Luke: The Integrated Gospel

Luke: Chapter 1

LUKE 1:1-25

1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the *word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of *Abijah; and he had a wife *from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 ”You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 ”For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 ”And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 ”It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 ”And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

21 The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23 When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.

24 After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 ”This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

LUKE 1:1-4

The exact truth

Doctor, author, painter, historian, philosopher and even lawyer. Those would be accurate terms to describe Luke. He fit Plato’s ideal Philosophical Leader, combining knowledge with public application. Luke approaches this account as a scholar — but not as a theologian. He deftly leaves the theology up to the reader; an individual (or political appointee) named (or carrying the title of) Theophilus.

Many scholars (and I agree) believe that Luke’s account is not so much a historic document about Jesus, but a legal document meant as a written defense of Paul to his Roman judge(s).

Theophilus might be a name, but it might also be a title of a court official to which Paul’s case was referred. Acts, the second of Luke’s Biblical documents would then be a further defense of the works of the Holy Spirit through Paul — and others — in developing the early church, the “Followers of The Way,” as they called themselves.

That being said, it helps us understand the context and purpose of this writing:

Philosophically

Every Gospel has a definite purpose even agenda that helps us understand the context of the book. Mark’s Gospel — which serves as the basis of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) — is largely a historic overview of the life of Jesus. Like Luke, it was not written to be theological as much as it was written to give an accurate accounting of the historic life of Jesus. This is not — as previously stated — a theological book like Matthew and John.

Matthew builds upon Mark’s Gospel to write a very theological book focused primarily towards Jewish Scholars, teachers and the teachings of Jesus. His primary aim is to show Jesus was the Messiah as foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Matthew loosely follows the chronological approach of Mark but is more focused on the discourses of Jesus. Thus, Matthew has five lengthy sermons (discourses), which include everything Jesus said about a topic regardless of when he said it.

This was in keeping with how the Jewish Scholars taught at the time. It was known as “stringing pearls.” Combining multiple points on a given theme until the points hung like pearls on a beautiful necklace.

When Jesus says, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces [Matthew 7:6],” he is referring to this style of preaching.

John does not follow Mark’s Gospel. He writes for a different reason. The church is being divided by many heresies and his Gospel is designed to clarify the signs and teachings of Christ and to juxtapose those teachings against the heresies.

In particular, John is writing for a largely Gentile church struggling with a sect that said John the Baptist was the Messiah and the Gnostics who preached duality and separation of the body and spirit. Gnostics would insist the body could sin without affecting the Spirit and that only Jesus’ body died on the cross. His spirit had already left him.

If Luke’s Gospel was a legal defense for Paul written to an appointed judge upholding the theology of Rome, then writing a theological treatise would be foolhardy. Luke was anything but a fool. He lays out the verifiable facts of Christ’s life (meaning every fact had to be verified by at least three witnesses) and then allows Theophilus to make his own theological conclusions.

Temporally

Luke writes at a time of great growth in the early church. However, great growth also means great change.

Internally, the church was struggling with whether it would remain a sect of Judaism or branch out to become a largely Gentile church. James and others wanted the church to remain both Jewish and centered in Jerusalem. They believed all male Gentile converts should undergo the painful process of adult circumcision.

Peter, on the other hand, had personally witnessed the baptism of the Holy Spirit upon Gentiles who had never been circumcised. Both Paul and Peter spoke on behalf of a new church unencumbered by Jewish laws and rituals.

There would be much lively debate about these issues, but all of that would be mute when General (and later, Emperor) Vespasian demolished Jerusalem and sent the Jewish population to all corners of the earth.

Externally, the early church was experiencing growing pains as well. From the very beginning, the followers of Jesus underwent great persecution, first by religious leaders like Saul and later by of Emperors such as Nero and Caligula.

Yet, as often the case, persecution didn’t disembowel the church. It deepened it, widened it, blew the lid off of it, it shook down enclosing walls and drew it out of debate and into action.

No church should ask for persecution, no church should flee it either. What churches should flee is contentment and with it, theological smugness.

Luke must have written with great enthusiasm. It must have taken months — or even longer to compile the eyewitnesses whose testimony would be accepted by a court of law.

Yet, Luke must have also written with reverence and concern. The persecution of the church and even the life of Paul rested upon this document.

What does it mean that Paul was beheaded and the persecution of the church continued — even increased — in intensity? Did Luke feel an acute sense of failure because his written defense failed?

We cannot know. But this we do know; what we often see as failure from a human viewpoint is measured by God as success beyond measure.

We are each called to give a testimony for our faith. Let us make sure the testimony we offer is not to appease human ears, but to be faithful before Christ!

It was against this backdrop that Luke writes and though he is not the on trial; his friend is, his values are, and — as with all of us — it is his integrity that must stand the test of time. More than two millennia later, that integrity remains unchallenged.

