Ships Passing in the Night [part 2 of 2] ...

We know from other gospels, that Joseph would receive a dream, telling him to take the Child and his mother and flee to Egypt, because Herod wanted the baby dead.  What we do not know, is precisely “when” and “where” that dream was given.  We know from history and scripture that Herod finally figured out that the Magi, or wise men, did not return to his palace at Herodium to inform him of precisely where Jesus was born, or who his father and mother were.  When Herod figured this deception out, that gruesome order went out to slay every baby of two or under in the entire city/region of Bethlehem.  But we do not know how long it took before Herod figured the deception out and gave the order.  From the reading of other gospels, it kinda feels like all this took place on the very night Jesus was born.  But it would have taken longer than that for the Magi to return to Herod’s palace 12 miles south of Jerusalem, if they had had a mind to in the first place.  Keep in mind, feet and camels are not speed travelers.  So there is some intervening time between the birth of Jesus and the order to kill all the babies in Bethlehem.

Luke is the first gospel writer, to fill in some of the blanks in what happens between the first event and the ultimate events of horror we all remember Herod for.  In that middle ground, in that middle time, there were a few traditions Jesus would become a part of.  First, all newborn children are a gift from God.  And all male children were to be circumcised to carry the mark within their flesh, that they belong to God and are not their own.  So Joseph and Mary depart from Bethlehem and travel to Jerusalem to present Jesus at the Temple in order to make a small sacrifice, circumcise Jesus, and name Jesus.  Ships passing in the night begin to move to Jerusalem, with no special fanfare or celebration.  Joseph was no rich man, but he now carries on the donkey’s back, not only Mary, and Jesus, but also the wealth of the gifts of the Magi they presented him at the manger in Bethlehem.  While these ships move south to Jerusalem, the ships of the Magi move east back towards Persia, and Babylon, and the home nations they came from.  And the ships of the shepherds simply go back to work in the fields, finding all their sheep right where they left them, completely unharmed, not a one lost.

Movement everywhere, no one specifically aware of the others.  In retrospect it might have been better for the shepherds to leave Bethlehem altogether, but that is unlikely.  And so the greatest event in history revealed to them, would be followed by one of the worst acts in history visited upon them.  Not because God willed it to be so, but because man would not will it any other way.  Luke picks up the movements in chapter two of his gospel letter, beginning in verse 21 he continues saying … “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [verse 22] And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; [verse 23] (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) [verse 24] And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Had Herod been in Jerusalem when Jesus was presented at the Temple, he would not have known Him.  Because Herod did not know who His parents were, they could have been anybody.  The names Mary and Joseph were never shared with Herod.  Herod could have traveled up from his palace at Herodium and been standing right next to them at sacrifice and never known it.  But this is unlikely given the events that followed.  Herod was of Arabic descent, but his father and their family had converted to Judaism a long time ago.  Imagine the irony of an Arabic man, who was named king and granted citizenship of Rome, by both Julius and Augustus Caesar themselves, is the one who converts to Judaism and is responsible for rebuilding the Jewish Temple (that the Romans would one day tear down).  This man of “greatness” was willing and eager to kill any baby who might one day challenge his rule over the people.

Herod understood righteousness.  He even understood it by Jewish terms, and under Jewish traditions.  Herod also understood hypocrisy.  And he recognized hypocrisy in the behavior of the Pharisees and Sadducees and Sanhedrim who were as concerned about maintaining their power over the people in religious matters as Herod was in maintaining it over them in secular affairs.  By comparison, Herod thought himself a better Jew, than the Jews who were always condemning him.  Herod thought it irony that a Roman installed high priest, should dare to criticize Herod for anything, while standing in the Temple that Herod built.  And yet, ships that pass in the night, here was baby Jesus in the Temple that Herod built, come to be circumcised by the Sanhedrin priests who one day would seek to kill Him, right there in plain sight and in perfect anonymity.

And not all in the Temple were hypocrites or unrighteous.  Simeon was a devout servant of our God.  And Luke records his interaction with Jesus at the same Temple, at the same time Jesus was named and circumcised while others were blissfully unaware, God was revealed to those who were looking.  Luke continues in verse 25 saying … “And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. [verse 26] And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.”  You will note Simeon was not a wicked, slothful, backsliding servant of God.  Simeon was not looking for God to excuse his evil, he was looking for the consolation of Israel to remove his evil from him, that he might die in peace, and in hope.  Simeon wanted to see a glimpse of the change that was coming to his entire nation.

Luke continues in verse 27 saying … “And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, [verse 28] Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, [verse 29] Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: [verse 30] For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, [verse 31] Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; [verse 32] A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”  Just in case you are keeping score, this one could not qualify as another gospel country music song, because Simeon is not country folk.  However this blessing is equally inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Simeon is led to the Temple at this time, on this day, by the Spirit.  Ships were moving in the night, but this ship was intended to meet a very special other, and so it did.  Simeon then pulls a Mufasa from the Lion King, and holds this baby high in his arms, speaking this blessing over the child.  Simeon has now resigned himself to die in peace, everything he needed to see he has seen.

Herod could have heard all this.  But he didn’t.  Simeon had more to prophecy for the parents of Jesus, as Luke continues in verse 33 saying … “And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. [verse 34] And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; [verse 35] (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  Simeon tries to warn Mary, that Jesus is bound for a death that will both save us all, as well as reveal the innermost thoughts of our hearts (our motives).  This was not meant as a threat, but a hope to help her prepare for what was coming.  It was not to be an anti-Roman paradise, but instead, a place where submission leads to victory where nothing else can.  It is to begin and end in death.  Only then will life be possible.

