Be Still And Know

Luke 2:10-11 The angel’s message is fascinating because its content is both incredibly Jewish and yet embraces the whole world. The angel made it clear that the baby was the Messiah, the one who came to fulfil the Old Testament scriptures. But, at the same time, the coming of Jesus was for everyone. Although Jesus was to focus much of his ministry on his own people, the Jews, he consistently made it clear that he had come to bring salvation to the world. The responsibility of those of us who call ourselves Christians is to do everything in our power to make it clear that Jesus came for everyone. Sadly, churches can be extremely unfriendly and intimidating places, and people often get the impression that they are full of old people who do things in strange, old-fashioned ways. That is so sad, but happily far from the truth. Churches are often full of people of all ages and most churches seek to ensure that they worship in a way that is welcoming and understandable to visitors. There is no doubt tha

Luke 2:8-9 The shepherds would have been well used to facing dangers in the desert. They were constantly threatened by wolves and other wild animals, but angels were a different matter! This was completely outside their experience, and they would have had no expectation of receiving such important heavenly news. Shepherds were widely despised. They were considered to be unreliable and for that reason they were not allowed to give testimony in the law courts. Although it is likely that they were caring for sheep that would be used for the temple sacrifices in Jerusalem, their way of life made it impossible for them to comply with the requirements of the law. They were outsiders. Time and again the gospels show us how Jesus gave special attention to the people whom everyone else considered to be outsiders. Children, women, lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes and foreigners were all given special attention by Jesus and his harshest words of criticism were often directed at the religious people. So the fa

Luke 2:6-7 When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, they found that it was heaving with people who had arrived for the census, which the Romans had demanded. In the Jewish law, censuses were forbidden and so the holding of a census was a further reason for the people to resent the occupying power. However, Joseph was a law-abiding man and, if required to go to his family’s ancestral home, he was willing to comply. The fact that there were no lodgings available when they finally arrived in Bethlehem must have been a horrible surprise for the young couple. We are told nothing about the exact location of Jesus’ birth. All we know is that he was placed in an animal feeding trough, a manger, when he was born. That makes it clear that he was in a place where animals were kept and, in Bethlehem, that usually happened in caves. The fact that there was no room for Jesus at his birth serves as an agonising summary of the lack of welcome that Jesus received throughout his life. In his Gospel John summed up the

Luke 2:4-5 If you travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem these days it is a relatively easy journey. The roads are good, and you should get there by car in about two and half hours. Mary and Joseph’s experience would have been completely different. On foot the 90-mile journey would have been arduous and dangerous. They would probably have gone down the Jordan Valley which, at the time, was heavily wooded and was home to wolves, lions and wild boar. They posed a significant threat to the young couple but, in addition, they had to face the ever-present threat from robbers. The journey would normally take walkers about five days but, because Mary was in the last stages of her pregnancy, they may well have taken a few days longer than that. The weather would also have been a challenge. During the day it would have been hot and at night it would often have been freezing. The young couple must have been absolutely exhausted when they finally arrived in Bethlehem. It is valuable for us to remind ourselves of the

Matthew 1:22-23 Loneliness is one of the greatest problems of our society and it is on the increase. This matters because loneliness is incredibly dangerous. It increases the risk of death by 26 per cent; is more damaging to health than obesity; and increases the risk of high blood pressure. Loneliness, living alone and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But the person who knows Jesus personally need never experience loneliness, because he is Immanuel “God with us” and, when we live with him day by day, we are instantly connected to a worldwide family of his people. The difference between our relationship with God and with other people is that God never leaves us. He is always by our side. We may have the warmest of relationships with our friends, colleagues and family but, because they are human, the experience is constantly changing. They have good days and bad days. They have holidays and illnesses, and are often distracted by other calls on their tim

Matthew 1:19 At the centre of the account of Jesus’ birth is a man about whom we know very little. Joseph was the legal father of Jesus and Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ family line through Joseph. But after the birth of Jesus, we meet Joseph on only one occasion. That was when the family went for a Passover visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was 12 years old. We get the distinct impression that Mary was a widow by the time Jesus’ public ministry began. One verse in the New Testament tells us that Joseph was an artisan (Matthew 13:55) and it has been generally assumed that he was a carpenter but we can’t even be sure of that. The word for artisan could also mean that he was worker with iron or stone. Although we know so very little about this extremely important man, we know about his character. Joseph was described as a “righteous man”, which means that he was concerned to be obedient to the law. But, when we meet Joseph in this passage, that made life incredibly difficult for him because he was eng

Luke 1:78-79 Tender mercy is an exquisite expression and takes us to the heart of the nature of God. Much of the Old Testament is an agonising description of God’s people’s rebellion against him. There were some good times, but they were few in number and rarely lasted long. Much of the time we find God’s people moaning, disobeying and chasing after other gods. It’s a tragic story and it would be completely understandable if God decided to judge his people severely and give up on them. But he didn’t because of his tender mercy. God chose to be generous and forgiving. And he chose to offer salvation not merely to his own people but to the whole world. That’s why he sent Jesus and his coming represented the start of a new day. Darkness is a description that is often used in the Bible to describe the life of those who live in rebellion against God. The lack of light means that people stumble around and live lives that lack purpose and direction. Into such a world Jesus came to bring his light. In his gos