Geopolitically

Judea

Whether Luke wrote this account in Jerusalem, on the ship taking Paul to his trial or while visiting with Paul while he was under arrest, we know the information for this Gospel was largely gathered in Jerusalem.

The city itself was never loved by her captors, its population was usually contentious and difficult to govern. However, the region was always vital to world powers and no area more so than the small province of Galilee.

In other writings I’ve said that Galilee was like a prominent nose on a pugilists face. It always took the blows for Israel. Galileans were always the first to see battle and the last to lay down arms. It lay astride the “Kings Way,” a vital trade route for all land caravans going to or returning from Egypt and the rest of Africa.

This land was valuable not because of it’s resources (it hardly had any), but because whoever controlled it controlled half the known world.

Thus the land was constantly at war. Forces within trying to maintain their right of self-governance, forces without trying to control the land bridge between two continents and the myriad groups of pirates and desert bandits that tried to extract tolls and hostages from the unwary who sought passage.

The Caesar’s

The Emperor of Rome during the early part of Christ’s life, Caesar Augustus (reigned BC 31 - AD 14) was beloved by many and seen as bringing great stability to the Roman Empire. He was actually quite lenient with the Jewish people who were often difficult to rule.

Augustus was followed by Caesar Tiberius (reigned AD 14 - 37). Tiberius had a harder time solidifying his rule over Rome but tried to carry out the peace and prosperity agenda of Augustus.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth prefect of Judea and appointed by Tiberius (reigned 26 - 36 AD). He attempted to rule Judea with a brutal fist and his massacre of Jews was recorded on many occasions by historians such as Josephus.

His brutality was in contrast to the peaceful rule of Tiberius and he was eventually recalled.

Pontius was involved in the trial of Jesus, but is mostly remembered for his indecisiveness. By the time of Jesus’ trial, he was more concerned about offending the Jewish leaders than ruling Judea.

Caligula (Reigned 37 - 41 AD) served for six months before losing his sanity to an illness. Though he served four years before being assassinated, he emptied the treasury of Rome, levied new taxes and appointed his horse Consol.

Claudius (Reigned 41 - 54 AD) had the difficult responsibility of restoring the Roman Empire after Caligula decimated its coffers and destroyed its political capital. At this, he was unsuccessful, unable to survive the intrigues of his own family. He was eventually poisoned by his wife — Nero’s mother.

Claudius ended the persecution of Jews in Alexandria but continued the pursuit of Christians throughout the world.

He was assisted to power by Herod of Agrippa, one of Herod the Great’s grandsons. In return, Claudius restored the lands of Judea and Samaria to Agrippa and made him a consular of Rome. Claudius also removed the provincial authority in Judea giving Agrippa complete authority there.

Agrippa’s reign was short-lived. Luke tells us an angel struck him down shortly after the people proclaimed him God and he refused to deny it [Acts 12:21]. However, he was still hard on Christians during his rule. Arresting Peter — who later escaped — and putting James, the elder brother of John the Beloved and son of Zebedee to death.

Nero (Reigned 64 - 68 AD) made the persecution of Christians a priority of the state burning them at the stake to light his luxurious gardens. He also attempted to wipe out the Jewish people sending Vespasian to destroy Jerusalem and dispersing the surviving Jews into slavery all over the empire.

It was during Nero’s reign that Paul asked to be tried in a Roman court. Nero would not have overseen the case as he pronounced he would not serve as a judge of Rome. In fact, he was more prone to assassinating his enemies than providing them the due process of law.

In addition to Paul, Peter also met his end under Nero’s rule. Christians in general were persecuted unceasingly during this time. Especially after a mysterious fire burned much of central Rome. Nero blamed the fire on Christians but the population largely believed it was Nero who caused the fire. This speculation was fueled by Nero’s insatiable desire to expand his hedonistic pleasure palace into a densely populated area.

It was truly quite a contrast. The age of Nero — so replete with grotesque hedonism — and the birth of Christ’s church — so focused on compassionate service.

The Herodian Dynasty

Herod the Great started as the Governor of Galilee from 47 - 37 BC and then became King of Israel from 37 - 4 AD. During his governorship he proved adept at collecting taxes and quelling Jewish riots. So adept that he became a threat to his overseers who had him arrested. Although he was acquitted, he fled to Damascus where he was quickly appointed governor of Syria-Crole.

It was there he gained the trust of Rome and in 41 BC, when Antony came to power under Octavia Caesar, Herod was given the title “King of Israel.”

Herod is most remembered for his building projects. He began the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem. He built an immense court and dwelling overlooking it. However, the Jewish people disdained him because he was only half Jewish and because he built a coliseum and brought the Roman games to the city.

Herod the Great is remembered in scripture as the King who tried to have the infant Jesus killed during the “Slaughter of the Innocents.” This event is not chronicled in other historic texts at the time. However, this is not surprising. Herod’s brutality was well noted. He knew he was hated by his subjects, so among his final orders were to slaughter 300 Jewish leaders upon his death. That way, the Jewish people would remember the day of his death with mourning. Fortunately, this order was never carried out.