It would have been enough for Luke to end the story right then, but he does not.  Luke continues in verse 36 saying … “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; [verse 37] And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. [verse 38] And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.”  Anna was a prophetess, given this gift of God.  She is very old.  She prays and fasts at the Temple both day and night.  She had one husband she married around the age of 20, and he died at some point, leaving her around the age of 84 on the day she will meet Jesus.  She too holds Jesus, and blesses Him, and blesses the parents of Jesus pointing them to look for redemption in this baby child.

Two righteous souls, two witnesses (as was the Jewish tradition and custom) testifying to the same thing, that Jesus was the Messiah.  Whether Herod was twelves miles away at Herodium, or only twelve minutes outside the Temple gate, it doesn’t really matter.  He missed it.  Joseph and Mary are now outbound from Jerusalem, still pondering the events that took place at the temple.  Luke concludes his version of these events in verse 39 saying … “And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. [verse 40] And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”  Luke is right about this eventual disposition.  But he misses the dream Joseph is given to arise, take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt for Herod seeks the life of this baby boy. 

And Joseph does go to Egypt for nearly seven years.  While Joseph and Mary head south to Egypt, they likely do their best to avoid the fortress of Herodium and the palace of Herod within.  Yet their ship heads south, while Herod’s ship of soldiers rides north to Bethlehem to carry out the most heinous order in the history of that town.  Herod has figured out the Magi have tricked him.  They are never coming back to him.  Since he has no specific’s he must kill them all.  But the mind of Caesar’s friend is in steady deterioration now.  Being a Roman citizen will not prevent that.  Being a king does not help.  Being a ruthless Jew is no help.  His Arabic blood does him no good.  A man who believes himself to have done great things, is now facing the death of greatness.  He stains his history with the blood of babies, in a quest for power that will die before Jesus enters the Temple again.  None of his accomplishments will keep him from the death of disease and madness he is now to face.  Until death finally takes him.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, likely in Jerusalem in a pauper’s quarters, an aged servant of God, of no special means, or accomplishments, dies peacefully and with a heart of full contentment.  Simeon passes from this world assured of the world that is to come.  No one can take this peace from him, not even death can take it.  And elsewhere across the city, a very old widow takes her last breath on this earth.  It is not a labored breath of stress and anxiety; it is a deep breath of peace and tranquility.  She does not long for death, but she longs for what she is now sure will come to this world, and will be the guiding presence of the next world to come.  They both sleep now with no concept of the passage of time.  They are dust, but from dust they will both return.  Not as old and infirmed, but as young, vibrant, perfect, and in His image perfectly as He intended them both to be.  Their stories and testimonies are not over, they are merely beginning.  For a servant of our Lord, is never done with service, and never more fulfilled than when granted the pleasure of serving.  And time will no more be a barrier.

Ships have passed in the night, none aware of each other, but God aware of all of them …

 

Ships Passing in the Night [part 1 of 2] ...

Have you ever been close enough to meet someone, but were unaware they were so close?  Friends, maybe family, maybe even celebrities that turn out to be very close to a place you were, at the same time you were there, but neither of you knew about it, and so no meeting occurs.  The analogy of ships passing in the night with neither aware that they did comes to mind.  Often timing is everything, but timing without awareness can mean a lot less.  Take Herod the Great for instance.  Most of what we know, or remember about Herod, is his wickedness in ordering the slaughter of male babies in Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s  birth.  But did you ever wonder why Herod gives that order for babies up to two years of age?  Seems like a new-born would be easily distinguishable from 1-year-old, let alone a 2-year-old.  Easy baby math, if the kid walks he is not a new born.  If he talks, he is far from a new born.  Seems more likely then, that  between the timing of the actual birth of Jesus, and the timing of when that order went out, there may have been a chunk of time in between.

Luke gives us a hint of this in his gospel letter accounting of some of the events around the birth of Jesus.  He begins with moving the players into place.  Picking up in chapter two, and verse 1 it says … “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. [verse 2] (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) [verse 3] And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.”  Caesar Augustus was actually Octavian the son of Julius Caesar, and coincidentally a continued friend of Herod the Great.  Herod was a bit of a survivor, having begun his friendship with Mark Antony, and then able to continue it when Octavian defeated Antony once and for all.  Herod had been named king of Judea in Rome by the senate years before, and re-confirmed by Octavian later, along with granted Roman citizenship for he and his children.  Herod was one of the only folks who really wanted to rule Judea and was given an army to do just that.  He did.  And once taking command he proceeded to tax the people to begin some fairly large construction projects of his own.  He builds the “second temple”, or as it was known then “Herod’s temple”, and known now as “the Temple mount” which survives even still.  But he also builds a fortress with a great palace in it (from which to rule) called Herodium about 12 miles south of Jerusalem.

But Herod did not govern Syria independently at that time, which is why Luke mentions the governor Cyrenius.  I am sure Herod’s old friend Caesar Augustus did not actually care “how” the taxes were gathered in the provinces, only that they were.  The idea of sending each Jew back to the city of their lineage could have come from anywhere – either Augustus, or Cyrenius, or even crafty old Herod (whereby he could develop an accurate census at the same time).  But all these were the machinations of men, men who sought power and wealth, and cared not for the salvation of Israel, or any other people for that matter.  Taxes were painful.  Nobody liked them.  And the people were not only taxed by Rome, they were also taxed by Herod (who had the army and backing of Rome).  So whether this caused hardship to you or not, if you did not pay, you could be enslaved twice over.  It was to avoid this outcome, that Joseph would take his now very pregnant wife on a journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  Without this painful motivation, they would have stayed put, at home (and prophecy would have been denied).  But it was not denied.

