Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight

 

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

* * *

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the Baptist son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight. 

Every valley shall be filled 

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

- Luke (1:1–4) 3:1–14 

 

On Saturday, we read Jesus' final words addressed to the crowds in the temple during Holy Week. He cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

 

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  Today the lectionary transitions from readings in John's Gospel to the Gospel of Luke.  Here is the dedication of Luke's Gospel, to the disciple Theophilus.  My study Bible comments on this passage to remind us that Luke was not a disciple from the beginning, and yet he has a perfect understanding of the Gospel, because his sources were the apostles themselves.  Those apostles are the eyewitnesses of Christ.  Luke dedicates his gospel to Theophilus, who was a prominent Gentile who had received instruction (see also Acts 1:1).   Theophilus means one who loves or is a friend of God in Greek.  According to St. Ambrose, this name can simply mean any "lover of God."  And so therefore, he says, "If you love God, it was written to you."

 

 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the Baptist son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  Luke is very careful to be precise in dating the events he reports in his Gospel.  So he first mentions the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, and then those who rule over the territories that constitute Israel.  My study Bible comments that while Caiaphas was the sole high priest, people also recognized the continuing power of his father-in-law Annas, who was  a previous high priest deposed by the Romans.  

 

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . . .  My study Bible comments that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets.  John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  John the Baptist is a figure of the Law, in the sense that -- like the Law -- he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  My study Bible says that John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.  

 

. . . as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.   Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  In John 1:23, John the Baptist declares this role of "the voice" to be his own.  This is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah found at Isaiah 40:3-5. 

 

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."  My study Bible comments here that while parents and ancestors help to impart piety and holiness, ancestry itself does not make a person worthy of God.  Each one in every generation must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Stones are symbolic of the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  

In a sense, today's reading reports the people coming to John the Baptist as revealing how desperately the people were looking for a redeemer or deliverer for Israel; that is, as eagerly awaiting the Messiah.  All the questions they ask reflect this.  John at first scathingly rebukes the multitudes, calling them "brood of vipers."  In Matthew's Gospel, John uses this term for the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Jesus does so as well (Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33).   But Luke's Gospel then shifts to the people, perhaps bewildered, sincerely asking, "What shall we do then?"  He tells them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."   The tax collectors, despised by their own people, come to be baptized, and they ask John, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Even the soldiers, who of course work for the Romans, ask him, "And what shall we do?"   And he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."   Each of these responses by John is an important reminder that it's not so much what we call ourselves in life, not what group we belong to, what our ancestors called themselves, or even what we inherit in a conventional sense that makes us who we are in the sight of God.  It's rather what we do that is emphasized in the Scriptures.  The tax collectors are generally shunned as great sinners within their own communities; they are, after all, Jews who work for the Romans and who often use extortion not only to collect Roman taxes but to take some home for themselves.  John tells them to stop extorting the people and to do their jobs in an honest way.  The soldiers (who back up that Roman power that enables the tax collectors to extort their people, by the way) are told also to be content with their wages, and not to extort the people, not to intimidate or accuse falsely.  The people themselves are told something echoing what we'll hear from Jesus in His preaching, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."    This notion of two tunics must have been seen as something perhaps ostentatious or perhaps a kind of minor luxury; at any rate, Jesus will teach his apostles to go out on their first mission with only one tunic so as not to appear anything but humble as they preach (Matthew 10:10; Mark 6:9).  Food they should share with others who are lacking.  These good works emphasize righteous behavior, right-relatedness to neighbor, doing as God would ask.  It is the same with John's advice to the tax collectors and soldiers: they must do what is righteous, good within the community.  This is all by way of preparation for the One who is to come, the Messiah, who can remit or forgive sins (in the Gospels, it is the same word used for the two, meaning to "put away" or to "let go").  Let us note that all of this is meant to be in service to God, not just good works for their own sake, or even purely for the sake of the community -- but all is seen in context of what is pleasing to God, and even in that sense is indistinguishable from building good community.  That God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones is meant to imply that God doesn't just need descendants to Abraham, but what God calls us to is to be like Abraham, to do as Abraham did (as Jesus will also say in John 8:39:  "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham").  In Saturday's reading, we read Christ's final teaching in the temple during Holy Week, the last week of His earthly life.  There, we discussed the idea of doing good works, abstracted from the teachings of Jesus, and outside of worshiping or loving Creator.  Here we could make the mistake of supposing that simply doing good work for its own sake is what these teachings are all about.  But we would still be in error, for John comes as a prophet and a holy man, not simply a moral scold.  He's preparing people to face the judge, the Messiah, the One who will come to save and to redeem.  These are not merely moral imperatives, and for that matter, neither is righteous behavior.  Righteousness is all about right-relatedness in both a communal and spiritual sense, with God who not only directs our conduct but with whom we are in communion, extended through community.  And this is the foundation for these teachings:  we are meant to be in a Person-to-person relationship, manifest also in our relationships among community.  Let us consider what "doing good" looks like with an eye toward Creator, the One who knows who we truly are, the One whose eye we really want to please.  For this is where John points, and the great concern of how we are saved.  These teachings and actions are meant to "prepare the way of the LORD, and to make His paths straight."  If He were to return today, how would you be prepared in this sense?