The Context

So herein lies the context of Luke’s “briefs.” Surrounded by a clash of political and religious titans he sets upon achieving three goals.

1. Save Paul’s life

2. Do not offend Roman authorities by preaching at them or condemning them unnecessarily

3. Above all — speak the Gospel Truth whatever the cost.

If we keep these goals in mind it will help us better understand this Gospel of integrity. As we read it, we can also examine our own lives in communion with Luke.

Do I speak fervently knowing that the truth of my words can bring salvation to others? Remember, Luke was not out to save the world. He was out to save his friend. The world was later changed because of his sincere commitment to Paul. I call this the Gospel of Integrity because — above all else — I relate to Luke the painter who loved to paint contrasts in almost all his chapters. Between the high priest Zacharias and the maiden, Mary, between the rulers of Rome and Jerusalem and the leadership style of Jesus. Seek the eye of the one who wants to integrate all of these concepts into a singular defense of a friend and still tell the stories of Jesus and share the sayings of Jesus in all of these chapters and you will understand Luke even better.

LUKE 1:5-14

They had no child

Luke wants to establish the pedigree of John the Baptist for a significant reason — to point to the credibility of one of Christ’s first and greatest witnesses.

John may not have been Rome’s or Herod’s best friend, but his honesty could not be questioned. Even Roman soldiers came to him for advice on how to live a just life [Luke 3:14].

So Luke’s brief begins by connecting the miraculous life of John (and his priestly lineage) to the miraculous life of John’s cousin, Jesus.

In addition, Luke, the artist, paints a landscape contrasting the high status behind John’s birth with the lowly status of Jesus’ birth. We mustn’t let this dichotomy be lost on us and we will explore it later in Luke, chapter 2.

For now, we should be aware of three major points:

1. Zecharias was among the highest class in Jewish society, a priest in the bloodline of Abijah with a wife descended from Aaron.

2. Being from that bloodline, allowed Zecharias’ name to be among those picked by lots to participate in the highest priestly honor in Judaism. Entering the inner sanctum of the Holy of Holies to pray on behalf of God’s people.

3. Despite this great honor, Zecharias had a huge “blemish” on his life; his wife and he were unable to have children. The people of his time would have seen this as a curse.

What prayer do we think would have been on the old priest’s tongue that morning? Do we think it would be gratitude for the honor bestowed upon him or complaining over his plight?

How often are we prone to whining instead of praising?

What can we learn from this scripture?

1. God is aware of our situation and willing to move towards our deepest purposes.

2. Whining is never cathartic. All whining does is improve our skills at whining. It doesn’t lift our eyes to God, fill our hearts with praise or gather a community of joy around us. It would do all of us well to fast from complaining in our lives.

3. Zacharias’ response to the miraculous news of the angel is doubt festered by his whining attitude. The result of his doubt (demanding a sign) is that his testimony will be his mute mouth.

This shouldn’t surprise us, a complaining mouth becomes decreasingly heard the longer and louder it speaks. Luke’s creative mind juxtaposes the muteness of the high priest with the Magnificat of the lowly maidservant. What a lovely contrast and amazing lesson.

“You will have joy and gladness”

This statement is critical to a society that thinks believing in Jesus results in the alleviation of troubles — financial, physical or otherwise. Instead, we see an angel of God telling us plainly that following Christ brings both sorrow and joy. In fact, one might even say that the closer we are to Jesus, the more acute our sorrows and joys.

In my own experience of attempting to follow Jesus to the “least accepted” and “most rejected,” I have learned the difference between inconveniences and problems. Living a comfortable life often blurs this relationship. The more I overinflate my inconveniences, the more I deceive myself into believing they are problems — and the more my life is also robbed of the experience of true joy.

We are inconvenienced by traffic on the way to a cushy office. Inconvenienced by a line at the shopping market. Inconvenienced by differing opinions in the house or at work. But these are not problems or crisis — they are mere inconveniences.

Enough for the Journey

OVERVIEW

LUKE 1:29

But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

Enough for the journey

Throughout scripture, God’s blessings seem frequently perplexing. Paul would be a great apostle – but first he would be blinded and completely dependent on Christians in the very village he was sent to purge. Peter would feed Christ’s sheep but first he had to give up his stubborn independence and be led by his belt like a slave. Jesus would deliver salvation but first came the scourging and the cross.

Mary will be a mother — indeed to the Messiah – but first she must bear the stigma of an unmarried pregnancy.

Perhaps it is a trait of following God that we experience mixed blessings. Is it because what God seeks for us is so contrary to our culture? God wants responsibility – this culture prefers self-satisfaction. God wants humility – this culture prefers independence. God wants service – this culture prefers self-gratification. All of the people we mentioned had to give up self-satisfaction, independence and self-gratification. Instead, they became humble, transparent and obedient servants.