Sometimes the pain in our lives comes, not to torture us, but that the greater will of God might be fulfilled.  Luke continues in verse 4 saying … “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) [verse 5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.”  This was no easy decision.  Traveling on the dusty roads between cities was never easy, and when you are 9 months pregnant, even less easy.  Mary could lose the baby.  Worse, she could need to deliver the baby on the road, with no one within screaming distance to help – let alone fresh water, or blankets, or things to dress a new born in.  To obey Caesar, was to incur risk, and hardship.  To disobey Caesar was to live in hiding of the edict, perhaps hiding forever, and if discovered, to be enslaved or murdered on the spot.  It was a hard decision, but to obey, is what he would choose.

Luke continues in verse 6 saying … “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. [verse 7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”  No one knows why the relatives of Joseph (presumably being from Bethlehem would have meant he had some kin in this town) did not take Joseph and Mary in.  Even if one did not have sympathy for Joseph (bad planning and all), he was with a severely pregnant wife.  Most hearts melt at helping the pregnant lady, especially the hearts of other women who could sympathize.  But none did.  The inn was full.  So were the homes of the relatives.  It might have been that gossip being what it is, the relatives of Joseph still believed Mary’s “miracle” pregnancy was actually just more of a conventional one where she cheated on him.  Joseph may have forgiven her this.  But his sanctimonious relatives might still be holding a grudge.  They may not stone her in deference to Joseph, but helping her out, was a bridge too far.  Hard to imagine there were people who thought of Mary as nothing more than a common whore, a slut, who did not deserve their help, but it may have been just that.

Meanwhile, the birth of Jesus is not just the event to end all events in this world – it is the event to end all events in the entire universe.  Angels knew this.  We may be blind to it, even cruel to it.  But those who loved their Lord were not so.  And their tongues needed the release of praise.  They chose those who were already awake.  Luke continues in verse 8 saying … “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [verse 9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”  Imagine the life of a common night shepherd.  You are used to looking through the dark, to try to ward off wolves, coyotes, even lions from time to time.  You are used to the quiet sounds of sheep grazing, or lambs cooing.  The gentle refrain of hooves over rocks, or of nearby water flowing in creeks.  Bugs who sing at night are your constant company.  And without the pollution of our days, nor the constant lighting we are accustomed to, the stars provide a panoply of the power of God’s creation on display.  This is the life you know, the sounds and sights you know.  So when Gabriel appears in a dazzling light you have no words to describe, what is common is no longer common again.

Luke continues in verse 10 saying … “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [verse 11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [verse 12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”  This was the news the angel was dying to share.  This was the late breaking CNN bulletin that would have interrupted any regularly scheduled show in any time from then to now.  The Savior is born.  The Messiah has come.  He is in Bethlehem.  (No need to guess where).  He is in a manger (really strange place for a newborn, especially a king, but OK).  And he is wrapped in swaddling clothes, perhaps they had found a mid-wife after all who was both kind and prepared.  The Shepherds were being told all of this, not to just hear it, but to take action based on it.

Luke continues in verse 13 saying … “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, [verse 14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. [verse 15] And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”  In my mind, the inspired refrains of George Frederick Handel’s Messiah echo over and over again – Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God in the Highest, and peace on earth.  Good will … the song echoes triumphant, but in pale comparison to the harmony and beauty of perfect angel voices singing with a passion we do not understand still, but will someday.  The sky breaks forth.  The darkness is rolled back seemingly from one horizon to the other.  But not just laterally, vertically as well.  It is as if the shepherds are to see Jacob’s ladder ascending up to heaven.  And in this 3-dimensional display for the ages, singing breaks forth from a number of perfect beings too many to imagine counting.  That sound would be one, no shepherd would ever be able to match again.

The shepherds decide to move.  Not a one of them will stay with the flocks.  They will leave the safety of the flocks to the angels that have just appeared to them.  For every shepherd to a man seeks first the discovery of Jesus, more than all the earthly wealth their flocks might ever provide.  And while they love their sheep, as every good shepherd does, they are bound to love their Messiah even more.  And I believe not a lamb was lost that night, even if left alone, or rather, left to the care of angels who tarried to protect the innocent, so that these men could share in history’s greatest event.  But not only these men are moving on this night.  Luke does not account for them, but Magi from the east have been following a star in the heavens guiding them to a manger in Bethlehem.  The Magi likely did not encounter the shepherds until the manger itself.  Ships passing as it were.  But at the feet of Jesus, all are welcome, both the poor, and the learned.

Luke continues in verse 16 saying … “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. [verse 17] And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. [verse 18] And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. [verse 19] But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. [verse 20]  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”  The shepherds both come to the feet of Jesus, then leave to wake up the whole region to the truth they have been told, and have witnessed for themselves.  They return with still others eager to see (even if the message came from a shepherd they knew, instead of an angel they did not).  Mary treasured all of this, laying up these events in her heart to ponder over the course of her life.

Bethlehem was a buzz with activity this night.  But all this activity did not reach the ears of Herod.  Herod was blissfully sleeping at home in his palace of Herodium, confident that the wise men, the magi, would be returning to him soon, with the precise location and names of the family of Jesus.  Herod claimed he would use this information to worship as well.  But the only worship Herod had in mind was the worship of self, and power that self had long fought for.  Herod was in no mood to share a kingship with any other Messiah.  Herod was a king.  Herod was a Roman citizen.  Herod was a long-time friend of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and now even Octavian called Augustus Caesar.  Herod was plugged into Rome.  Herod was well connected, well-armed, built many well-loved construction projects.  Who was this bastard baby to even think about replacing Herod as king?  Better one baby die, than risk upsetting the fate of an entire nation.  So Herod slept soundly, awaiting only the news of where, so that the one might die, a sacrifice made for all – even if only the sacrifice Herod imagined, not the one God did.