Luke 1:76-77 Zechariah’s prophecy focused on the coming of the Messiah, but that didn’t mean that his son John the Baptist’s role was a minor one. John would be the first prophet in the land since the time of Malachi, 400 years before. It had always been known that someone would be sent as a forerunner to the Messiah and Zechariah’s son would have this vital role. Not many people become Christians simply because of things they have heard or read. Most people are introduced to Christianity through someone they know, and often by more than one person. The life and example of these people helped to prepare the way for them to meet the Lord. Christmas gives us a supreme opportunity to point people to Jesus. For much of the year, the Church and the Christian message sit on the fringe of our society. But at Christmas time large numbers of people attend carol services and nativity plays. Undoubtedly most people’s attention is claimed by the pressure to buy presents, food and drink. But we dare not miss t

Luke 1:72-73 As Zechariah praised God upon the birth of his son John the Baptist, he was acutely aware of history. The coming of the Messiah was not a random historical event but was rooted in the long history of God’s dealings with his people. Zechariah pointed back to the prophets who had, long ago, promised that God would send a Saviour from the royal line of David. This reminds us particularly of the way in which Isaiah had specifically prophesied the coming of the Son of God. It was 700 years before the coming of Christ that he wrote: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Zechariah then pointed even further back as he referred to Abraham, the father of faith. In sending the Messiah, God was keeping his promise to the nation’s father long, long ago. The people of Israel had repeatedly gone their own way and lived in defiance to God. But

Luke 1:67-69 Zechariah and Elizabeth were an old couple. At the time, being childless was a matter of shame and disgrace and they had lived with this burden for many years. One day, Zechariah was doing his priestly duty in the temple and was confronted by the angel Gabriel. The angel told him that Elizabeth was going to have a baby and he was, not surprisingly, astonished. He asked the angel how this could possibly happen in view of their great age. Gabriel informed him that the message had come directly from God and that Zechariah’s failure to believe it immediately meant that he would be unable to speak until the child’s birth. What amazing months they must have been as Zechariah and Elizabeth adjusted to the fact that they were going to have a baby. And how frustrating it must have been for Zechariah to have been unable to express his undoubted delight. We can only imagine the smile on Zechariah’s face when their son John was safely born and he was able to speak again. We read that he was filled wi

Luke 1:51-53 The world has seen many revolutions but, arguably, nothing as revolutionary as this. The revolution that Mary was singing about here is moral, social and economic shaking the whole fabric of society. God’s intention is to turn everything upside down. Let’s look at the three aspects of God’s revolution, all of which we see clearly in the life and ministry of Jesus. Firstly, there is a moral revolution as God scatters those who are proud. Jesus particularly illustrated this by his attitude to children. The disciples were keen to work out who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. No doubt they were hoping that one of them would be awarded the title! To their astonishment, Jesus replied by calling a little child to him and informing them that the only way to become great in the kingdom of heaven was by becoming like a child (Matthew 18:1-5). No revolution could be more fundamental than changing a person’s attitudes from pride to humility. Secondly, God brings in a social revolut

Luke 1:46-48 It would have probably taken Mary about four days to travel down south to meet up with her elderly relative, Elizabeth. During that arduous journey she had plenty of time to reflect on the incredible things that were happening in her life. It may well be that she spent time reflecting on the song of Hannah in the Old Testament and so it is not surprising that Mary’s song has so much in common with Hannah’s words (1 Samuel 2:1-10). They beautifully express her faith and confidence in God. Above all, Mary’s song is an outburst of humility. She is amazed that God should have noticed her. She was only a lowly servant girl and wasn’t expecting to be given a big role in life or to achieve fame. But God had other plans for her. She was being called to fulfil one of the most awesome roles in the whole of history. Our situation is obviously very different from Mary’s but, for all of us, it is a moment of sheer amazement when we come to realise that God loves us and that we are special to him.

Luke 1:44-45 What an exquisitely beautiful moment this is! It seems that no one remained unmoved or unexcited about the news that Mary was going to give birth. Even the baby in Elizabeth’s womb wanted a piece of the action! We can’t be entirely clear what the relationship was between Elizabeth and Mary but it is believed that Elizabeth was Mary’s aunt. Although they were very different in age they both had one thing in common – they were both going to give birth in extraordinary circumstances. Elizabeth was well past childbearing age and Mary hadn’t had a sexual relationship with a man. Both of them had been chosen by God to play an amazing part in his unfolding plans. It’s the joy of this moment that I want us focus upon. The account of Jesus’ birth and the events that led up to it are full of joy. There are two wonderful songs in this chapter and they are both bubbling with joy. The first is Mary’s song, which is widely known as the Magnificat (vv46-55). Using many of the words that Hannah had,

