Luke 1
The first two chapters of Luke are the only details we get from the good doctor on the details surrounding Christ's birth. And of that, more is written about John the Baptist than about Jesus. That's curious.
It seems that Luke gives us enough information to let us know that prophecy was fulfilled and that miracles of several types surrounded the birth. As for the other details, all the Gospel authors leave them unaddressed. It isn't that they wouldn't have some value, or be interesting...it's just that we have limited time and material with which to write, and we must quickly move to the most important things.
Even still, I find myself marveling at the way God works. Zechariah was a righteous man, and so was his wife...what must they have thought about being barren? How long ago did Zechariah quit praying for a child, only to have an angel show up in his old age speaking to him as if he had prayed only yesterday? The angel told Zechariah that he would be mute until the baby was born, and yet when John was born, Zechariah remained mute for another week...until the baby was named. I'll bet that was a long week for Zechariah, wondering if he would ever be able to speak again. I wonder if he was disappointed or afraid when he wasn't able to speak immediately after the birth of John.
The lives of Zechariah, Elizabeth and John are models of faithfulness in spite of circumstances. These were not followers whose faith was shaken every time things didn't go the way they expected. Instead, they remained devoted without regard to the current circumstances. A good example for all of us.
PR
PR
This proves that even lo, Gods timing differs from us as humans. If you are patient and have faith , and patient there is a good chance that your desires of your heart will be ment through God. We have to remember lo all desires are not ment sometimes because God sometimes does not give us desires because we are not ready and it is something we are not ready for it it may hurt us. Dale S
ReplyDeleteAlthough this chapter focuses on Zacharias, Elizabeth and John, I can't help but focus on Mary and how much trust she had in God during this time. She simply asks, "how?" And then immediately afterwards says, "may it be done according to Your will." There was no discussion, bargaining, etc that I find myself doing wth God for far more minor and less permanent situations. My bible notes talk about how Mary was not considered "extraordinary" and therefore not someone people would expect God to use, but I suspect that Mary's close friends may have disagreed knowing how trustworthy, dedicated, and extraordinarily brave she was. These qualities must've shown themselves before this encounter!
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