And the night continued on …

 

The Second Ever Gospel Country Music Song ...

Just a quick review from our last study; in order to be a “Gospel” song, it must contain a story element about the “Good News” of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps of His coming, or our Salvation, or our return to the home He has built for us.  In order for it to be a “Country” song, it must be an original.  Not something cooked up by analytics from a supercomputer, or voice corrected by a fancy studio mic.  Originals are not always in tune (sometimes by design), they may not be played exactly perfectly, but they do come from inspiration, that is from God.  The “Country” part happens because the artist is either from, or still lives in, a place long away from the beaten path.  Perhaps in the mountains, or just a long way away from big cities, where time seems to move slower, and priorities are centered around enjoying every minute of it, not trying to rush through a day in fear of the lack of finishing everything we were assigned.  It was in these conditions that Mary, the mother of Jesus, gave a song of praise, that would surely qualify as the first ever Gospel Country Music Song.  And for every beginning, there must be a continuation.

Now to set the backstory.  Zacharias was a priest by trade.  He was an old man.  He and his wife Elisabeth had been barren throughout their lives and well into their old age.  They were obedient to God, but their barrenness remained.  Those around them looked at this as a curse from God, designed to punish a secret sin.  It was a reproach to Elisabeth.  It was something she had to endure.  The gossips had a field day speculating what either she or her husband had done in secret to warrant this open curse of God in response.  It did not help, that both she and her husband prayed for a child since they realized a child was not coming their way.  They sought divine help, believing and hoping divine help would come.  But alas they grew old, and well past the age of childbearing years, then well past the age of interest or ability in sex altogether.  And still no child.  But what others saw as punishment, God saw as preparation.

In their obedience, God selected them to be the parents of John the Baptist.  And to insure his birth would be a miracle, He selected obedient servants who longed for a child, and kept faithful to Him even when prayers went unanswered.  An angel, rather the angel Gabriel who stands in the presence of God, was dispatched to carry the excellent news to Zacharias.  But Zacharias was overwhelmed, and doubt crept into his mind.  He asked for a “sign”, forgetting that he was talking with Gabriel in the first place.  And so he was given his sign, in that he would not be able to speak, until all the things the angel had told him would come to pass.  Zacharias then was unable to speak for a little over nine months.  He had to rely on a writing tablet to communicate (picture a hand-held antique chalk board of sorts).  This was the state of him as Luke picks up the story in chapter one of his letter of the gospel.

Picking up in verse 59 is says … “And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.”  The place where they lived was up in the hill country of Judea.  A place so small it carries no name.  You can imagine in a place like that, everybody knows everybody.  And the entire region likely knew that Elisabeth and Zacharias were old, way too old for a baby, and had been barren their whole lives.  Having Elisabeth give birth, and Zacharias be mute throughout, were definitely signs from God, even the most remote hillbilly could understand.  And so with good intentions, people do what people always do, they try to help out.  Since Zacharias could not speak for himself, the town’s people just decided to do him a favor, and call the new baby boy also Zacharias, after his father’s name.  It was kind of a tradition to keep names in the family.  Kin liked recognizing kin by this tradition.  But tradition was not in line with obedience and Elisabeth knew it.

Luke continues in verse 60 saying … “And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. [verse 61] And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.”  Elisabeth was intent on obeying God.  The Angel had told them what to name the baby way back when he prophesied to Zacharias what would happen.  So Elisabeth would obey God, no matter what tradition said to do.  Are we different?  Do we follow tradition even when it conflicts with what we know to be right?  It is easy to say we follow all the Christian doctrines we know.  But are we able then, to love a sinner, even though that sinner does not deserve our love?  Jesus said to love our enemies.  Jesus loves His enemies (sometimes we are those enemies).  But we are too quick to judge our enemies rather than love them.  When the homosexual appears in our pews, we move away.  We do not want to be too closely associated with someone who is clearly “in sin”.  But that is not the definition of loving someone.  That is the definition of fearing someone.  And what is the basis for this fear?  Do we fear their judgment will rub off on us?  So my gay brother sits next to me, perhaps he should move away, because I am a secret sinner, maybe a theif, or liar, or gossip.  Perhaps the magnitude of my sins, far outweigh his.  If we are to compare “abominations”, is not my lying, and my gluttony, and my apathy for others – worse than his only one major sin.

Our tradition is to condemn my gay brother, in order that he knows he is “doing wrong”.  And then what?  Is this what you call love?  If I came to you, and under the influence of the Spirit, I condemned you for the 2 or 3 sins you did not know anyone else knew about.  And having condemned you, I walk away, and never offer care for you again.  Does my behavior constitute love in your eyes?  And what if you were struggling with those very sins I condemned you for.  Is your struggling made easier by my condemnation?  Is your misery made any better?  No.  All that I have accomplished is pouring salt in your wounds.  Then offering no comfort to you afterwards, no love of any kind, no reason to change that which I have condemned you for in the first place.  If my message to you is nothing better than “get perfect, then we can socialize”, I will have zero friends ever, in or out of the church, and of gay or straight audiences.  I should be able to truly love you without condemning you, and without encouraging your pain, but instead pointing you to Jesus every time (through my reflection of His love).  I should be able to truly be your brother no matter what you struggle with.  I should be there for you, and hope you are there for me as well.  We should lift each other up to Jesus in prayer.  This is what we are called to do, though our church traditions would have us judge and avoid, rather than love and encourage.