One thing that strikes me about true followers of God, they must be unencumbered. This is a hard thing for me to consistently embrace. I have a natural tendency to want to “cumber myself.” I feel secure when I am encumbered. Yet, the modus operandi of God seems to be material liberation or, “Enough for the day’s journey.”

Proverbs 30:8-9

8 “Enough for the journey or riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 Lest I be full and deny {Thee} and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

We see the Master dining one day with tax collectors and another day; he is gleaning a field for leftover wheat with his disciples [Mark 2:23]. We see our Lord telling the disciples to feed the hungry masses – to give them food for the journey. Yet, the masses were not fed from the possessions the disciple’s had; they were fed by a faith they did not yet possess – they were fed from their reliance on Jesus [Luke 9:13].

When I decided to become a missionary I knew it would be an immense change in lifestyle. Yet, head knowledge is so much different than personal experience. However, I want to share with you an incredible thing about “enough for the journey.” I continue to learn that God not only provides the gifts exactly as they are needed – but he is at work on a much deeper and more spiritual level. On a spiritual level, enough for the journey means wanting less, examining the concept of dependence, obedience and service in contrast to comfort, independence and personal gratification. The mixed blessing is simplification of desire holding hands with dependence on God.

To read the story of Mary, this perplexed and puzzled young girl, is to read a story of mixed blessings and “enough for the journey.” While fleeing her own community, she is welcomed by Elizabeth. When threatened with rejection by Joseph, an angel stuns him with a revelation about the Christ-child [Matthew 1:22]. When Herod seeks to kill the boy, the wise men provide enough resources for their escape. Indeed, when Mary watches her son die, he offers John’s love in her despair.

Mixed blessings and enough for the journey; God’s touch is clear. He wants us to be drawn to him, to be pulled into him and to rely on him. Then the abundance of life will be revealed in “enough for the journey.”

LUKE 1:26-38

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

LUKE 1:26

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth.

An Angel

Gabriel had been silent for five hundred years. The last time he had spoken was to Daniel the prophet:

Daniel 8:15-17

15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”

Daniel 9:21-23

21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”

One of the primary missions of angels is to offer people understanding in spiritual matters. We simply cannot see with clarity into spiritual realms without spiritual help. Paul tells us our vision of the world is like a dim mirror; we see shadows and backwards [1 Corinthians 13:12]. John deals within this same conceptual framework as he meshes concepts familiar to both the Greek (Plato’s philosophy of the cave) and the Hebrew mind (light and word – see the study from John 1:6-8, 19-28 for more information on this topic). Prior to the availability of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it seemed that news too great for a human to understand was hand-delivered by an angel. It was as if the recipient needed not only the revelation, but also the emphasis that the message was heaven-sent. If you are like me – you are probably thinking how nice that would be; to have your prayers answered – not just with emphasis but also with an angel to emphasize it. However, think twice, angels didn’t look like the little cherubs that decorate our doilies today. Those, in fact, are largely taken from Roman mythology (see a deeper study on Angels in Luke 24). In almost every instance, the appearance of an angel is accompanied by the words, “Do not be afraid.”

Gabriel himself was an Archangel whose name means “God Is Great!” All references to Gabriel are connected with the arrival of the Messiah. It is believed he is the angel that will trumpet the announcement of the Lord’s next coming:

1Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

LUKE 1:27-30

27 To a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

The story of Mary

Only Luke gives us a comprehensive insight into the young woman named Mary. This is one of the attributes that sets Luke’s gospel apart from the others. Not being Middle Eastern (he was probably Macedonian) and also a gentile (the only biblical writer who was Gentile). Luke doesn’t have the same anti-feminine views prevalent in both of those cultures at the time of Jesus. For example – in part of the Jewish Morning Prayer – a man thanks God that he was not born “a gentile, slave or a woman.” As a result, it is Luke who is free to give us many intriguing insights into the women that touched the Lord’s life. It is from Luke’s pen that we learn so much about Elizabeth, Anna the prophetess, the anointing of Jesus’ feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee, the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, as well as Mary Magdalene. It is from Luke’s pen we learn that many of Christ’s disciples were indeed women and not just men.

This passage also tells us that Mary was a virgin betrothed to Joseph. Betrothal was a legal commitment between Joseph, Mary and their parents (although Mary probably had little say in the arrangement). The dowry was paid at betrothal as a sign of the legal finality of both party’s commitment. Then, for a year, the betrothed lived apart from each other and with their parents. This year insured the woman was not pregnant at the time of betrothal. For that time period, the two were considered married by all legal parameters, except that they could not have sexual relations. If the groom died during that time the woman would be considered a “virgin widow.” If, during that period, it was discovered that either had sexual relations with anyone, that person could be stoned as an adulterer.

So, for Mary to become pregnant, while betrothed, was an offense punishable by death. She would have been taken to the edge of the village, thrown off an embankment (to break the bones of her body and ensure she could not run away) and then stoned to death.

