Fear of Hope

December 9

Read Luke 1:9-12

Pray: Almighty God— with your grace, allow me to walk the line between pure idealism and radical hope. Help me to know you are with me and to know that there is work to be done.. Amen.

Hear:

The foretelling of John’s birth is often overlooked in the Advent season. It is a footnote at best in most telling of the story of Jesus who, rightly so, is the star of all Advent stories. But there is a great lesson in the birth and life of John the Baptist.

First, John the Baptist is unexpected. His parents had given up on having a kid and were quite old. In a time of oppression and the patristic community our story takes place in, children were the only form of wealth a family could really put their hope in. Zechariah and Elizabeth had laid aside this hope and carried on with their life.

Secondly, John the Baptist’s birth was a part of a bigger story. Not only was this family about to grow, but it was also going to be a part of the story of the salvation of all the world. The hopes and prayers of one family were wrapped up in the hopes and prayers of the whole world.

And lastly, there was fear in the heart of Zechariah. Maybe it is because angels were intimidating beings. I also think it could be because the angel was bringing news of a radical change to the life and future of this family. Not only would they have a child, but they would also have a child of eternal consequence. Not only would they be parents, but they would also be parents of the herald of the Messiah.

This matters to us because Zechariah had to find a path between hoping and dreaming beyond reality and still believe in the power of God’s faithfulness. As followers of Christ, we need to find a path between thinking we will get whatever we want because we are faithful and knowing that God is mindful of our desires. God knows what we want, but we don’t earn what we want because we are good children. God shows up in Zechariah’s life and gives him what he wants and Zechariah then becomes a part of a much bigger story.

Respond:

Seek out how you are a part of a bigger story today.

Meditation:

God, help me to see where my desires match up with the hope of the world.