 

 

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"

 

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

* * *

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to  raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  

 

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then the tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." 

 

- Luke (1:1–4) 3:1–14 

 

On Saturday, we read the final reading in John chapter 12, as Jesus spoke at the Passover Feast after His Triumphal Entry:   Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.   And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.   I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

 

  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  My study Bible comments that although Luke was not a disciple from the beginning, he has perfect understanding of the gospel because his sources were the apostles themselves, the eyewitnesses of Christ.  Luke wrote his Gospel to Theophilus, who was a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).  It cites St. Ambrose, who notes that Theophilus can simply mean any "lover of God," and therefore he writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.   As in the beginning of his Gospel (see Luke 1:5), Luke is careful to note the historical setting of the events his Gospel narrates.  My study Bible comments that an ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  Jesus was born under the ruler of Herod the Great, who was a non-Jew who called himself king of the Judea.  Now at this beginning point of Christ's ministry, while John the Baptist is preaching his own call to repentance in preparation for Christ, Herod's sons rule as tetrarchs.  Herod the tetrarch of Galilee is also known to us as Herod Antipas.  Caiphas was now the sole high priest, but people also recognized the continuing power of his father-in-law Annas, a previous high priest who was deposed by the Romans.

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . . .  My study Bible comments that the call to repentance was tradition for prophets.  John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit (literally "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.  

 

. . . as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  The voice of one crying in the wilderness (as quoted here from Isaiah 40:3-5) is ascribed by John the Baptist to himself, in his role in the story of the Christ, in John 1:23. 

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to  raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  My study Bible comments that while parents and ancestors help impart piety and holiness, ancestry itself does not make one worthy of God.  It notes that each person in every generation must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Stones symbolize the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then the tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."   Like Jesus' teaching about Judgment in the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46, John the Baptist counsels compassion as a standard rule for behavior and living a life of repentance.  Those who are well-to-do should share with the poor.  The tax collectors, who frequently practiced extortion as a matter of course, are told to do their job honestly and collect no more than their appointed share.  The soldiers serving Rome frequently did the same, and so could use their rank to intimidate and extort; they also are to be content with their wages.  

Let us make an immediate observation about John the Baptist's teachings to those who ask him what they should do to practice repentance in preparation for the Lord.  While our immediate commentary was on its entrenched prescription of compassion, which is so elegantly echoed by Christ in the parable of the sheep and the goats, and His specific prescriptions of visiting those who are sick, or hungry, or in prison (Matthew 25:31-46), we might also make another observation about them, and that is that -- yes, while all are acts which involve compassion -- they also involve sacrifice.  In other words, John tells the people to share with those who have less than they do; he tells the tax collectors to collect only what they can do honestly and without extortion, and the same thing he tells to the soldiers:  to do without the extra they can collect through dishonest, manipulative, and violent means.  (It would seem that the latter was quite a standard practice.)  He was telling them -- and also us, today -- that the decent and humble behavior that goes with honor is an important part of repentance, of living as though we expect the Lord at any minute and are aware of His power of judgment.  This might not seem like great, heroic expectation, nor is it highly exciting or ambitious, but it is the stuff of living a decent life and being as honest as we can within our particular sphere of where we are and who we are in the world.  In these days of competition about whose "wokeness" is greater, whose sense of compassion can be publicly expressed so as to elicit the most approval and good public relations, we can look to John the Baptist's more modest prescriptions about doing the best we can in the ways our jobs and lives permit as something more reasonable and bearing the hallmarks of truth and familiarity with the reality of people's lives in a much deeper way than today's media often allow us to think about.  We don't need a special secret superpower to be the kind of responsible person to God that John says we can be.  Neither do we need to spread the word about our good deeds to the whole world.  In fact, in John's more realistic picture of life here, we might be better off if we do not do that.  While John sought to prepare people for Christ, for the gospel message and for Christian baptism, his realistic teaching to the people who ask him for help puts us in mind of an event broadcast around the world today, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  While attitudes about the British monarchy in particular or monarchy in general may vary, Queen Elizabeth -- at least for today -- is being praised for her capacity for self-denial in responsibly discharging her duties in her position.  She seems never to have openly taken sides in a political dispute among her subjects, even to have allowed those close to her to hear a political opinion one way or another.  In an age where we are used to seeing emotional expression all about us, the Queen remembered her role and seems to have played her part without personal bias or feeling overriding her responsibility, whether that be a political opinion or personal feelings.  In that sense, she stands praised today as someone who gave an example of what it was to serve dutifully, and put her private feelings and desires aside, yet caring to express compassion in ways still fitting to duty and protocol.  In this day when so many are praising -- at least for today -- this capacity for sacrifice, let us remember the humble and honest words of John the Baptist.  For each of us are capable of doing likewise in our own ways -- and more than that, we are each called to do so.