Is it any wonder this young lady of 13 or 14 was “perplexed and pondering?” How would I respond if it were me?

Also, it needs to be mentioned that this passage along with Matthew 1:18-19, emphasizes that Mary was a Virgin when she conceived the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18-19

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.

Some would argue; “How could Jesus be like us in all ways if he had such a spectacular birth story?”

This is something I believe we only “see through a mirror dimly.” It takes an act of faith to accept this doctrine. We cannot respond to it with human understanding. However, such acts of the miraculous are reported throughout the life of Jesus including frequent healings, feedings of thousands, the transfiguration and the resurrection. Our greatest act of faith lies not really regarding this birth at all. The most important act of faith is to acknowledge our own new birth into the Spirit. This confused even the greatest minds of Christ’s day, as exemplified in the story of Nicodemus

John 3:4-12

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not marvel that I said to you; “You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things? 11 “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness. 12 “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Accepting our own birth into the family of God is ultimately our greatest act of faith. That simple act matters more than the doctrine, the recitations, the rituals or denominational statements of faith. Is Jesus your Lord? Have you become his servant? The moment we do the will of the Father; we become children of the Father.

Matthew 12:50

“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus tells us we can become his brother, sister and even mother. Yet, Jesus leaves out two relationships. Distant relatives and Father!

1. We can never be a distant relative of Jesus – we have to be in close relationship with him or we are not part of the family.

2. We can never be the father of Jesus. There is only one Father and forever will be only one who can claim that title.

LUKE 1:30-33

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

The power of THE Name

In the Hebrew culture, father’s picked the name of their children. Just so there would be no confusion, Gabriel tells Mary that his heavenly father has already picked out a name for him. “You shall name Him,” is akin to saying, “you must name Him.” What do we learn of the titles of Jesus in this verse?

· Jesus

Jesus translates into; “Jehovah is Salvation.” It was customary of the father to name the son. It was also customary for the father to name his son after themself or a relative. Jesus is named after Jehovah, his Father.

Jesus is the Greek version of Joshua, the mighty warrior who led Israel into the Promised Land. Our Lord laid down his life to be a bridge into the eternal land promised to those who walked the talk of their belief (obedience).

· He shall be great [megas; G3173]

We still use the word, mega, for something that exceeds all others. Albeit, our culture tends to reduce all pronouns to things like dish soap; “It’s the mega-buy of the year!” Biblically this word was saved for events of truly historical magnitude. The KJV uses this same word for exceedingly, mighty, terrifying (sore afraid), strong, high, even loud. Let us pray that it is a word spoken loud enough for us to hear.

· Son of the Most High

The most high exceeds all… and Megas is his son. It is almost as if Gabriel himself is overwhelmed with the news that he is bearing. Should that be any wonder when we realize that the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who reopens his/her life to the Lord? [Luke 15:10] “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Gabriel is announcing the One who will open the way for all mankind to be in relationship with God.

Let this thought bless you this week; all of creation was designed to call you into a loving relationship with the Mega and the Exceeding! From Alpha to Omega, from mountaintop to ocean depth, from hurricane to the gentle snowflake you caught with your tongue as a wondering child. The loving hand of the Creator placed it there in an effort to say; “Come to me, my Beloved. Bathe in my joy.”

· The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David

It is interesting that Luke, so concerned with rendering the Gospel in Greek would use this reference to the throne of David. Luke was primarily concerned with writing a gentile manuscript. For example, he traces Jesus’ lineage from Adam (the father of all people) whereas Matthew (concerned with a gospel for the Jews) traces Christ’s line from David (the promised forefather of the Messiah’s lineage). There are two things that are important to note about this verse:

a) It tells us that Luke was less interested with making a point than being thoroughly accurate. This was the account as the Greek Physician heard it and thus it is the account we receive.

b) The term “father” was a patriarchal term – not just a term for your genetic parent. It could mean “ancestors” as well as “dad.” Luke’s emphasis was to establish that (in a patriarchal society) Jesus had all the credentials of a King.

c) David’s descendent

Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies of ages. God had promised Israel a king who would reign over Israel forever and Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise:

2 Samuel 7:16

“And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”

(See also Revelation 21)

· He will reign

Here is a word with a very interesting heritage. To reign [basileuo; G936] meant not only to be in power over, but the root of word means to be the foundation under your people. In fact, the whole concept of ruling the “house” of Jacob (Israel) is immensely different from our understanding of ruling.

At one time, the “House of Jacob” [H1004, Bayith] applied to the people of Israel – not a building and its ritual; the temple. In the strictest sense, one could interpret the cultural concept of “the house of Jacob” as meaning; “where all people are safe and our children are raised in the knowledge of God.”

God does not vary on this definition in the Old Testament or the New. It seems that the least of the people (widows and orphans) were always forgotten when the Israelites strayed from true worship. Again and again God commands not just the worship of ritual – but to worship him in acts of justice and mercy – especially to the least of these.

