Dear Theophilus,
Who would have imagined that a tiny
baby could change the world, let alone could affect you and me in this way, so
many years later? I think of the number
of births I have heard of lately, and while each is a cause for celebration,
none of them seem worthy of unsettling a man’s life years later. Perhaps, though, I will be proved wrong. Although I can safely say that none of these
children were born through the power of God!
I believe that it is easy to
discount a miracle happening once. Anything can explain that, from a misheard
story that takes on a life of its own to facts being misinterpreted by those
who come later. But when it happens
twice, as it has in this story, one has to approach it with a certain amount of
respect. I read your pages over and
over, in the hope of finding some kernel that will make all this clear to this
suddenly confused soul. Recently, I knew
exactly what I believed, and the walls of my life were strong as the stone they
pull from the finest quarry. Now, I sit
up late at night, re-reading your letters and other accounts I have received,
wondering what they all mean, and I can feel those walls dancing on shifting
sand, threatening to pull away and explode my worldview. There is such power in the story!
What I would give to have been a
fly on the wall when Mary and Elizabeth spoke!
How marvelous it would be to hear them describe the way the angel
Gabriel appeared! I wonder if they
talked at length about the sound of his voice, about the authority he carried
with him. Perhaps they laughed like
school girls as they discussed their pregnancies and the hopes they had for
their children, or they may have mourned when they considered the danger Mary
was in as an unwed mother. These women
must have been drawn so close by the common bond they had of carrying
miraculous children that were a gift from God!
I have received another letter, one
that shares news regarding the birth of Elizabeth’s child. As you can imagine, the entire community
embraced Elizabeth and Zechariah and celebrated with them. People were so happy for the elderly couple,
and even those who were skeptical of the events couldn’t help but rejoice when
they saw the joy in the faces of those two new parents. The Lord’s mercy upon Elizabeth was widely
praised, and the food that was brought to help support Zechariah and Elizabeth
was enough to feed an army!
As you well know, the Jewish custom
is to have the child circumcised on the 8th day. When they brought this child to be
circumcised, all had assumed the baby would be named Zechariah, like his
father. However, Elizabeth declared that
the child’s name would be John. None
understood her wish, for the name John was unfamiliar to her family, and so
they turned to the father, convinced that he would overrule Elizabeth’s wishes
and conform to tradition.
However, when given a writing
tablet (you will remember that he has been mute since he discovered Elizabeth
would have a child), he wrote that the child’s name should be John! All were amazed, but they scarcely had time
to consider this because Zechariah immediately began to speak and praise
God!
The amazement of the crowd quickly
turned to fear as the people wondered what kind of powers were at work, and as
rumors quickly do, word spread around the entire hill country of Judea. Everyone wondered what the path of this
child’s life would be like, for none could remember such unusual circumstances
surrounding a child’s birth. The Lord
was with him, but some were having a hard time understanding these events. You point out that such events are not
commonplace in Jewish history, and while I will leave that expertise to you,
you must also remember that people tend to have short memories when it comes to
God’s role in their lives.
I have also been told that
Zechariah’s words were captured in that wild commotion. I have placed them below for your
consideration. Like you, Zechariah
captures this scene in the context of God’s actions through all of time. As an outsider, it’s all a bit much for me to
take in, but considering the wonder that is omnipresent in the beginning of
this tale, I wonder how deeply I can wade into these waters before I must learn
to swim.
The
Lord God of Israel is blessed, for his favor shines upon the people that he has
redeemed. There is a Savior that is
elevated for us out of the house of David, just as God predicted through the
voices of the holy prophets from of old.
God said we would be rescued from the grasp of our enemies and those who
hate and despise us. The mercy he promised
to us is on full display, and God has not forgotten the covenant he made with
his people, the promise that was extended to Abraham, that we might be his
servants, filled with praise for him, striving for faithfulness, in return for
the merciful rescue from the grips of our enemies. You, John, will be a prophet of God, a man
who will lead the way for the Lord, preparing the world by proclaiming
salvation for the people and forgiveness of sins. The light will shine for all the people, like
the sun bursting over the horizon each morning, and those dwelling in the
darkest nights will have light by the mercy of God, and our feet shall follow
the illuminated path into lives of peace.
Such words I dare not
interpret. They are too wonderful for
me, and I am lost for much of them, not being a child of Jewish history. I cannot stop, however, ruminating on their
importance.
The boy John, spoiled by two
parents who loved him and looked upon him in joy and thanksgiving, grew up with
a strong spirit. While I would have
expected him to follow in his father’s footsteps and work in the temple, it was
clear from the beginning that he would be unique, and so he faded into the
wilderness, unheard from by the society that expected so much from him.
And so one half of the miraculous
births that intertwine this tale is related here. I wonder if you might illumine the other
piece of this puzzle?
Sincerely,
Luke
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