 

 

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked place shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God

 

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the world delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  

* * *

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled 

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked place shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." 

 

- Luke (1:1-4), 3:1-14 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus cried out in the temple and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

 

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the world delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.   Today the lectionary switches from chapter 12 of John's Gospel, to the beginning of Luke's Gospel.  These verses are the Prologue to the Gospel.  My study bible comments that Luke was not a disciple from the beginning (he was  a physician by training, a Gentile from Antioch in Syria).  But he has a perfect understanding of the gospel because his sources were the apostles themselves, who were the eyewitnesses of Christ.  Luke's Gospel is written to Theophilus, a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).   St. Ambrose is cited by my study bible as noting that the name Theophilus can simply means any "lover of God," and therefore writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

 

 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.   Luke is careful to set the events of his Gospel in historical settings, documenting a clear idea of the date when these things were happening.  Herod is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, and he rules Galilee, the region where Christ lives and will begin His ministry.  Philip, Herod Antipas' brother, was the first husband of Herodias, the wife of Herod, over whom John the Baptist will be martyred as he publicly called their marriage unlawful.  Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests of the temple in Jerusalem.  My study bible comments that Caiphas was, in fact, the sole high priest, but people also recognized the continuing power of his father-in-law Annas, a previous high priest who was deposed by the Romans.  The story of Zacharias and the birth of John the Baptist is given in Luke 1:5-25.  

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . . .   My study bible comments that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets.  John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  John, it says, is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit (literally "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.

. . . as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked place shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "   In John 1:23, the Baptist assigns the role of the voice to himself in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah quoted here (Isaiah 40:3-5). 

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."  My study bible comments that while parents and ancestors help impart piety and holiness, ancestry itself does not make one worthy of God.  Each person in every generation, it says, must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Stones symbolize the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  

"And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  John alludes here to the judgment of God.  These images are repeated in the preaching of Jesus in the context of judgment, as reported by Matthew (Matthew 7:19-21).

 

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."   The people ask John the Baptist how they must prepare for the coming of the Lord, the Messiah.  Let us note how John's words in a particular sense reflect the words of the "voice in the wilderness" in the prophecy of Isaiah (above).  The prophecy speaks of making paths straight, filling the valleys and bringing low the mountains and hills, the crooked places made straight and rough ways smooth.  Here, John's advice to the tax collectors is to stick only to what is lawfully owed to them, rather than using the might and muscle of the Roman Empire for whom they work to allow them to extort more (a frequent practice, making these Jewish tax collectors despised by their fellow Jews and looked upon as great sinners).  The soldiers John admonishes to refrain from intimidation or false accusation in order to extort extra money also.  It is a way of teaching fairness, righteous or just living even for these in the sight of God and among their fellow Jews.  (At this time, both tax collectors and certain ranks of common soldiers in the Roman Army came from among the Jewish population).

In the prophecy of Isaiah, fulfillment of which is attributed to John the Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness says, "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked place shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."  It is good for us to seek to understand how these words apply to us today in some sense as well.  Not only are these the words of fulfillment at the time of John the Baptist, preparing the people for the coming of Christ, but the words in this prophecy also speak to us today who live at a time when we are to be prepared for the second coming of Christ, not only as a possibility which is always present for the living, but also for the end of our own earthly lives as preparation for eventual judgment which comes to all.  That is, these words still speak to us about the ways in which we must see ourselves before God, and especially Christ the Judge.  While the Gospel gives us the tax collectors and soldiers who ask John the Baptist what they are to do in this time of preparation for the Lord, we also must consider ourselves in this light, as in a true picture of spiritual reality we also stand before Christ along with our fellow human beings in this world.  To fill the valleys and bring low the mountains and hills, to make straight the crooked places and smooth the rough ways are all images which teach us not only about how we must make an effort to welcome the mystical power of God in our own lives, but also make every effort to do our own part in accepting this most basic reality of spiritual life.  Whatever the picture of the world presented to us in a sense in which we look at the world through earthly eyes which do not recognize the activity of God in the world, it is up to us nevertheless to "see" with the eyes of faith.  It is one thing to see ourselves midst the sea of human beings in which we find competition and struggle and personal and community interest.  But it is quite another to totally level that playing field as a necessity when we see ourselves and all our fellow beings before the Lord.  John does not give prescriptions to the tax collectors and soldiers to quit their jobs, to radically change their ways of life by ceasing to work in serving the Roman Empire.  He is not recommending a political revolution.  This is something important for us to keep in mind, because, as we know from the story of Christ, there most certainly were those seeking a nationalist insurrection against the Roman (such as Barabbas).  Moreover, Christ Himself will be seen as a figure in opposition to purely nationalist aspirations, and a Messiah who will defy expectations that He would be a national liberator as militant warrior.  It is also in this context that we can view the orientation of those whom John the Baptist corrects by telling them it is not good enough to say that "we have Abraham as our father."   To make straight the paths of the Lord is also to recognize the power of the Lord, and that power may indeed raise up children to Abraham from stones, from outsiders, from the Gentiles, for to be a child of Abraham is to be like Abraham in loving obedience to God, especially in response to the coming Lord (John 8:52-56).  As we look at the Gospel, and consider these things happening at this tumultuous time in history in which John the Baptist speaks of preparation for Christ, let us consider our own times now.  Amidst political and cultural strife, where does John point us to?  How would Christ point us?  What is the spiritual perception necessary to understand how exactly we all stand before the Lord, and what we need to do to make His paths straight?  We are invited at this time to take a step back from all the earthly solutions we are offered, and instead to consider the dynamic of the spiritual dimensions of our faith, and the very real mystical presence of God in our midst.  Let us think of ourselves as making His path straight in our lives and our world, welcoming Him into our midst -- for that is where our salvation lies, just as it did in the time when Christ walked in this world.

