Day 2 Thursday Feb 18 2010

Day 2- Luke 1:39-80 February 18, 2010

Remember, you are each an instrument of God! I hope day 1 was a good start. Please forgive me along the way for grammatical blunders or incomplete phrases. My hope is simply to do the best I can and offer a bit from the heart this Lent as we journey together.

Today, let's read the rest of chapter 1. (Verses 39-80)
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would bee a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
Mary's Song of Praise
46 And Maryf said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." 56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60But his mother said, "No; he is to be called John." 61They said to her, "None of your relatives has this name." 62Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66All who heard them pondered them and said, "What then will this child become?" For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: 68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a mighty saviorg for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us 74that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break uponh us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.




TODAY’S STATUS UPDATES
Pregnant women swapping stories. Is there ever a common bond that is more powerful or more dramatic? Just guessing. Women- please confirm that!

The image that comes to mind (as I read about Mary's visit to Elizabeth and then Zechariah's reaction at John's birth) is of a champagne bottle. Picture a champagne bottle with the twisted wire removed and the cork still present. With the wire "clamp" removed it is only a matter of time until the pressure inside that bottle erupts and sends that cork flying and the fizzy champagne soaring and spilling all over the place.

Joy and gratitude are like that-- they simply can not be kept inside. Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah- all of them, their joy and gratitude can't be contained. It begged to come out and be expressed for others to hear. Mary and Zechariah both burst into songs of goodness about what God has done in their life. They are so excited and so charged up that they want others to know.
How are we doing in expressing our gratitude? How are we doing in expressing that joy for what God has done? Is the twisted wire mesh casing holding on to our heart, keeping the joy from flowing out? Or. . . are we ready to do something intentional to “untie that twisted wire” over our hearts?

As Lent is a time of great intentionality, perhaps you and I can get out a piece of paper and literally start to write down all the things we are thankful for. Write them down. Write, write, and keep on writing. Or spend some time in silent prayer reflecting on those ways God has helped you. Intentionally going through that discipline often leads to new insights, new awareness, and a great appreciation for the goodness of God.

Prayer- Jesus, as we finish chapter 1 of Luke today, I pray for all those undertaking this journey with me. May you bless us with fresh insights and new understandings. We really want to be people whose lives overflow with joy and gratitude, yet we also know that sometimes that is hard to let out. Help us to count our blessings and celebrate your goodness. Amen

Jesus' Friends (Let's view Friends as those "on his side")
Gabriel (Angel)-- let's give him credit for yesterday!
Mary- yes mother's can be friends
Zechariah- joy and gratitude spills out
Elizabeth- shares in joy