New Thoughts (4/19/04-4/20/04)
Why did God prompt Mary to leave home? There are so many reasons that come to mind, and a number of them probably have their part in the true answer. For her parents, there was this hidden benefit: Mary's pregnancy would not be lain at their feet, at least not directly. Some might place the blame on them for allowing her to go off unattended, but it was a going off to family, and should have been safe enough. I doubt many would pursue this thought further. Family is to be trusted. Their decision was sound. At any rate, no blame could be found in their running of their own home. They had not allowed this thing to happen under their own noses, as it were. This, however, if it was part of the purpose at all, is among the least of reasons. It might, perhaps, explain the timing somewhat, and it does give a wonderful example of how thoroughly God works out the details in His planning. However, the reasons for a visit in the first place are far more significant.
One reason for this visit is made clear in Gabriel's original announcement to Mary. It was a proof of the validity of his words, and would serve to bolster Mary's faith. She was a child, although a child of that age was perhaps emotionally older than one would expect today. Life demanded it of them. Still, she had willingly subjected herself to wonders unheard of, and would need every bit of faith-building experience she could lay hold of. It was true now, in these first months, and it would only become moreso as Jesus' life and ministry proceeded. In Elizabeth she found something every Christian needs - a companion of like faith, one who understood what God was doing, and was clear that it was indeed His doing. Elizabeth knew with the eyes of faith exactly what had occurred in Mary's young life. She needed no long explanations, no further evidence. She was already long attuned to what God was up to. She'd had about a five month warning that God's promise was coming into fulfillment, and she was just waiting to see the next step in His process unfold. When it came, she was instant in recognition, just as was the babe in her womb.
For three months, Mary shared the life of this woman of faith. Doubtless, Zacharias was also in and out during that time, a constant reminder of the power of God, a constant sign and wonder in his own household. And can it be doubted that young John experienced further occasions for excitement as he sensed the continued presence of his Lord, his Savior, his Purpose? What a marvelous way to begin life, in such constant exposure to Life! The God of Wonders had begun a most marvelous work in Mary. How fragile must her emotions and her faith been in those first days! But God had seen to it that she was surrounded by spiritual strength. She had mute Zacharias reminding her almost daily of the power of God. She had the prenatal John jumping constantly for the joy of His presence - indeed God was with her, in her, filling her to overflowing! Most importantly, though, she had fellowship. She had fellowship with one who knew and understood - knew not only what God was doing in her life, but also knew what thoughts and feelings must be running through her young mind. She had fellowship with one who could speak faith to her when she was worried, who could speak Scripture to her when she was troubled, who could rejoice with her wholeheartedly when her faith was strong. Why was she sent off from home? Because she was going to need that preparation time to settle her own thoughts and to establish her faith on solid ground.
We occasionally experience times like this, though not often for such extended periods. This is, after all, what the church is about! It's a time for fellowship with people of like mind. It's a chance to be reminded that we're not alone in this walk, our experiences are not so unique that nobody can understand. In recent months, I've been blessed to be working for a young man who is strong in the Lord, whose faith is a flame. What a joy it has been! Here, even in the workplace, I am blessed to have somebody around who knows my Lord, who understands that there are matters of far greater import than the present project which are being worked out. What a joy to be able to share the events of a weekend, or the insights of a particular sermon or study with somebody that gets it! To talk to an unbeliever about matters of church events is such a draining thing because they cannot understand it at all. It cannot be understood as anything more than a social event by them. More than likely, it just raises concerns in their minds, or else utterly confuses them why an otherwise intelligent engineer would be caught up in such nonsense. What strength to know that I'm not alone!
However, this is far more than some emotional high, and for Mary, the story is the same. Had she merely been experiencing a multi-month high, it would have been long gone before ever she reached home. She had left home an innocent child. She was now returning home, still an innocent child, but one now three months pregnant and showing. Her innocence could not but be called into question. I cannot help but think that her parents took some convincing before they could believe her explanation. One wonders, did they insist on a physical checkout to prove her words? Did God allow her this physical proof of the supernatural nature of the conception of her child? Something had to convince her parents that this was no fantasy their daughter had cooked up. Or perhaps Zacharias and Elizabeth had sent along a letter of explanation. Who knows? It seems certain, though, that this homecoming was unpleasant. It would shatter the most thoroughly built up emotional high and leave her despondent almost immediately.
Consider the impact of coming back to work after vacation. All that time relaxing, all the joy that has been had, refreshing times with family, free of schedules and concerns; yet it all comes crashing down in the first few hours back on the job. It always does, doesn't it? What Mary was going to hit coming home must have been like this multiplied one hundredfold!