 

 

Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

St. Luke writes his Gospel (with Holy Spirit as dove), Armenian Illuminated Manuscript, Monastery of  Hromkla, 1166

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

* * *

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." 

- Luke (1:1-4), 3:1-14

On Saturday we read that Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.   I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life."

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  In the ways in which the Gospels work throughout the changing of the lectionary, we get a strange kind of synthesis between Saturday's reading and today's.  On Saturday, Jesus spoke of Judgment, clearly indicating not only the time of the end of His ministry, but the time of the true eschatological end of all things of this world.  He has come to save the world, but His words will be that by which we are judged in terms of our own acceptance or rejection of them.  Today we begin reading from Luke.  It's quite a contrast:  Luke is very careful to set down all things in an orderly way, and to couch his Gospel in historical facts, time and place settings.  He was not a disciple from the beginning, but he writes that he has perfect understanding of the gospel message as his sources are the apostles themselves, the eyewitnesses of Christ.  Luke wrote his Gospel to Theophilus, who was a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).  St. Ambrose comments that the name Theophilus can mean any "lover of God.  Therefore, he says, "If you love God, it was written for you."

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  Luke sets down very carefully the setting of his Gospel in its historical time and place, noting the rulers and the high priests.  Herod and Philip have succeeded their father, Herod the Great, while Pontius Pilate is governor of Judea.   Caiaphas at this point is sole high priest, but people also recognized the continuing power of his father-in-law Annas, a previous high priest who was deposed by the Romans.

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . . .  John the Baptist's call to repentance was a traditional one for prophets.  His baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but was a prefiguration and preparation for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  My study bible says that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the law, he denounced sin but could not remit (literally to "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.

. . . as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  John the Baptist ascribes to himself this role of the voice crying in the wilderness (prophesied by Isaiah) in John 1:23.

 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."  My study bible comments here that while parents and ancestors help impart piety and holiness, ancestry itself does not make one worthy of God.  Each person in every generation must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Stones, it says, symbolize the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  John gives them a formula for righteousness in preparation for the Messiah.  But when Christ comes, grace and truth will make an immeasurable difference to our understanding of righteousness. 

John gives a warning in today's reading:  "Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  Interestingly, in Matthew's Gospel, John gives the same warning, which is later repeated by Jesus when He preaches in the Sermon on the Mount about false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing (see Matthew 3:10, 7:15-20).  And in Matthew's Gospel, the words, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" are clearly directed at the leadership who come from Jerusalem.  The term brood of vipers is again repeated by Jesus in reference to the religious leaders.  (See Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33.)  We can hear the outrage, the response to what is clearly considered to be scandalous behavior on the part of the religious leaders at this time.  The fact that Luke tells us (via John the Baptist) that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones should tell us something about the gospel going out to the rest of the world and being taken away from those who have failed to heed the word of God.  Indeed, John the Baptist says, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'"   In John's Gospel, in which we've been reading recently until today, this is precisely what the leaders say to Jesus.  Jesus replies to them, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham" (see John 8:39).  Clearly there is something at work in these scenes that reflect this theme.  John warns of the fire that awaits the trees that do not bear good fruit.  This is a time of expectation, of the return of the Messiah, widely watched and hoped for by the people.  But it is also a time, tellingly, of corruption and greed, of distrust of those leaders who are meant to care for this flock and insure spiritual heritage of the Jewish people.  John comes bearing warnings as prophet, speaking about making the path straight for the expected Messiah, who will surely fill every valley, bring low every mountain and hill, make straight all the crooked places and make smooth all the rough ways.  What is he telling us here?   What is the meaning of this?  The Messiah is the great leveler.  Whatever is crooked, or depends upon position for advantage, whatever is rough -- all of it will be removed as obstacle for this straight path of the Lord.  In His judgment to come, there will be no standing on ancestry or position or coveted place before the world and the "praise of men" (see John 12:43, in Friday's reading).  Ceremony and inheritance won't count, and surely as John the Baptist warns in today's reading, anything gained through cheating and corruption and dishonest, unrighteous behavior.  It is the Word who is coming, and as we read on Saturday, it is every word that proceeds from His mouth that is given by the Father, those words and commands themselves will be the judgment.   If you see corruption and dishonesty, unfairness and unrighteous behavior around yourself, a disregard for justice, know that Christ's words are this judgment that is present and at work in the world.  It is all about what we can hear and what we are simply deaf and blind to.  The Holy Spirit, the breath of God, remains active in the world, a gift of grace and truth.  We heed the words of John and understand the One who makes all things straight and level, and cherish the words we're given, living them in faith, and in response to times like these which are always with us.  God is working, and so is the word of the Son, and the Holy Spirit (John 5:17). 