Luke continues in verse 62 saying … “And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. [verse 63] And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.”  So the well meaning crowd decides Elisabeth must be a little bit tetched.  You know, from being so old, and just having a baby.  Perhaps she was getting a visit from the hormone fairy and was not in a right state to make a decision this important.  No one in the well-meaning crowd ever imagined she was simply obeying the will of God.  They did not ask that.  They did not assume that.  They just decided to overrule her crazy by asking the dad what he would want to do.  And here the devil tempts Zacharias with ego, to name his miracle baby after himself, rather than John.  Who ever heard of John anyway?  Zacharias is a much more elegant name, one on long tradition and family roots.  What is in a name before God either?  Couldn’t God be with this baby no matter what we call him?  It’s not like the presence of the Holy Spirit depends on what name you carry.  And Zacharias would have known that.  But instead, against ego, and against tradition, Zacharias sides with his obviously tetched wife and writes - call him John.  Zacharias too was determined to be obedient to God, no matter what the well-meaning crowd thinks.  And his response in chalk shocks everyone there.  This was an answer nobody expected.

Luke continues in verse 64 saying … “And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. [verse 65] And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. [verse 66] And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.”  It was at this precise moment that the mute condition disappears.  Zacharias is restored to his normal speaking condition.  And the first words that leave his tongue are a praise to the Lord.  He did not have to say that.  No one forced him.  But obedience has led him to an overwhelmed heart, full of joy, and gladness, and thanksgiving.  Catering to his ego would not have led here.  He might have carried silent pride in a son of his own name, but obedience has led him instead to an exuberance nothing else can match.  And he is beyond grateful.  It is this state of beyond grateful, that should constitute our moments we call “worship”.  When our tongues can no longer be silent for the praise and thanks we long to give, that is worship.  It is not the repetition of our songs, or an appointment we hold on a weekly basis.  It is when our obedience leads us to the joy God would have us experience.  And the miracles of this exuberance lead all the local country folk to hold these events in their hearts around the life of John.

Then the second Gospel Country Music Song was ready, and this one with the addition of prophecy as well baked into the poetry.  Luke says it begins with verse 67 … “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,”

[verse 68] Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

[verse 69] And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

[verse 70] As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

[verse 71] That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

[verse 72] To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

[verse 73] The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

[verse 74] That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

[verse 75] In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

[verse 76] And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

[verse 77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

[verse 78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

[Verse 79] To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Again I wonder if there was music with this, what it was like.  I wonder if Zacharias belted out an acappella hymn such as the world had never seen to that point.  After all it was the Holy Spirit behind his praise, his prophecy, and his music if it was there.  Once again this did not take place in some famous theatre filled with patrons of the arts.  Nor did it occur in Jerusalem at the Temple of God in front of worshippers there to be close to God.  Instead it occurred in the hill country.  It occurred up in the mountains, with country folk there to hear it.  It occurred where the Holy Spirit overflowed.  This was the beginning of the life of John the Baptist.  And though we do not know much about his childhood, Luke gives us a glimpse of what John did to prepare for his ministry in verse 80 saying … “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.”

I wonder, does it take us to be in a literal desert, to escape the traditions of men, in order to hear the voice of God.  The normal training for a “holy man” was not offered to John.  He was not schooled in the best schools Israel had to offer.  He did not follow the traditions of following in his own father’s footsteps and becoming a priest in the Temple at Jerusalem.  He broke both those traditions.  Instead, he spent his time eating locusts and honey.  His clothing was hand made of skins from animals he probably hunted or encountered already dead at the edges of the desert.  He likely lived in caves to shelter him from the sun’s burning heat.  And all the while he prepared.  He prayed.  He conversed.  He was filled with the Holy Ghost, and when he was finally introduced to Israel, his ministry came with the power of Elijah and moved the hearts of the people such as they had never been moved before.  The Holy Spirit had found a venue that was prepared to be led by Him, rather than to assume he already had the answers, as priests and leaders in the faith often do.  Tradition was not to be his teacher, God was.

A second ever Gospel Country Music Song, to predict and prophesy, the intensity of a ministry that would lead to repentance, even if it came only out of the desert and isolation.

 

The First Ever Gospel Country Music Song ...

I am sure there are a lot of artists who would love to make the claim that they are the first one to ever come up with the idea and execution of a Gospel Country Music Song.  But then let’s make sure we are talking about the same thing here.  In order for it to be a “Gospel” song, it must tell some aspect of the Gospel or Good News story of Jesus Christ coming to save our sins (or perhaps coming back to claim us as His own).  If the song does not have that component, it is just a normal country song.  And as for the “country” aspect of this.  In my mind, to qualify as authentic “country”, you cannot cook up an original song using analytics from a supercomputer that predicts what people want.  The artist needs to come from, or still be living in, parts of the world away from cities, like the mountains, or backwater areas that are far less traveled.  The “people” from “there” tend to move slower, be more polite, and have different priorities than the rest of us.  We rush around like proverbial headless chickens trying to accomplish everything on our lists before our time runs out.  In my experience, country folk, understand life is not a race, but a journey, and they want to enjoy every minute of it.