Fellowship is an important thing. It's so important that God created us for that very purpose, to have fellowship with Him. It's so important that He recognized that Adam would need another form of fellowship, fellowship with one of his own kind. It was for this great need that He instituted marriage between man and woman, to allow for a fellowship such as He experienced in heaven. However, if all we get from our fellowship is this emotional thing, we're wasting our time! This is not the purpose of fellowship, and it will do us no good. Emotional highs will not carry you through the next trial. It's the edification that comes from fellowship that will help then, it's the building each other up in the Lord. That's what we're supposed to be about in the church, strengthening each other for battle, but we're too busy enjoying our emotional highs.
Mary needed this time of strengthening, of being made more certain of her calling, of being with somebody who shared that calling, and could help her come to grips with its demands. She would need that strength of conviction to meet her parents again. She would need it to stand firm while Joseph turned from her. And these were but the birth-pains! Emotional highs would have been absolutely and utterly worthless as she watched her son in agony before the people, as she watched Him dying on the cross.
If we are not willing to be a source of strength for those we fellowship with, then we need to end that fellowship, because we are not really part of it. If it's all about entertainment and emotions, then we're investing an awful lot of energy into something that cannot possibly give us the return we want. If it's just a social club, there are any number of other avenues we can take that will require less of us and be more rewarding to that particular hunger. The church needs to realize the fullness of its old description as 'the church militant.' We need to recognize that we are not a club but a training camp, that we are not called to be 'seeker friendly' and shape ourselves to the world, but to be spiritual revolutionaries and shape the world to ourselves! Hype won't do it. Clever speech won't do it. Noncommittal approaches to Truth won't do it. The only thing that will work is soaking in the reality of God, getting to know Him as thoroughly as He can be known, wrapping ourselves in so much of Him that He is all that's left in us, and then going out from behind the walls to take the battle to the enemy. A revolutionary that never leaves the training camp isn't much of a revolutionary, no?
There is indeed great joy in fellowship, great joy in hanging with folks who understand us, know what we're about, get excited by the things that excite us. Fellowship is, or should be, a joyful thing. Might I go so far as to suggest that this is the joy of the LORD which is our strength? The joy of knowing we're not alone in faith, not alone in our convictions, not alone in our understanding of Him, these are all cause for joy, and all serve to strengthen our resolve in following Him. There's a reason the cults send out their witnesses in groups, the same reason Jesus Himself sent His disciples out in pairs. Fellowship brings joy to the mission, and joy brings strength, because the joy that comes of fellowship in service is more than an emotion. It's a gift of the Holy Spirit, in Whom we have fellowship with God!
We have desperate need to increase our sensitivity to the presence and the leading of God through the Holy Spirit in us. His prompting is rarely so strong as to be irresistible. I've been reading about the prophets in the evening lately, and they did not find God so gentle. The prophet's call was one that he was not allowed to ignore. Whom God chooses, He calls, and the called are no longer in much of a position to ignore Him. They hear, and the One they hear is sovereign. His Word goes forth in calling, and it will not fail of its purpose!
As I said, though, not all calls are that powerful. How often have I felt that prompting to do some small act, to speak some word into this life or that? Many times. To my sorrow, I'd have to say I probably reject as many of them, if not more, than I pursue. But, oh! The blessing when one follows His lead! Those are sweet moments, once one gets past the initial panic of obedience. Are You sure about this? Was it really You? This is nothing new. Gideon experienced it. You want me to do what? With how many men? But, he obeyed God, and God was with him. God doesn't need numbers, He doesn't even really need obedience. He can force that issue if He must. But He desires obedience! What He can accomplish with a servant who listens, and then obeys without question! Isn't this what we pray in every church? "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" What are we saying?
God, You're command in heaven is acted upon without the least hesitation or question. Let it be in me the same way! So many times I've known it was Your prompt, and yet I've allowed pride, fear, laziness, whatever, get in the way of obedience. Forgive me, my Lord, for my unfaithfulness in serving You. Forgive me for allowing things and emotions to have a higher place in my thinking than You. God, I've known the sweetness of obedience, the joy of being useful to You, yet I've grown too familiar, in a way. I've hit a place where I'm too sure of myself, too insistent on doing things the way I see them working, not the way You require. Open my ears again, Holy Spirit, to hear with understanding. Renew my mind again, that I might obey what I hear from You.
How we need this sensitivity! How we need to be led by our Lord. This is the purpose of the servant, after all, to not only hear the command of our Master, but to sense His desires before He finds it necessary to utter them. The good servant becomes so acquainted with the ways of his master that the slightest gesture is understood, that the master's habits are firmly established in his mind, and he is able to react immediately and appropriately to the most imperceptible indications, because he is focused on his master, focused attentively to his every move and word.
Not only do we need a sensitivity to God's leading, we need a willingness to invest heavily in those He leads us to. There is no place in the Gospel for hit and run evangelism. This was not the way the apostles learned, nor the way they practiced. When Paul made converts, he was with them for years, seeing to it that they were not only converted, but that they were also established - established in Truth. Too many folks run around the religious circuits today with any number of nice sounding pseudo-theologies that have next to nothing to do with a study of ho Theon. Man-made religions abound, even in the heart of the Christian church, and we must prepare ourselves to stand against such things. We must also prepare those we bring into the Church. If we 'save' them and then simply turn them loose, who knows what bizarre concepts are going to get their attention? Who knows how far off track they will go before somebody with more sense then us takes the time to straighten them out?
