For 9 months or so, Zechariah has not been able to speak, when he can speak Luke records it was to praise God.
I
have lost my voice a number of times, one time I could not speak at all for
about 2 weeks and was not allowed to preach for 3 weeks. Every time I wanted to
say something, I had to write it down. Going shopping was a whole new experience,
even a trip to the doctor meant writing a note for the receptionist.
When
I was finally allowed to speak, I don’t remember singing about how wonderful God
had been to me. 😊
Last
week I told you about a time I was singing about how wonderful God was. Maybe it
is to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit, rather than not being able to talk
for a period of time.
Can
you think of a time when praise just flowed out of you?
How
did you feel?
Was
it out of the blue, or in response to an event or situation?
..
Looking
ahead to the second birth story in today’s reading, the birth of Jesus. Luke includes
lots of details about what is happening in that time frame. Early church tradition
placed Jesus birth during the reign of Herod, and the Messiah had to be born in
Bethlehem.[i]
If you read the beginning of Matthew’s
gospel, he has Mary and Joseph already in Bethlehem, no mention of the census
or travel.
During
the ministry of Jesus, from about age 30, it was apparent he was someone special.
After the resurrection the gospel writers started putting together the stories
they had heard from the disciples. Only two of the four gospels in our Bible include
a birth narrative, and each is different in emphasis and details.
The
important point in the birth narrative is that Jesus is born into the family of
David, in the town of David, important markers of the coming Messiah.
Next
Sunday we will consider the response to the birth of Jesus.
Today
I want us to think about the song of Zechariah.
Notice
Zechariah sings:
Praise the Lord, the
God of Israel!
He has come to save
his people.
from the family of
David his servant.
Our
God has given us a mighty Saviour – that seems to refer to Jesus who is not yet
born. But like Mary singing the future into being, Zechariah sings of the
Messiah who is not yet born, as if he is already there.
A
sign of trust in the providence of God. God will save the people of Israel. For
Luke this is not about an uprising against the Roman empire. Here the messiah
has come to save people from their sins. Liberation is religious, not political
in Luke’s gospel.
Zechariah
knows his son is not the one who save Israel, but his son, John, is the one who
will prepare the way, to call people to repentance. [ii]
The
hymn that Zechariah sings connects the early Christians with the ongoing story
of Israel. The history of Israel included liberation, exodus, a new beginning
and exile. Israel was never without hope, because
they
know that God's promises are true.[iii]
The
song of Zechariah also sees the birth of John and Jesus as part of a larger
story, the ongoing story of the connection between God and Israel.
“Zechariah
doesn't just sing about God's ancient faithfulness; he also sings of the new
thing God is about to do, raising up "a mighty saviour" from the
house of David. In fact, he sings as if God has already done this great thing.”
[iv]
…
The
final part of Zechariah’s hymn is
God’s love and kindness will shine upon
us
like the sun that rises in the sky.
On us who live in the dark shadow of death
this light will shine to guide us into a life of peace.
like the sun that rises in the sky.
On us who live in the dark shadow of death
this light will shine to guide us into a life of peace.
What
might the life of peace look like for you?
If
we wait for there to be no wars, we will never be able to walk in the ways of
peace. What does it mean to walk in the
way of peace?
”
… the end of Zechariah's song … draws a picture of "a time of wholeness,
well-being, security, happiness, and contentment that will extend to all
people"[v]
Maybe
that is part of living in the way of peace.
“Zechariah
sings of a salvation that is healing for the damage the world does because of
sin and brokenness, because of greed and hatred and violence; he sings of a
restoration of things to what they ought to be. When Zechariah sings of God's
forgiveness, he isn't describing a legalistic transaction, a reward we earn by
our deeds, but a movement of the heart, God's heart, toward us, even in our
weakness and humanity. But he also sees in his son
the beauty of hope
and the promise of God's tender mercy,
and, most of all,
the promise of peace. “ [vi]
the beauty of hope
and the promise of God's tender mercy,
and, most of all,
the promise of peace. “ [vi]
What
can we do about living in the way of peace?
What
we are doing today, gathering together, remembering and acknowledging that we
too are children of God, children of the promise and God has not forgotten about
us. we gather together as people of God hearing the story of God’s love, God’s
presence, God’s constant yearning for the people of Israel, and for all
humanity.
And
we give thanks for those signs of the kingdom in our midst.
“ …we
listen for the story again, we wait in the darkness together, we gather our
strength, renew our courage, and feast upon the mercy of God so that we can go
back out into the world and be light and love for those who, like us, long to
find the way to the path of peace.”[vii]
Your
life is part of the great narrative of God’s story; our stories are intertwined
with each other and with God. in each of our lives God is at work transforming,
redeeming and blessing us, to be blessings for the world.
May
you know, deep within you,
that
you are God’s beloved child,
that you matter,
and that God desires your life to be filled
with hope
and peace
and joy.
that you matter,
and that God desires your life to be filled
with hope
and peace
and joy.
we
listen in the quiet, open to the Holy Spirit in our midst.
[i]
Sacra Pagina, page 52
[ii]
Sacra Pagina, page 48
[iii]
https://www.ucc.org/weekly_seeds_prophets_of_peace
[iv]
https://www.ucc.org/weekly_seeds_prophets_of_peace
[v]
https://www.ucc.org/weekly_seeds_prophets_of_peace
[vi]
https://www.ucc.org/weekly_seeds_prophets_of_peace
[vii]
https://www.ucc.org/weekly_seeds_prophets_of_peace
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