Now as for the music itself, creating something new is not just for everybody.  It does not come from a formula, but from revelation.  When it is moving, inspiring, soul transforming – it usually moves through you, it does not originate in you.  Composers and Lyricists will understand what I am saying.  After having listened to some of the very popular musical artists of our day explain where they get their “gift” from – most gave credit to God, or to drugs.  That is a pretty good summation from my point of view.  Two sources, even if the outcome was meant to be the same.  Not all music inspires.  Not all music makes you the better for listening to it.  Adding “Jesus lyrics” to a tune, does make the tune “religious”, or for that matter, worth listening to at all.  But pouring out your soul on paper, testifying to what the Lord has done for you, and putting that against a tune – makes that tune unforgettable, no matter what the tune sounds like, or what instruments they play with it.

So I guess it will come as only a mild surprise given the above, that the true source of the first ever Gospel County Music Song was the Holy Spirit.  But much more surprising is that it was recorded in Luke’s Letter of the Gospel, right there in chapter one.  When you swirl up God fearing people, who love Him, and listen to Him, and find that love moving them to obedience – the sky is the limit to what can be done.  In order to give this song a second look, lets set the context beginning in verse 39 saying … “And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;”  Mary was no city girl herself.  She lived in Nazareth, which was nothing like L.A. or Nashville, it was more like Palm Springs – way outside of L.A., desert like, and far less people.  If anything, Jerusalem would have been the L.A. or the Nashville, or NYC of that day and age.  Nazareth (traditional home of the Nazarene’s or at least in namesake only) was more a home for hippy folks who didn’t cut their hair.  They ate ultra-kosher.  At least the ones still thought of as virtuous, most of the rest just worked for a living and didn’t pay much attention to following all those burdensome regulations the Sanhedrin had invented to insure they were following the Law.  Mans rules, masquerading as God’s.  You can imagine the reputation of the place was not one where good things come from, given this lack of attention to the details of men.

But Mary had just been told she was going to have Jesus without any help from any man.  She accepted this idea, and started to travel to see her cousin Elisabeth.  Her cousin lived in a city so small, Luke does not even know what it was named.  Perhaps a village so small it carried no official name.  It was off the beaten path, and up in the “hill country”.  Country cred established.  When she gets there she gives them a big “howdy ya’ll”.  Or as Luke continues saying in verse 40 … “And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. [verse 41] And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:”  Get ready ya’ll, something’s about to happen up in here.  Mary was already pregnant.  When God predicts the impossible, He does the impossible, and when we get out of His way (in this case Mary agreeing to what was revealed), He moves quickly.

Elisabeth, the old barren cousin, from the remote hill country, was also pregnant despite that being a total impossibility.  Zacharias discovered the Viagra of the Lord, and of course was still unable to tell anybody about it.  But He did what He did not think was possible again, with his wife, who was fairly surprised herself that everything still worked like it used to.  Elisabeth was pregnant with a miracle baby of her own.  John the Baptist who would be only slightly older than Jesus, but would go on to prepare the way of His Lord, and turn the hearts of the people back to Love, and Justice done through love.  But that six-month old pre-baby John (still inside mom) was able to be filled with the Holy Spirit himself despite not being born yet.  And God recognized God, causing him to leap for happiness at being so near Jesus.  And to be clear Jesus was even less old, still inside mom.  Could pre-babies so young still be able to lead us, perhaps influence our thinking on whether the Holy Spirit does not see age as any limitation to His work, even when it is still inside the womb.

Elisabeth too was filled with the Holy Ghost (double portion given John), and that filling, was NOT meant to be a silent one.  Luke continues in verse 42 saying … “And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. [verse 43] And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  Notice Luke is clear that Elisabeth spoke out with a loud voice.  Perhaps she intended the entire hill region around to hear her.  Somebody did.  Luke is recording these events from inspiration as well as first-hand witnesses.  And Elisabeth then echoes the salutation of the Angel Gabriel.  Elisabeth already knows everything having only heard the Howdy greeting from Mary.  Mary had no time to tell her anything else, but the Holy Spirit instills the knowledge she needs to know.  And Elisabeth will now testify to what she has been told – another emissary, another preacher to the gospel.  Her husband unable to do the same, because he remains mute for a while longer.

Luke continues in verse 44 saying … “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. [verse 45] And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”  Elisabeth takes note of the response of her unborn child to the presence of Jesus (also in an unborn state).  Miracle meeting The Miracle.  Elisabeth then takes note of the difference in response of Mary to the announcement of the angel, and that of most of us others when confronted with the revelations of God (be it in the form of Gabriel, or the form of His Written Word).  Mary accepted, where-as most of us doubt.  Yet both words are true, both revelations sure, and all of us to bear witness to them regardless of how we respond.  It is Mary who is blessed, because she does not doubt, but accepts, and the world will be blessed through her because she did.  This is why she will be blessed among women, not even Eve who was created directly by God, will forever carry this honor.

