Devotional for Tuesday, December 10th
Today’s Bible Reading: Luke 1:57-80
There are some things in the Bible that I find hilarious. I’m not surprised, because they say that the funniest things in life are based in truth. And the Bible is, after all, a very real book about very real (and messy) humans.
Today we come back to the Elizabeth and Zechariah story. Elizabeth and has given birth to a son, but Zechariah hasn’t regained his voice yet. The neighbors have all gathered to celebrate the newborn baby. It’s a lovely picture of joyful community, but then it all gets thrown into confusion when it’s time to name the baby. The neighbors all assume the boy will be named after his father. But Elizabeth insists he is to be called John. They turn to Zechariah to confirm the matter:
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” (Luke 1:62-63, NIV)
Here’s my question: Why did they make signs to Zechariah? Gabriel took away his ability to speak, not to hear. This is one of those things that strike me as funny. Maybe it’s because I can relate to how Zechariah may have felt. Sometimes when I’m out and about, people, seeing that I have a disability, will talk to me as if I’m a child. They make assumptions about what my limitations are. And I know I have made assumptions about others as well. We humans are a funny bunch!
After Zechariah confirms that the baby will be named John, he regains his ability to speak and launches into a song of praise. When we first meet Zechariah, he is a man without hope. Now, after nine months of silence, he is full of confidence and joy. I wonder what those nine months were like for him. Did the silence allow God to reveal more of himself to Zechariah?
Zechariah’s song is full of hope for the future. And as he looks down at John, he proudly tells everyone what his son’s role will be:
And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace. (v. 76-79)
I love the phrase “the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.” John knew that the full weight of heaven was about to crush earth. That’s a scary thought for messy humans. But because of Jesus, we wouldn’t be crushed by wrath.
We’d be crushed by grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
Questions to Ponder:
Have you ever made assumptions about people that turned out not to be true? What assumptions have others made about you?
What images come to mind when you hear the phrase, “the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us”?
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