Third Thursday of Advent
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As we begin each day’s reflection, invite the Lord to come be with you as you read and meditate on His Word. Take a moment and read the bible passage slowly, allowing the Lord to draw you to any word or phrase that speaks to you.Luke 1:5-25In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him 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. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will 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 go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord."Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time." Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, "So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others."We have quite a long passage today with so much to unpack. Much is often said about Zechariah’s response to the angel and the silence that followed. But today, maybe we can focus on the last verse with Elizabeth.Zechariah has come home, and some time has passed and now the promise has been fulfilled. Can you imagine the joy for both of them, but especially for Elizabeth? Here is a righteous woman who has served the Lord her whole life, keeping His commandments, yet the gift of a child has not been given. Back in her time, to be barren was seen as a curse from God, maybe the result of sin. Elizabeth has carried this burden for years now, with the secretive looks and quite gossip from others in their community, not to mention the pain of a desire unfulfilled.But her words are beautiful. “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.” Do you see the trust in these words? She knows this is a gift from the Lord and she understands that this has happened in His timing. And she describes this gift in a unique way. She doesn’t talk about how the Lord has given her a child, not that she isn’t excited about the new life. But she says He’s taken away her disgrace before others. She truly sees this answered prayer as a burden lifted.What burdens are you carrying right now that you have asked God to lift? How long have you been waiting for this answer? Remember that Zechariah and Elizabeth are “advanced in years” and had been waiting for a very long time. Hold on to the hope that it doesn’t matter how long you have waited. God is never late. He is always on time. Trust that He knows what is happening and is with you as you carry this load. And know that when He sees fit it will all work out.Reflection Questions: How can you wait patiently for the Lord to act? What attitude can you adopt as you wait to make it easier?Prayer: Lord Jesus, Elizabeth had to wait a long time and endure the shame of other’s opinions. Help me to carry my burdens with grace and stay true to You as she did. Help me also to see those around me who may be carrying a heavy load and allow me to not be a source of more pain for them, but a source of grace. Amen.