And Mary breaks out in song.  Yup, you heard me right.  The first ever Gospel Country Music Song, bursts out in the hill country of Judah in some nameless village, yet echoes for all the world to see even to this day.  Mary was likely not a musician or a poet by trade, but the power of the Holy Spirit can make anything of anyone at anytime, if we are but willing to let Him do so in us.  It was that same power that turned fishermen into world changing evangelists.  It turned normal men into healers.  It gave men who were willing, the inspiration to write.  And now, Mary bursts forth in the first ever Gospel Country Music Song as Luke records picking up in verse 46 saying …

[verse 46] “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

[verse 47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

[verse 48] For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

[verse 49] For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

[verse 50] And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

[verse 51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

[verse 52] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

[verse 53] He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

[verse 54] He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

[verse 55] As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

I wonder what the tune was like.  I wonder if all who heard her words fell to their feet recognizing the power of God behind the lyrics, the poem, the psalm, that Mary reveals.  No one expected this.  No one was preparing for it.  It did not occur in the pantheons of some great theatre for the patrons of the arts to come and sit, and wait to be entertained.  It was spontaneous.  It happened where the Holy Spirit moved.  Not in some great concert hall, or some great church hall, but in the hill country.  In a nameless village of few country folk.  It happened loudly to rebuke the reproach of Elisabeth, and give us a glimpse at the joy of a mother to be who knew her own difficulties but chose to obey the Lord regardless of what it might cost her.  Her cost, is not a verse in this poem.  Her cost, is not a verse or a chorus.  It is nowhere.  For what she feels, is only the unbridled joy of obedience.  For her obedience has led to this outcome, this so great blessing to the humble, who now recites an anthem that has only the hills to echo it, and Luke to record it.

Luke concludes Mary’s sojourn into country music, and support of her cousin during the pregnancy (keep in mind Elisabeth was still old, she did not magically revert her age, and pregnancy is not easy for a young resilient woman in those days) in a simple verse 56 saying … “And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.”  Doing the math, six months at arrival, plus a three month stay, means Mary likely was there to help Elisabeth deliver John.  The first smaller miracle baby to precede the greatest miracle Baby of all time.  After these things Mary, now considerably farther along herself, returns back to Nazareth, to face the music with Joseph, and try to make him understand what her heart knows for certain.  Joseph missed her song.  He does not know what depths her heart has already uttered on this topic.  He does not know his fiancée to be a musician, or poet, of any kind.  He is not aware yet, that the power of the Holy Spirit can make anything, of anyone, at anytime – if we just will let Him do it.

 

A Different Reaction ...

Have you ever noticed how the same written content will often inspire a completely different reaction across a group of readers?  The words on the paper (or in the email) do not change an inch.  But the tone of how it is read, and the agenda behind how we perceive what was written between the lines, changes to nearly every reader who takes the time to read it.  Some folks might have a relationship with you already, and when an email or a post is made, they interpret those writings based on that pre-existing relationship.  Where it comes to matters of religion, specifically Christianity, entire denominations have arisen purportedly because each group of folks reads the same words in the Bible just a little bit differently.  Then those differences became matters of doctrine.  That doctrine then becomes a test of faith.  And before you know it, we are ready to condemn each other for not teaching truth, because of the differences in how we perceive scripture – even though we are not actually arguing about the words themselves – those words do not change.  But how we read them does.

Sadly, in matters of religion, those who are quick to condemn and use the Bible to do so, share another characteristic they are probably not even aware they have.  It is not so much having a “bad” thing, as it is a lack of an “awesome” thing.  Sin is sin.  And sin is never good, should never be endorsed, and frankly is something all of us struggle with, and something all of us want real relief from.  But when we focus on the sin itself, we become people who are quick to condemn.  When we focus on the redemption from sin, on the cure for sin, we become people who realize only love will ever get us to that cure.  It is the love of Jesus Christ, that moves Him to want to cure us.  It is our love for Him, that moves us to want to be cured.  Love then, underlies everything in our own salvation.  And when we are people of love; we start to care about others, in effect, Jesus alters our hearts in the process of salvation to begin to see the treasure of others.  When that overtakes us, we are no longer people who focus on condemnation, we are people who focus on re-creation and redemption in the here and now.  Same words.  Same Jesus.  But a different us.

In our last study, Luke tells us the back story to the gospel of Jesus Christ, by focusing on Zacharias the father of John the Baptist, or rather soon-to-be father.  Zacharias is confronted by the angel Gabriel who “stands in the presence of God”.  Zacharias is given an awesome revelation of what is to come.  But he is old, his wife is too, and they have been barren all their lives.  So Zacharias looks at his humanity, and doubts he could ever accomplish such a thing.  Zacharias was a good man, a blameless man, but he looked in the wrong place for the miraculous.  He looked to human strengths and abilities (namely his own).  Instead He should have looked to God to accomplish what no man (or science, keep in mind Luke is a physician), could ever accomplish.  When God predicts the impossible, He performs the impossible.  He does not ask you to do it.  The same is true of how you will be saved from you.  It is impossible for you to ever reach perfection, so you are not asked to do that work, you are asked to let Jesus do it in you, and for you.  You are not asked to stay in your sins but allow Jesus to lift you out of your sins entirely.  As you submit yourself, your human ideas, strengths, desires, and weaknesses to Jesus – He does exactly that, He does the impossible in you.  The question becomes, how will you respond.  Zacharias was a believer, a priest by trade, and he practiced what he preached every day.  But when Gabriel himself came to him with great tidings, Zacharias doubted. 

Time to change the scene.  Luke will tell the story of another angelic revelation with a very different outcome.  Luke picks up in his letter (chapter one) of our gospel, in verse 26 continuing … “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, [verse 27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. [verse 28] And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”  We move from a focus on the men in this story, to a focus on the women.  And Luke starts not with the birth of Jesus, or even the conception of Jesus, but with an angelic revelation of Jesus to a simple virgin girl named Mary.  Now Mary herself was no different then or now, than any other virgin girl engaged to be married.  She was excited about spending her life with Joseph as her husband.  She loved him, and he loved her.  The engagement process was just like a time delay for Joseph to prepare to marry her with a place to live and ability to take care of her.  The engagement delay also allowed for them to be sure of their feelings, and not make mistakes they might regret later in life.  So Mary was like any other girl no real difference there.

