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.