Remember Apollos? What's his story? Saved, converted, but never fully trained, he shows up in Ephesus preaching up a storm. He speaks well, knows some stuff, and he can really get the crowd's ear. He is earnest in his desire to promote the Gospel. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the whole Gospel because apparently nobody thought it necessary to take the time with him. Fortunately for him, God had Priscilla and Aquila in place to fill in what was lacking. Paul had taken time with them, and they understood that taking time was required. They were led, and they were willing to do what it took, so they took him in tow and discipled him in what was still lacking.
This is the way of the Church. It's all well and good to have these newcomers say "the sinner's prayer." Where'd that come from anyway? It's all fine to 'pray them into the kingdom.' But if we're not discipling them in the Truth then all we've done is tickled some emotions, most of them our own. Maybe it was real, maybe they'll manage to hang on to the truth that was planted in them by sheer strength of will, maybe somebody else will see to their upbringing. Then again, maybe not. Maybe the seed that was planted got ripped up as soon as we turned our backs. Look, when we bring a child into the world, we spend decades preparing them for life on their own. Why? Because we know it'd be deadly to them and to those around them to let them go out any sooner, with any less understanding. Yet, we have no issue with turning somebody loose in spiritual matters with no more than a half-hour of talk! We can't even call it training, because for the most part it's all aimed at those of us that already know!
It takes time. It may take time hanging out with sinners before we have any chance of convincing them of a better way. If we're too 'religious' to associate with them, how do we expect to give them the Word in any fashion that'll gain a hearing? Paul could get a hearing because he understood those he would reach. He took time to find out what they were about, so that he could be assured of speaking in terms they could understand. Launching into a long-winded Christianese speech isn't going to get anywhere with people that don't already know our secret code words. May as well go into the bar and start speaking in tongues. You may feel better, but you're not going to make many converts that way - create some laughter, perhaps, but that's about it. You probably won't have to worry too much about any temptation to drink, either. The bartender's probably got you pegged for being shut off already.
Am I suggesting we should go out and get drunk for Jesus? No. But it may take going into the bars to do His will. It might even take sipping some beer to reach the ones He wants us to reach. Maybe. Or are we too wrapped up on our own brand of Pharisaism to allow Him to do that with us? Jesus offended the religious. He sat with sinners, had dinner with them - tax-collector and Pharisee alike! He hung about with ex-prostitutes. Funny, but only the Pharisees seemed offended by His choice of companions. Never do I read about the tax-collectors complaining that He ate with Pharisees. Not once! We look upon the Pharisees and say, 'oh, thank God I'm not like that!' and fail to even sense the irony in such a thought. We are Pharisees almost to a man in God's church today. We have our code of holiness, and some of it's even Biblical. We have our list of acceptable musicians, and if it's not on that list we'll never be caught listening to it. We'll listen to it, we just won't be caught doing so in the presence of our brothers. It might cause offense! God help us! Help us to get a grip!
So long as we insist on having nothing to do with the world, we will have done nothing to change it. Two thousand years ago, a dozen men began something that absolutely overturned the order of the world around them. How did they have such impact? Not by hiding from the world they were in, but by talking to that world, reaching out to that world and embracing it. They reached it not by having some mystical phrases, not by secret societies with secret languages, but by speaking to those around them in understandable ways, by living out their faith unabashedly in the very faces of those around them, by being true to the Truth they knew. The world has tried hard to keep us from continuing that way, and we've been entirely too willing to let the world win. We've conceded the right to speak about much of anything. We've conceded the colleges. We've conceded the courts. We've conceded the political arena. We've conceded the airwaves. We've conceded pretty much everything outside our own buildings. It's time to stop conceding. It's time for God's people to be revolutionaries again.
How do God's revolutionaries operate? By living like they believe in Him! By living like they believe in Him even when there may be negative consequences. By staying focused on His kingdom even as they go about their daily life. By avoiding hypocrisy and avoiding self-defined codes of righteousness in favor of simply reflecting the Son of God. Why did Mary leave Elizabeth's house before John was born? To start a revolution. John would plant the seeds of change around Jerusalem, would light a fire that no blanket of religion could put out. Mary would carry the seed of the King north into Galilee, to make sure that the revolutionaries on the lake would have their Leader in place.
In another sense, Mary went home to discover her own strength. She had been through three months of preparation and training, but she needed experience to know that her training would suffice. As much as visiting Elizabeth had strengthened her faith, returning home now would likewise serve to strengthen her faith. It would prove that she had more than emotions to carry her. It would prove the more conclusively that God was with her.