Amos 5:21-24

21 “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 “Even though you offer up to me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept {them} and I will not {even} look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. 23 “Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. 24 “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Amos 6:11-12

11 For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments. 12 Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.

That is the reign of Christ. The reign he announced as “Good News to the poor.” The reign of Christ will be from the bottom up and from the top down. He will not rule over what he does not lift up. Such is the title given to him by the Messenger of our Lord; Archangel Gabriel.

LUKE 1:34-38

34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Zacharias & Mary

Here is perhaps one of the rawest stories of faith in the New Testament. It contrasts two radically different responses to an invitation to be obedient and the results those differing reactions have upon the respondents. In both cases the archangel, Gabriel, announces great news of a longed-for birth upon two radically unlikely candidates. One is a childless old priest, Zacharias, whose wife, Elizabeth, is well beyond childbearing years. Of the two respondents, he seems like he should be the most likely to offer joyous thanksgiving. An old man, denied children all his life, he’s even a High Priest, from the lineage of Aaron. Alone in the temple with the Holy of Holies, an archangel appears to him announcing grand news. He is not only going to have a son after all these years; but his son will announce the long-awaited arrival of the Messiah. Look at the variables: A high priest, trained in the service of God, in the center of Israel’s temple receives a long-awaited promise from the lips of an archangel. Yet, he is the one whose response is most doubtful and even insulting!

Alternatively Mary is a young woman barely of childbearing age, raised in obscurity, who hears God’s call in a hovel in the furthest province of Israel. Shouldn’t Mary’s heart have been filled with the most doubt?

As is so apropos of a God – who picks a man that stutters to do his speaking and an overlooked shepherd boy to lead his nation – it is the one whom we would least expect that is most accepting. Look at their radically different responses:

Luke 1:18

Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

Zacharias – who should be overjoyed – is instead dubious and wants additional proof. More proof? More proof than the appearance of an archangel in the temple of Israel?

Compare Zacharias’ response to Mary’s profoundly simple question:

Luke 1:34

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

Luke 1:38

And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The NIV insightfully translates the two statements as Zacharias asking, “How can this be done?” and Mary seeking, “How will this be done?” Zacharias wants proof. Mary wants plans. Zacharias wants evidence; Mary wants marching orders.

Which one am I? Jesus has promised his return; that’s what we await and pray for during Advent. Am I asking, “How will I know?” Or, am I asking; “What do I need to do?”

It is interesting what happens as the result of their responses. God keeps his promise to humanity despite the less than faithful reaction of Zacharias the priest. Still, while Mary’s reply is the Magnificat (one of the most beautiful sonnets of the bible), Zacharias is struck dumb during the most breathtaking period of his life. While his elderly wife grows with child he looks on in mute silence from the sideline. Faith takes wing in song, doubt results in a mute witness.

One might even recognize in this simple story the closing of the Old Testament and the opening of the New. It is a contrast between the failures of ritualism with a tired, old priesthood that cannot even recognize the fruit of their long-desired hopes in comparison to the overwhelming gratitude of one of the “least of these” who welcomes the Messiah in the most unexpected circumstance.

For nothing will be impossible with God

Will I be able to hear the words of the angel’s promise as a result of my faithful response to God? Think carefully, we are talking about events that were the desire of ages. Yet upon fruition, they demanded immense personal risk and substantial life changes. The blessing granted to Mary was so unimaginable that it was impossible for her to grasp its magnitude from a human perspective. Spiritual assistance (Gabriel) was needed to understand the purpose of God’s plan and her role in the blessing. Am I ready for that kind of “blessing” in my life? Do I have the strength to be gifted by God?

Humanly speaking; “No!” However, being Christian is not about relying on human resources. What Gabriel announced to Mary, he announces to us as well, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

I cannot stress how important it is to realize the strength God offers his followers seems offered primarily in increments of “enough for the journey” rather than a downpour of instant endowments. This is critically important to grasp if you are waiting upon God’s call. God bestows his blessing upon people as they step out on the journey – not before they make an act of faith. Mary doesn’t receive a lump sum payment for obeying God, she receives enough for each day — she is cared for by Elizabeth, protected by Joseph, given enough money to flee to Egypt and allowed the prophetic kindnesses of Simeon and Anna. Yet, in between each of the blessings are lengthy and difficult stretches of faith. Fleeing her village (in a hurry) before she starts to show, sharing her news with her parents and Joseph, the nearly 100-mile walk to Jerusalem in her last trimester, the midnight race to Egypt and so on until finally she witnesses the death of her child on a Roman cross.

Christ called his disciples to go out relying upon him.

Matthew 10:7-10

7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal {the} sick, raise {the} dead, cleanse {the} lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give. 9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for {your} journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.’”

God tells Joshua that the waters of the Jordan will not part until the priest’s first step into them.