Luke 1:38 Aren’t these words amazing? Mary has just learned that her whole life was going to be turned upside down. Having a baby is a completely life-changing event for anyone, but to learn that she was going to be the bearer of the Son of God must have been mind blowing. But her response was that she was willing to do whatever the Lord wanted. She was content to be the Lord’s servant. How amazing! The big question is whether we are willing to follow in her footsteps. Are we willing to trust the Lord so completely that we say to him that we are happy to do whatever he wants? This approach to life is almost the exact opposite of the thinking of our society. We are encouraged to be in control of our lives and to be suspicious of anyone who wants to order us about. The key issue is trust. Mary clearly completely trusted the Lord and so this message, incredible as it was, could be relied upon. The idea of being someone’s servant could easily sound demeaning. But the truth is that it all depends on th

Luke 1:29-31 The birth of Jesus and the events that led up to it are so familiar to us that it takes some adjusting to realise that it was all a complete surprise to those who were involved. We know exactly what’s going to happen next but, for them, it was all astonishing. We need to remember it had been 400 years since there had last been a prophet in the land, and the Jews were not generally expecting the imminent arrival of the Messiah. We shouldn’t, therefore, be surprised that, time and again, the key characters in this amazing account were told not to be afraid. Zechariah, an elderly priest, was shaken to the core when he met an angel while he was offering incense in the temple. He was just about to be given the incredible news that his equally elderly wife was going to give birth to John the Baptist (Matthew 1:8-25). And then in our verses today we meet Mary. She was probably a teenager, and she certainly wasn’t expecting the angel Gabriel to turn up and greet her. It’s no wonder that Luke rec

Proverbs 10:19 There is a huge amount of advice about words in the book of Proverbs. The writer knew that the tongue is capable of bringing death or life (18:21) and so he went to great lengths to encourage his readers to use their words carefully. “The words of the wise bring healing. Truthful words stand the test of time” (Proverbs 12:18-19). He encouraged his readers to make sure that they were in full control of their tongues. In 13:3 he said: “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” The writer also commended silence, and Abraham Lincoln gave very similar advice on the subject. He wrote: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” I have no idea how these words might apply to you. Perhaps you are always inclined to be quiet, and you hardly need the advice. But you may be like me. In my work as a minister I find myself talking a great deal and, if I am honest, I enjoy doing so. I certainly need the r

Proverbs 10:18 This is one of those verses that makes you sit up. On the face of it, it might seem to be a very good thing to hide hatred because hatred is an ugly and destructive experience. How would we ever cope if everyone was totally honest and open about the people and things they hate? I think the point being made is that if you do hate someone or something then acting as if you love them, or are not bothered, gives a completely false impression. You are misleading everyone in a dangerous way. You are effectively living a lie. So what should we do when we are overcome by hatred? The implication is that we shouldn’t bottle it up because, in doing so, we are in danger of doing ourselves serious damage. We may fall into depression or become totally negative and cynical in our attitude to others. While the hatred is still burning away inside of us it cannot fail to do damage. This surely means that, since we don’t want to be liars, we need to deal with anything that is stirring up hatred in us.

Proverbs 10:17 It isn’t easy when someone corrects us. I can recall many moments when people have told me that I have got something wrong. Most of the time they have spoken gently and sensitively but that hasn’t always been the case. There have been times when I have been criticised and the memory of those moments still stings. Some of them happened decades ago but the emotions are still quite raw. However, the writer of Proverbs is confident that being disciplined is so good for us that it leads to life. King Solomon in Ecclesiastes spoke similarly when he wrote: “Better to be criticised by a wise person than to be praised by a fool” (Ecclesiastes 7:5). There is no doubt that our natural reaction to being corrected or criticised is to be defensive. However, it is usually best simply to listen to what is being said and to say nothing. Then we can take time to calmly reflect on what has been said. Even if most of it was off target, there may be some nuggets of wisdom that don’t need to be missed. T

Proverbs 10:16 Money, sex and power have always had an enormous influence on the way people live, and so it isn’t surprising that the book of Proverbs often speaks about them. All three are capable of enormous good and great happiness. But they can also be destructive and lead to deep misery. The writer was particularly conscious of the power of money and he knew that it was the character of a person that would determine how well it was used. A godly person will be blessed by their earnings, whether they are great or small. They will know that all money has come from the hand of God, and will seek to use it in a way that is a blessing to others. I love the wise words of John Wesley, who famously told people to “get all you can, save all you can and give all you can”. Through the centuries Christian churches and charities have been wonderfully supported by wealthy people who have been willing to share their money generously with others. But whether we are wealthy or not, whatever we have been given c

Proverbs 10:11 We are so used to drinking clean water from our taps that it is hard to think of those times in history when that wasn’t possible – and it still isn’t in many parts of the world. In the time when the writer of Proverbs composed this book, water was either drawn from cisterns that collected rainwater, or from wells or springs. The problem with both cisterns and wells was that the water may well have been standing for a long time and could be full of disease. The very best source of water was a fountain or spring that brought clean, life-giving water. It was a powerful image that everyone would have immediately understood, and the writer was indicating that the words of the godly will be a blessing wherever they go. The problem with words is that it is so easy to use them casually. Often we wish we could eat our words because they have done no good. Towards the end of his life Winston Churchill said: “During a long life I have had to eat my own words many times and I have found it a very