Monday, December 19, 2022
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Let the words of my mouth
An angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said to her, “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive a bear a son. And this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel. The woman bore a son, and named him Samson.
Samson began the deliverance of Israel but was waylaid by Delilah and his own passions. His hair was cut, his strength was destroyed, he was betrayed and killed.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and said, “Do not be afraid. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you shall name him John. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, preparing a people fit for the Lord.
John, who prepared the way of the Lord as Elijah predicted (Isaiah 40), was born nine months later. During that time Zechariah could not speak. The angel closed his mouth. Just as Mary did (see tomorrow’s texts), Zechariah questions the angel. But perhaps he was more skeptical than curious.
I am Gabriel, who stands before God. I was sent to speak to you and announce the good news. But now you will be speechless until the day these things shall take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.
Karl Barth points out that just because Zechariah was frozen in place, so to speak, God was not. God’s work within Elizabeth moved right along into the “time of fulfillment.” Zechariah’s mouth was shut, but his mind must have been working hard!
And so it is with us. We all have an angel who speaks with both God and us (Matthew 18:10). But when I hear the words of God, I am often careless in receiving them. Or conversely, they are SO powerful and god-like, I am speechless. We are all in this leaky boat. We do exactly what we do NOT want to do. At least Karl Barth thinks so.
The living word of God is available to us. It is a word that, in contrast to all human words, is clear, intelligible and unambiguous. This inward word of God contains precisely that which so moves and unsettles us, so delights and grieves us, and which we would so gladly tell one another.
If we could only believe, we would speak. Imagine if we could just stop always wanting to make everything our own private affair, thinking we are alone when we are not.
                       – (this sermon is anthologized in WAIT FOR THE LIGHT, Plough Publications, entry for December 13)
Pastor Barth knows this freedom to speak comes to us gradually, if at all. But still, God continues to work in our lives, in our world just as he did in Zechariah’s. Zechariah was a “herald of Advent.” How about us, in our own lives, in our own time, in our own place?
God precedes us with his deeds and only waits so we can follow. And so we will accept – even with all that we cannot say – and with all that we have not yet heard – that we are also heralds of Advent. We will believe and we will hear.
Finally, then, we will speak. And our community together will rejoice.
You are my hope, O Lord. You have taught me from my youth. My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing of your glory.
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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