Joshua 3:13

13”And it shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, {and} the waters which are flowing down from above shall stand in one heap.”

God demands great things of us, far beyond what we could humanly imagine we are able to accomplish. Yet, we have to step out in faith. To step out where there is no risk is not the path to greater faithfulness. God calls us to where it is foggiest and darkest.

Exodus 19:9a

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud…’”

He calls us to be, not where we are comfortable, but where we appear even foolish for our faith,

1 Corinthians 3:18-21

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “{He is} the one who catches the wise in their craftiness;” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” 21 So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you.

To be faithful is to be foolish in this world. Letting go of the security of the world to deepen dependence upon God is the final commandment given to the rich, young man.

Matthew 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go {and} sell your possessions and give to {the} poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Yet, God is full in promising abundance to the faithful.

Matthew 19:27-29

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.”

Let me add personal testimony to God’s promise. Being reliant upon him for everything is most difficult when I am most human. Yet, God continues to meet our physical needs and, even more, he fills our emotional and spiritual needs. Finally, while God provides a radical inner change, he helps us to be satisfied with less material possessions and increases the longing to cling more confidently to him.

Faithfulness is the hardest journey in this life. Its greatest enemy is comfort. Yet, God always provides “enough for the day’s journey.”

My Soul Exalts the Lord

LUKE 1:39-80

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

46 And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,

47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

48 ”For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

49 ”For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.

50 ”And His mercy is upon generation after generation  toward those who fear Him.

51 ”He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

52 ”He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.

53 ”He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.

54 ”He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy,

55 As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

LUKE 1:39-45

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country

Why did Mary arise and flee in a hurry to the hill country? It is likely she was her pregnancy beginning to show and people were beginning to talk about her if not downright threaten her. Remember as far as Jewish Law was concerned, she was an adulteress and could be stoned for her supposed sin. And who would stone her? Her own church…

I once asked a prostitute in a County Jail if she would consider coming to our church. She said, “No thanks, I don’t need more condemnation and glaring looks in my life. I’m trying to gain back my self-esteem not have it abused.”

How often do our churches attack people who have obviously had a difficult past or look different from the norm instead of reach out to them and welcome them? I’ve always asked members in the churches where I pastored not to dress in their Sunday finest but instead to dress so none of the poorest would feel uncomfortable. Based on the reactions, you would have thought I was preaching heresy!

Would Mary, a teenage, unwed mom, feel accepted or threatened in my congregation? How would Jesus who had “no place to lay his head,” and only one robe all of his life, feel in my church?

“My soul exalts the Lord”

Despite needing to flee her own village, imagine the great joy Mary felt upon the affirmation and acceptance of Elizabeth. Is this what I offer people — no matter what their circumstance — the affirmation and acceptance of Elizabeth? Am I a modern-day Elizabeth to those around me? Do they leave an interaction with me affirmed and exalting from their soul?

How do I become more of an Elizabeth person everyday?

· Soul [G5590 Psuchē] breath, heart, life, mind, person

· Exalts [G3170 Megalunō] declares, makes great, enlarges, holds in high esteem, magnifies

Mary’s prayer begins with saying that her entire being (soul) magnifies, declares great, the Lord. Who does my entire being magnify?

Toward those who fear Him

The fear of the Lord often gets a bum wrap. Perhaps from the old days when saying, “I’m going to put the fear of the Lord into that child.” Meaning taking a strap to his or her backside. Scripturally, fear [5299 Phobeō] means filled with awe, respect, terrified, actually the term comes from a word that means to be in deep awe. We might even think of it as “being in fear of losing relationship.”

Jesus wants us to have a loving, personal relationship with our Creator. His model is the amazing father of the Prodigal Son who had no right to come home but was greeted with joy by his dad [Luke 15:11-32]. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus users an endearing term for dad [G3962 Patēr] and tells us to pray to God as, “Daddy [Matthew 6:9].”

Matthew 7:7-10

7 ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 ”For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 ”Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 ”Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 ”If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Paul talks lovingly of this special relationship

Romans 8:15

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

Do we invite people into the fear of a distant and harsh God or the embrace of a loving “Abba?”

He has filled the hungry with good things

What would be a “good thing,” to the hungry? Words, doctrine or food?

· Good things [G18 Agathos] generosity, kindness

The root of this word is Agapaō, [G25] the act of loving. Jesus uses this word a third more times than the word Agapē [G26] because our actions speak louder than our words. What are actions of love to those who are hungry? A meal, a living wage, a relationship based upon equality and worth?

Poverty is not just a resource issue. A country cannot alleviate poverty simply by redistributing money. Poverty is a relational issue. When I know the poor and sit face-to-face with the hungry. It is far harder to walk away from them. This is why, when Jesus feeds the thousands, he has them sit in small groups first. Building community comes before ending hunger.

Luke 9:14

(For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.”

Paul continues the tradition of feeding the hungry in the early church even commissioning the church to feed their enemies.

