FINE WITH HER. The messenger made clear what God wanted – surrender of her body for God’s use. The angel explained that God’s Holy Spirit would come upon her, and that she would be with child without any human agency. God offered both a TRUTH, and the EVIDENCE to back it up. The simple TRUTH was this: This wasn’t hard for God. The evidence was that even her old auntie Liz was in her sixth month with child.

The fact is that God wants to be able to use us, our bodies, our hands, our feet, our choices, our lives. He invites us to surrender them to both His care and His use. We must remember it again and again: God never invites us into His Kingdom on our terms. Though entrance to eternal life has been fully paid by Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, we cannot come into a right relationship with Him while resisting His right to be the King, and insisting on our own way. God isn’t hoarding rebels for Heaven, but refugees. God calls people who AREN’T MAKING TERMS, aren’t justifying their desires and making them equal to His Word… God calls people to a POINT OF DECISION about HIS SOVEREIGN RIGHT to rule their lives, change their nation, make or break their reputation, endanger their most treasured relationships, cause people around them to doubt their integrity… ALL OF THAT.

Why do we think God cannot call His church into a time of persecution and struggle? Is He not the same God Who called Mary into a position of public disgrace?

Yet, look at her response, because it is touching…

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary saw herself as a SLAVE of the Most High. There was no arrogance, nor any talk of her personal rights. There was no dispute over God’s plan and her plan. His plan was the ONLY plan she wanted. Her response was simple, precious, difficult, painful obedience – I am God’s to use as He will. There is the whole struggle from the Garden in a nutshell. God sets the parameters, I live in them and serve His purpose. Adam and Eve wouldn’t… and people wouldn’t today without the intervention of God in their lives. How offensive is this truth of surrender to the modern mind! How degrading to be used in the thoughts of our lost friend. They cannot imagine the appeal of this to those whose heart beats to serve our Savior. We sing of surrender! We ask ourselves, what higher use for a man or woman is there than to be a precious tool in the hands of the Magnificent Creator? Mary KNEW IT. She understood the impulse to surrender.

Fourth, her Initial Steps begin: Mary learns from a mentor and friend.

No sooner had she surrendered to God’s call, when she began her FIRST STEPS as a follower of God. Do you remember that time! You had MUCH ZEAL but LITTLE KNOWLEDGE. Off she went on a quest to visit her auntie Liz, and see the miracle of the barren woman now growing with a child within.

Luke 1:39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed [are] you among women, and blessed [is] the fruit of your womb! 43 “And how has it [happened] to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 “And blessed [is] she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.“

Did you ever wonder WHY this trip is recorded? Do you think it was simply to tell the story of John’s womb flipping worship? Let me bother you with a thought. Where could a young woman who was unmarried travel ALONE? The best answer I can offer is “Nowhere!” What if she WAS NOT ALONE on the journey? What if she had company with her for this encounter? Could the story have helped settle her reputation in the family when another observer reported that she met Auntie Liz and heard the prophetic voice of the older woman exclaim the child within Mary to be exactly what Mary reported to her family – a child from God begotten by the Spirit?

Scripture says that Elizabeth greeted her and the Spirit empowered her voice. She told Mary:

• You are blessed and so is the One inside you!
• I am humbled at your visit and the baby within me is excited!
• You have done right to listen to the Lord’s message.

Liz knew that what Mary was doing was not easy. She learned about shame the hard way – through YEARS of celebrating the births of OTHER WOMEN’S CHILDREN. Her prayers and longings went UNANSWERED through her whole naturally fertile life – and THEN God acted. Then God heard her cries in the night. Mary did right by going to her home and hearing from her lessons. We need that kind of support to grow up in the faith.

Fifth, Praise rises: Mary shares a heart of worship!

I cannot do justice to “The Magnificat” – the celebration that poured out of Mary when she was encouraged by the words of Auntie Liz. I can only say that believers that surrender and begin to grow, learn the JOY of WORSHIP. Mary answered Liz with a beautiful reply:

Luke 1:46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. 51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered [those who were] proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 “He has brought down rulers from [their] thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.” 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and [then] returned to her home.

So much more should be said about that song, but we must move swiftly to the final stage of her encounter with God in her life… for it is the one that many of us are living in right now…

Sixth, the Christian Walk is traveled: Mary followed God’s plan for her.

God lead her through the hard times, and she continually learned to trust that God knows what He is doing. The path of life unfolded, and this CHRISTIAN LIFE brought joy, but also pain. It brought satisfaction, but did not eliminate uncertainty. There was an uncomfortable journey to a less than receptive extended family for an uncomfortable birth.

Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

There was the strangeness of visitors and their kind but unusual words…

Luke 2:17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

There were the hours of watching the baby breathe, of counting the little fingers and toes, of checking skin temperature and bundling to keep Him warm in the cold. Think about what she pondered…

• Did she wonder if those were the hands of a King?

• Did she recognize as she taught the boy to speak that He was the very Word of God?

• Did she wipe the tears from a little boys eyes and blood from his skinned knee and really know the preciousness of the blood she dabbed?

• Did she comb his hair and know that it would shine brightly one day when He sat again sit enthroned above the angels, with myriads shouting His name?

• Did she know as she weaved a tunic for her child that He would one day wear the white linen of Heaven?

• Did she scrub his little body knowing that she would do so to bury Him later… and wash His feet, and know how hard His journey would be, and how excruciating the nails would be that one day were destined to pierce Him?

She would SEE His painful sacrifice. The Gospels record that she was not spared this horror…

John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, … 25 …. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”

Her life of following God didn’t insulate her from PAIN, LOSS and HEARTBREAK. It did help her to rest in God’s hands when life’s crushing blows would have beat her down. Mary saw her Son doing what she had done long before…Surrendering a body to God’s use to fulfill God’s plan.

She knew what she needed to know in order to remain strong… Our walk with God is a journey, each step defined and explained by God’s Word. Nothing else would have held her together, because nothing else was as powerful.