I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

*  *  * 

 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." 

- Luke 1:1-4; Luke 3:1-14

In recent readings, we have been in John chapter 12.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."  Today the lectionary moves to Luke's Gospel.

 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  This is Luke's Preface to his Gospel.  Luke wasn't a disciple from the beginning, but has perfect understanding of the gospel of Christ as his own sources were the apostles themselves, who were the eyewitnesses of Christ.   His Gospel is written to Theophilus, a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1)  My study bible quotes St. Ambrose, who notes that Theophilus can simply mean any "lover of God," and therefore writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene . . .   Luke is very careful to set his Gospel in a distinct historical setting which gives us a precise date.  The Romans rule Judea and those who are allies of Rome rule as "royalty."  Herod, tetrarch of Galilee, is the son of Herod the Great, who ruled as king of Judea although he was a non-Jew.  My study bible cites the prophecy of Jacob which indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).

. . . while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  Caiaphas was now the sole high priest, says my study bible, but people also recognized the continuing power and influence of his father-in-law Annas.  Annas was a previous high priest who was deposed by the Romans.  Luke's first chapter tells us about the birth of John the Baptist and his mother Elizabeth and father Zacharias, intertwined with the story of Jesus and his mother Mary and earthly father Joseph (see Luke 1:5-80).

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  The call to repentance is the traditional call of the Old Testament prophets, of which John is the last and the greatest.  His baptism, says my study bible, did not grant remission of sins finally and fully, but it does prefigure and prepare people for the baptism of Christ to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  As a figure of the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit or "put away" sin.  Both John and the Law point to the Christ as the One who can remit sin.  John quotes from the great prophet Isaiah before him;  in John 1:23, the Baptist identifies himself as the voice who cries in the wilderness. 

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."   My study bible says that while parents and ancestors help impart piety and holiness, ancestry itself -- as John says here -- does not make one worthy of God.  Each person in every generation must bear fruits worthy of repentance.  Stones symbolize the Gentiles who would become children to Abraham through faith in Christ (Romans 4:16-18).  St. Peter calls those who follow Christ, the cornerstone, in faith "living stones" (see 1 Peter 2:4-10).   The term brood of vipers indicates John's scathing characterization of those who are now coming to him even from Judea and Jerusalem, and tells us how popular his ministry has become at this stage.

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."   John's response tells us something about the people who are now coming to him, and whom he addresses.  They are people of some status and means, as his first teaching is about charity and giving to those who have none.  The tax collectors are taught to refrain from common corrupt practices of collecting more than is due; the soldiers are also taught to refrain from abuse of their power for purposes of extortion. 

John brings light into the wilderness, preaching a baptism for repentance, and preparing the people for the Light that is coming (see Saturday's reading, above, in which Christ tells all the people in Jerusalem during Holy Week, "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."  Jesus' words above include a warning about Judgment, even as do John the Baptist's, when he says that "even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."   This preparation has been a long time in coming.  John's words about repentance indicate the importance of a change in behavior, a way to live in righteousness or right-relatedness, a scathing warning about abuse of power and status, and the exploitation of the weaker for material gain.  But Jesus will broaden and deepen meanings of faith, of interior life,  of the fullness of what it is to have life itself.  John is the voice of one crying in the wilderness in preparation for this faith that will expand what it means to be truly righteous into the "God-like."  But he warns us what keeps us from this light, the behaviors that keep us trapped in a kind of darkness, a way of thinking that says that what we "have" is all there is to life at all.  His words speak profoundly about the power of God, that absolute power of life itself, that could "raise up children to Abraham from these stones."  Our prophet in the wilderness, for all his 'wildness' and roughness, has the depth of knowledge of a great mystic and theologian.  He encapsulates something of what Jesus will teach when He promises, in John's Gospel, that He has come that we may have life, and have it more abundantly.   John makes it clear that this life that awaits us, this salvation that is coming, is not limited by who our ancestors are, by what we have and what power and wealth we can acquire.  There is something more awaiting, a power that surpasses all that we can imagine, a source of life that gives more than we know.  How do we prepare for that?  What gets in the way of that life?

Henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me

 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

- Luke 1:39-48a, 48b-56

Yesterday, we read that in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

  Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   The leaping of the babe, John the Baptist, in Elizabeth's womb is considered to be a sign of the return of prophecy to Israel.  We remember no prophet had been seen in Israel since the time of Malachi; it was considered a kind of reproach, marking the longing for the Messiah.  Then Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks words of spiritual truth -- venerating Mary as one blessed among women just as Gabriel had in yesterday's reading.   She calls Mary by a rightful title in the Church, the mother of My Lord.  This is seen as a confession; the babe just formed in Mary's womb is already understood as both fully human and fully divine:  the Lord was another title for God.  This image of new life being fully recognized as incarnate Christ, and Mary as mother of My Lord, gives us a picture of the Person already present in the womb, and informs the Church's point of view on the sanctity of life from earliest inception.

And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.  Mary's song is called the "Magnificat," after its first word in the Latin version.  My study bible says it comes from the heart of Mary, inspired by the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10).   The song prophesies that all generations will call me blessed -- as the Church continues to venerate Mary today.  Mary gives credit fully to God for the Incarnation, and not to herself, expressing, as my study bible puts it, "both deep humility and the knowledge that God is the source of all grace."   Through the Incarnation, Mary's song declares, God reigns over all, from generation to generation.

Mary's song gives us a big clue about Christ and about the power of God present in Him.  It is a statement, a prophesy, about a power that turns things upside down, stands worldly power on its head, and that is properly represented in Mary, who as a figure is entirely humble and yet remains a source of strength for millions, called throughout Church history a refuge and a strong tower, considered to be the one who overturned the sin of Eve her ancestor.  As such, she's the ultimate expression of what a human being can be; it's her "Yes" that makes way for everything else.  God's power, she reveals (as did Hannah), has scattered those proud in the imagination of their hearts,  put down the mighty from their thrones, exalted the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  All these things are made possible, glorified, via the Incarnation, through her role, her "Yes" to the grace presented to her.  God works through the humble, but humble does not mean lacking in strength, or confidence, or faith:  Mary has all of these.  It's the power of her faith and of her discernment that teaches us something about where strength really is, and what is possible for a human being.  We shouldn't forget also that Jesus' human nature will be taken from this woman, and it seems to me that His powerful respect for and inclusion of women in His ministry speaks very strongly for her influence, and the kindness of His male guardian, Joseph.  It is Mary who shows a true understanding of God's power at work in her song which we read today, Mary who prompts her Son at the wedding at Cana, the first sign in John's Gospel, and teaches the servants present also, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  She said "Yes," and she teaches us all to do the same; in that sense, she is the tower of strength, the fortress of faith, the image of human being for all of us, men and women, from generation to generation.  What is important is that we understand her great blessing; that she is the "highly favored one" precisely because of all of these qualities that come from spiritual depth, a wealth open to each of us, even (or perhaps, especially) the most humble.  What is the power of faith?  That is what she shows us, an image for each of us to consider and to venerate.

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

- Luke 1:26-38

In yesterday's reading, we read the beginning of the Gospel of Luke.  Luke writes:  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.  So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.   The sixth month is the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy (see yesterday's reading, above).  Mary means exalted one, says my study bible.   Although the text mentions Joseph's lineage, it indicates that Mary and Joseph are both of the house of David -- descended from David's royal lineage -- as a devout Jew would customarily marry within his own tribe.  We note that Luke twice calls Mary a virgin.

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.   The angel's greeting is, "Rejoice!"  The good news is right here, for hidden in it is in a reversal of the Fall.  Genesis 3:16 tells us that Even brought forth children in sorrow; but Mary is the new Eve, she will rejoice in bringing forth her Son.  As Eve suffered under a curse, Mary is now blessed.  Highly favored one (χαριτου / charitou in Greek) can also be translated as "full of grace."  My study bible says that Mary is the most blessed woman who has ever lived, because of her complete willingness to receive God's grace.  In the words of her Son, to "hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."   My study bible tells us that Gabriel's announcement emphasizes two truths:  first, Gabriel tells Mary "you will conceive in your womb":  Jesus took His flesh (that is, His human nature), from Mary herself.  Secondly, this is the divine Son of the Highest in Mary's womb.  Therefore, this one Person, Jesus, the eternal Son and Word of God, is both fully human and fully divine.