Mary might have been pretty, but likely no super model.  The conditions of life back then required outdoor physical labor to survive.  Preparing food took effort (harvesting, washing, cutting, cooking over open fires, and cleaning in a nearby stream).  There were no microwaves, and prepared meals in plastic containers we simply “throw away” when we are done.  Keeping clothes clean took effort (carrying them to an outdoor water source, hand washing them over grates, using soap if you could afford it, drying them on lines or tree branches, then carrying them home again).  There were no machines that do all the work for you except folding them.  You get the idea, life was much more difficult.  And should bad weather appear, it might change everything for you from what you could do, to what you could eat.  So there were no pampered super models who survived by the publicity of their looks, untouched by the outdoor rigors of life back then.  In this Mary was no different than any other girl in her town, her region, or her age.

Luke continues in verse 29 saying … “And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.”  Notice, Mary is not afraid per se, but troubled at this greeting, because from her point of view, she is far from highly favored and blessed among women.  That pronouncement does not fit with a simple, humble girl, who lives life, like any other simple woman might.  And to keep us men humble – while Joseph may be the love of her life – he is no Brad Pitt such that every other woman in her hometown would recognize her luck by marrying him.  He is just another simple humble man, likely a virgin himself, who is excitedly waiting to marry the love of his life.  And perhaps that love between them might be enough to warrant the angels pronouncement in our day, or any day come to think of it.  But Joseph, while faithful and nice, has nothing to do with this.

Luke continues in verse 30 saying … “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. [verse 31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. [verse 32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: [verse 33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”  There is immediacy in what the angel proclaims.  This does not sound like a future someday proclamation to her it sounds like a right now kind of thing.  She gets that.  But then, same words different reaction.  We know, because of hindsight, that the angel was describing the Messiah, and the references to a kingdom without end, does not mean the removal and overthrow of the Roman empire, it means a spiritual kingdom where evil is defeated once and for all time.  But she hears these words and can easily associate them with every commonly held belief about the Messiah at that time, meaning He was to ascend to David’s throne, and establish a kingdom (earthly) without end as He grows up.  The words of the angel did not change, but perception, and preconceived ideas about belief would have colored them greatly.

Luke continues in verse  34 saying … “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? [verse 35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. [verse 36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. [verse 37] For with God nothing shall be impossible.”  Mary responds by asking the most obvious simple logistical question – how will this be considering she is still a virgin.  Mary knows how it is supposed to work, and this has never happened.  The angel responds by telling her that the Holy Ghost will come upon her, and beyond that, that the power of the Highest will overshadow her.  That could be a reference to God the Father (particularly as she would have understood it).  And all of this to insure there is no doubt as to who the Father of Jesus would truly be – it would not be human – it would be divine.  Jesus would rightly be called the Son of God.

Notice too, Mary does not ask for a sign.  She only asks how it is possible, given how it is supposed to work.  But Mary is given a sign anyway.  The angel refers her to her cousin Elisabeth (perhaps obedience runs in the family) as being already 6 months pregnant.  Elisabeth who is known to her family and around the region as barren.  Elisabeth who is old, WAY too old to be even thinking about being pregnant.  But all of this is to prove, that with God, NOTHING is impossible.  And the parallels to our salvation remain just as pertinent, what we are unable to do to save ourselves, we were never meant to do – but with God nothing is impossible including changing you from who you are, to who He intended you to be.  You cannot cure your sin problem.  But God can.  Not just forgive mind you, but cure.  Not just overlook your past, but make for you a new future, absent of sin altogether.  [Take in that oil of the wise virgins while there is yet time.]  Mary is not meant to solve this problem herself, she is meant to witness the power of the Lord in solving it.

And so Mary responds as Luke continues in verse 38 saying … “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”  Mary does not argue.  Mary does not debate.  She accepts.  And irony of ironies, she accepts no matter the cost to her personally.  For what the angel has said, is how history will view her from those who believe.  But it is NOT how she will be viewed in her own time and age.  Not even the love of her life Joseph will believe her at first (it will take an angelic visit of his own before he is willing to accept the impossible).  And so beyond Joseph, the virgin mother of Jesus will be called an adulterous whore by those who will not believe, and by those who employ common sense to guide their thinking, not faith in an impossible God who routinely does do the impossible.  At best, she will be condemned as breaking her engagement with Joseph to make him the Father earlier than when they were to be formally married.  At worst, she will be no better than a whore that deserved to be stoned for betrayal in which she was caught.  But no personal cost to her or her reputation would be considered.  Instead just a simple yes.

It is particularly interesting to me, the contrast in response of Zacharias and of Mary.  Zacharias was a good man, there is no condemnation here of him by me, nor should there be.  Yet even a priest was prone to human doubt.  The simple virgin bride to be, made no request for a sign, and simply submitted even when she did not have to, and even when it will cost her reputation forever.  Even though it might even cost her, her pending marriage.  She responded with a simple yes.  For the Bible being a book that is supposed to be hard on women, that is not what I read.  I read women who keep defining themselves of those with cast iron faith, while the men around them do far less, in the same circumstances at the same time and age.  I see women who follow God without question, while men seem to have so much harder a time trying to do the same.  Mary will have a normal life after the birth of Jesus.  She will be wife and mother of several more children.  She will go on to be nothing more extraordinary than any other woman of her age, but in this single act of submission and faith, she will carry the honor of having been mother to Love incarnate.

Perhaps it was the love within her, that made all the difference.  Perhaps it is the love in you and I, that can still make all the difference.  For we serve a God where nothing is still impossible, no matter what it looks like in our age.  I pray our responses are different when we are yet called …