Romans 12:20

“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”

Our life on earth is too short to hold on to anger at people. Holding on to anger is such a waste of energy. It takes us more energy to hold a grudge than to just let it go and there is significant evidence that perpetuating such emotions is a leading cause of significant illness [http://psychologyofchronicillness.blogspot.ca/2012/01/beneath-anger.html, Nicoletta Skoufalos, Ph.D. 01.25.2012].

Unlike Christ, most of our anger rises from our own false expectations of others and is based in self-righteousness, a sense we were wronged and deserved better. Jesus’ did have anger, but his anger wasn’t self-righteous. It was anger directed at injustice and righteousness; he used his energy to right a wrong that was committed against someone (or a group of people) who was being manipulated.

A great exercise to develop our own character is to find someone with whom I would normally have a very difficult time getting along and offer that individual time for unencumbered listening, while personally fasting from trying to advise, fix, change or convert her or him. Prior to spending time together, create a list of questions that would help that person talk about their life.

Another way to grow character is to fast two days a week and make some healthy sandwiches, then look for the hungry in your own community and give away those sandwiches. These 5-2 diets have been shown to reduce weight, improve cognitive capacity and transform health in participants [The 5:2 Diet Book: Feast for Five Days a Weekend Fast for Two to Lose Weight, Boost Your Brain and Transform Your Health, Harrison, Kate, © 2012, Kate Harrison, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform].

At once his mouth was opened

LUKE 1:57-80

57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. 60 But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. 64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

68 ”Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant—

70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—

71 Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;

72 To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant,

73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,

74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

76 ”And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;

77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins,

78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,

79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God

All throughout Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Zacharias sat in humbled silence. Why? He had challenged the angel Gabriel to give him proof that his wife would conceive. His proof was his muteness. His doubt resulted in him being unable to praise God during the most exciting period of his life. However, this silence was not a permanent sentence. As soon as the baby was born and named (by the mother), his tongue was loosed and now, the first words from his mouth were praise.

What doubt keeps me mute? Where — or with whom — does my voice go unheard because either I am negative, sarcastic, angry or refusing to praise God? For Zacharias, his voice was silenced with his peers and in his home because of his doubt and challenging that God could deliver him from his plight (to be a high priest with no child).

Cynicism is the bane of our culture; sadly we mistake it for wisdom and sarcasm for humor. We must fast from sarcasm and cynicism for they silence our ability to speak on behalf of the angels.

The etymology of sarcasm is the Greek “Sarkasmos” and the Latin “Sarcasmos,” it means “to strip off the flesh [carcass].” Does this sound like a word that has any place in a healthy relationship? Not in our schools, churches or families and yet, we invite it into our living rooms nearly every night in the form of today’s so-called humorists or commentators.

In my work with schools, I’ve often said that I’ve never seen a school high in bullying among the students that wasn’t also high in sarcasm among the teachers. In some schools I’ve asked teachers to start a “Sarcasm Jar,” whereby they have to put in a nickel for every sarcastic phrase or word used in the teachers lounge.

To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace

Here is what our words and actions should focus upon doing in every relationship. Not tearing people down but building people up. To continually “shine upon those who sit in darkness and guide people’s feet into the way of peace.”

· Shine [G2014 Epiphanō] to show forth (as in an epiphany — a revelation), to appear and to shine

· Darkness [G4655 Skotos] absence of light, unable to see, unable to hope

· Guide [G2720 Kateuthunō], make the straightest path, walk with people on the correct way

· Way [G3598 Hodos] a road, highway, street, path or way

· Peace [G1515 Eirēnē] undisturbed or welfare (serenity)

Look at John’s commission — and ours too as we prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of those around us. We are to shine, reveal a way to those unable to see or unable to hope. Those in the absence of light or joy.

We are to direct them (guide, not just tell, this implies taking someone not just pointing out the steps they must take, it means we journey with them as Jesus did in Luke 24 with the hapless disciples on the Road to Emmaus). We don’t tell, we accompany.

We walk with the hopeless or those in the dark on the path or way of peace. There were two Greek words for peace used by Luke in his Gospel, eirene and shalom. Each had different meanings. Eirene is undisturbed serenity, shalom is taking peace to the chaos. For us, we are to lead the hopeless to serenity while challenging other leaders to take serenity to the chaos of the world. Christ begins by guiding his followers out of darkness and into serenity, but in the end —- when he appears to them after the resurrection [Luke 24] — he commissions them to take peace to the chaos, to leave behind the comfort of the Upper Room and Jerusalem and take his peace to the world.

We must do the same. Guide people to the peace of Christ then commission them to take it to the chaos. In this world, we often see peace as the absence of chaos and we flee chaos to find peace. But in Christ, we take peace to the chaos.

At which stage am I in my walk? Am I fleeing chaos to find peace or taking peace to the hopeless, walking beside those without light or shining in the darkness?