Zechariah's Song (Part 2)
Salvation from enemies. ...Enemies?
Zechariah’s song comes directly after the birth of his son, John (the Baptist). But the song is mostly about the action of God through the coming Messiah, Jesus (John’s second cousin).
How long, oh Lord?
Do you ever think of all those generations prior to Jesus who didn’t see the coming of the Messiah? Later, in chapter 2, Luke will share the story of two old Jews, Anna & Simeon, who waited a long time and got to meet the Messiah. They surely died before Jesus did much of anything.
Then there are those thousands who lived and died and never saw the salvation Zechariah declares here.
Not to be all depressing, but…what does this make you think?
How long, oh Lord?
Most of us alive and reading this today have never known the kind of waiting Israel endured. Most of us, as much as we might try, cannot truly relate to the life of Jews living under Roman occupation in the 1st century. This doesn’t mean the Jesus story isn’t for us. It just means that we must understand it rightly in view of our own lives and in view of those in the world whose lives are a whole lot more resonant with these characters than ours are.
God cares about each of our situations, for sure. This is at the heart of our faith. And the gospel story is indeed for all (me and you, etc.). But once we’ve accepted that, maybe it’s time to be all-in in what the story means for those whose lives are vastly different than ours.
He has brought salvation from our enemies…
What enemies? The guy honking at us on the highway? The really difficult person at work? Terrorists across the world we’ve never actually met? Again, feel free to believe that God delivers us from enemies and hate in our contexts (I mean that - it’s true). But let us know what true enemies are.
And even now, let us not forget that the salvation God brings through this Messiah (Jesus Christ) does not look like returning violence for violence (upon our enemies or those who hate us). Rather, it looks like submission to a merciful and loving and powerful God.
How long, oh Lord?
It could be a while.
Luke 1:71-73a
He has brought salvation from our enemies and from the power of all those who hate us. He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered his holy covenant, the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.
Isaiah 54:10
The mountains may shift, and the hills may be shaken, but my faithful love won’t shift from you, and my covenant of peace won’t be shaken, says the Lord, the one who pities you.
Prayer
God,
You keep your promises, even when we forget them. Thank you for mercy that spans generations and a love that never gives up. Give me the faith to believe it and keep me from the cynicism that would deny it because I’ve not witnessed the fullness of the experience.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
This reading touched me deeply. Years ago in undergrad I wrote an essay about terrorists and in it I asked others to see things from the perspective of the terrorists. I wondered what caused them to hate us (Anerica) so much. I got a lot of backlash. Sure there is great evil but I try to get to the root. As a social worker and Pastor I believe love heals. It's not always easy but as it says in 1 Corinthians 13, "love never fails." There is so much more I want to write here about "waiting for the long expected Messiah" but this is already long enough. Simply I sometimes feel as though I do resonate with the early Jews because I wonder if I will be alive for his second coming. I am looking, working, witnessing and waiting. Sure, I have Scripture but nothing can compare to seeing Him face to face!