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"   In contrast to Zacharias' response ("How shall I know this?"), Mary's question, "How can this be?" doesn't indicate a lack of faith.  She is actually asking as to way in which something so extraordinary would happen.

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Holy One, says my study bible, is a messianic title (see Psalm 16:10).  Here we are given a revelation of the Holy Trinity:  the Father (the Highest), the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.   My study bible tells us that Mary's faithful response is that of the highest obedience to God.  And here's the great, "impossible" news:  the Incarnation is not just the work of God, but it also involves and asks for the free response of mankind in the person of Mary.  Once upon a time, Eve disobeyed, now Mary obeys.  Eve closed herself to God, but Mary opens to His will.   My study bible cites Theophylact of Bulgaria, who taught that Mary's response says, "I am a tablet; let the Writer write whatever He desires on it."

It's frequently pointed out how often Jesus teaches "Do not be afraid."  Here, in yesterday's reading and in today's, Gabriel's announcement to Mary and to Zacharias includes the command, "Do not be afraid."  (The angel who appears in the tomb to the myrrh-bearing women will say the same.)  "Do not be afraid" is connected to another important statement in today's reading, also repeated elsewhere by Jesus, "With God nothing will be impossible."  Both statements, "Do not be afraid," and "With God nothing will be impossible" are statements about faith.  They teach us something about faith.  They draw us more deeply into faith.  Faith, we remember, is akin to trust.  In the Greek, the word meaning to have faith is the verb to trust.  "I trust that ..." or "I have faith that ...", "I trust in ..." or "I have faith in ..." are two ways of saying the same thing.  They teach us to cast off fearfulness, being afraid.  This is something different from what is called the "fear of God," which is reverence and an understanding of God's absolute power, the might of God's word.    When each person is taught, "do not be afraid" it is a question of casting off something within themselves; this is not a question of awareness but rather a question of discarding something that is holding them back, and not allowing them to truly see.   "Do not be afraid" is a command to cast off that which keeps us from true awareness, which holds us back from opening up to the perspectives and possibilities on offer from God, and found in and by faith.  In that sense, "with God nothing will be impossible" is a reassurance about perspective, about what we put our trust in.  It asks us to open up and to expand, to trust:  to find the direction God has for us and to trust in it.  It is in this sense that Mary's response, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word" is so powerful.  She is saying "Yes" to the God who commands us not to be afraid, and "Yes" to the God for whom nothing will be impossible.  This is "Yes" to a trust in something she can't do and can't explain of herself; it is "Yes" to the God who asks for our trust, not for limitation, trepidation, denial.  What is important about all of this is its expansive nature; that is, a reality that calls upon us to expand, and to allow it to expand our worlds, our perspectives, our lives.  This is not about wishful thinking, and not about inventing a dream life in which our fantasies of wealth or fame or any other desire come true.  It's about where God calls us.  We say "Yes" to the work of God in us.  By saying "No" to being afraid, we accept God's life on offer, God's grace.  It's about finding spiritual direction and living it.  So here is the mission, to be like Mary -- the one who says "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  Her mission defeated the Fall of the world; the first sin is overturned through her willingness not to be afraid, and to trust.  Each of us has this same mission.  But we have to find it through acceptance of our own faith, seeking sincere direction in prayer and in all the resources we're offered to help us to do so.  So often it is our own fears that hold us back.  Let us consider where exactly we put our trust, and see what something so much more vast and great than we are can bring us.  Christ teaches us to fear only God, nothing else.  Do not be afraid.

Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:1-25

In recent readings, in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus has been speaking to the disciples about the destruction to come in Jerusalem, and also about His return and the end of the age. (See the readings from last Saturday, Monday, Tuesday,  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday).   On Saturday, Jesus finished His discourse, teaching about universal judgment:  "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they will also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  We have begun the cycle of readings for Christmas, which aren't progressing systematically through a particular Gospel but will be selected from the various Gospels for the season and Nativity.   Today we begin with Luke.  His introduction gives us to understand that he was not a disciple from the beginning, but his perfect understanding comes from direct sources, eyewitnesses of Christ:  the apostles themselves.  The Gospel is dedicated to Theophilus, a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).  My study bible cites St. Ambrose, who noted that the name Theophilus means "lover" or "friend of God."  Therefore, the saint writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.   Herod is Herod the Great (father of Herod Antipas), who ruled Judea from 37-4 BC.  He was known as a great builder, who made tremendous renovations to the temple, rendering it one of the "Seven Wonders of the World."  But he had an equally renown reputation as a ruthless and vicious ruler.  My study bible says that an ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  Herod was a non-Jew calling himself the king of Judea; as such, messianic expectations were extremely widespread.  Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous people; not just outwardly observant, but truly inwardly, of the heart.  The text teaches us that the holiness of the Baptist comes at least in part through the faith and piety of his parents.  For a woman to be barren was considered a public reproach.  But like many women of her Jewish spiritual heritage (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary), Elizabeth's barrenness was part of the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of His people, says my study bible -- it is God's story and its unfolding that we are reading, as told by Luke.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  In the priestly system, each was assigned to a particular division.  There were twenty-four divisions in all.  Each would serve a week at a time in rotation.  Their responsibilities in the various duties in the temple were assigned by lot.  Zacharias in this way is assigned the duties of the high priest.  My study bible teaches that this event takes place at the time of the Atonement, when the high priest would enter the temple and make offerings for the sins of the people.  Just as we believe happens within our own liturgical practice, angels minister continually at the altar of the Lord, though usually unseen.  My study bible says that those priests of pure heart, like Zacharias, are occasionally chosen by God to witness this angelic liturgy.  Isaiah writes of their song, repeated in our services; Revelation reveals their worship in heaven.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."   We remember that Zacharias was praying for the atonement of the sins of Israel (not a son).  But Gabriel's announcement tells us that both Zacharias' prayer for atonement and also Elizabeth will conceive a son, instrumental in the salvation history of Israel.  John the Baptist, says my study bible, will announce the atonement; he will identify Christ as "the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world" (see John 1:29).  The prophet Elijah was expected to reappear as forerunner of the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5), as is several times noted throughout the Gospels.  John the Baptist will fulfill the spirit and power of Elijah as forerunner of the Lord's first coming (Matthew 11:14).

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.   My study bible says that Zacharias is disciplined for his lack of faith, and yet it also serves as proof that the announcement of Gabriel is true.  The Messiah, it explains, was expected to fulfill three crucial roles that were held by various people in the Old Testament:  prophet, priest, and king.  We consider Christ to be true Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18), true King (Luke 23:3, Isaiah 9:7, Micah 5:2), and the true High Priest (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 4:14).  God has silenced the prophets for many years in preparation for the coming of Christ, and also permitted an illegitimate usurper (Herod) to occupy the position of the king of Judea.  In the last days before Christ's coming, the high priest is also silenced.  These three roles were therefore vacant, illegitimate and silent;  thereby all is ready for the Son of God to be revealed as Prophet, King, and Priest.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."   My study bible once again notes the significance of the fact that for so long there had not been a great prophet in Israel, not since the time of Malachi (1 Maccabees 9:27).  It heightened anticipation of the Christ, the Messiah and would make it more evident when He came.  John the Baptist, as prophet preparing the way for Christ, as kept hidden until Christ was conceived.  After that, John was revealed through the prophetic act of leaping in Elizabeth's womb (Luke 1:41).

The story of Christ begins within a framework.  That is, within a framework of salvation for God's people.  The story of Christ doesn't begin here; it begins in Genesis, in the "speaking into being" of the world, of Creation.  John's Gospel reflects this very clearly, with its prologue teaching us about God the Word and the reflective phrase, "in the beginning."  It's a whole history and the story of God and God's Creation, God and God's people.  Right into the middle of this story we begin with Zacharias and Elizabeth, and the story of the one who is called the Forerunner, John the Baptist.  Christ Incarnate is the centerpiece of the full story, and without John, God's story of the Christ would not be complete.  John's story begins here, within the framework of expectation of the people of Israel, those who await a Messiah, a Prophet, a King, a great High Priest.  In the shadow of the Roman Empire, with all its modernizing influences, its great and vast worldly power, even the beautification and stunning glorious rebuilding and fortification of the temple into something grand enough for Herod and for Empire, into all this comes our story which appropriately begins with the prayer in the temple.   As powerful and complex as the world becomes, the time is always right to think about reconciliation, righteousness, and what it means to be a "people of God."  Who is the world built for, who was the temple built for?  In the midst of the Roman census, a child will be born!  He comes into the center of our world, our reality, our lives, and our history.  All our concerns and care, the things that impress us, the power that we might fear, the mighty structures we admire, the creations we respect -- all of it comes down to that one child in the middle of time, who makes God human and thereby truly roots us in what is humane.    We begin with the parents of the Baptist, the Forerunner, who remind us that all this is really God's story, and that we are called to see God in the midst of everything we think we see and know.  We keep in mind this is happening as Israel has not seen a sign, not heard a prophet, not had a true king, for a long while.  It's not about what we expect, and it's not about what we would choose if we were to make up this story on our own.  In weakness God's strength is perfected.  As we count toward the birth of the Christ and its commemoration, let us remember that God came to the world to show us, to help us, to find our way to Him.  We're not all to be the same, as our recent readings in Matthew have taught.  But to truly learn, we each must find His way for ourselves and to help one another to do so, in all humility.   In what way does God's story unfold in you?  Zacharias illustrates what it is to deny a possibility when it is revealed by God, based on our own expectations.  Let us remember that the least likely may be the very chosen above all, and remember today, in each moment, in a prayer,  the God of small beginnings.