23 December 2010

Psalm 80; Isaiah 29.13-24; Revelation 21.22-22.5; Luke 1.39-56

The kingdom of God is for those whose trust is in nothing else, who know their true poverty. The blind, the deaf, the meek and the poor shall have their reward but those whose portion is the world will not. Sounds a bit like Jesus’ statement on the rich man and the eye of the camel and begs the question of who can enter. The answer is in Jesus statement about treasure, what is our treasure and where is our treasure. The beginning of the passage speaks of flattery with the lips but their hearts are far from Him and this is the key, where is our heart. Do we possess things or are we possessed by them? Here He promises to do great things that will astound and stupefy them, just as Jesus did. The problem was that they didn’t give thanks to God for the things He did, they wrongly attributed His works.

These two women and their encounter with one another is one of the most beautiful passages in the entire Bible. Elizabeth’s joy at Mary’s visit and her outburst of praise for this young cousin is wonderful. She who has been married for many years and yet was barren now delights both in her pregnancy and in that of this young woman who is not yet married and claims to be a virgin and yet is pregnant with child. There is no jealousy or bitterness in Elizabeth and her words presage John’s own willingness to be less than Jesus. Mary’s praise song is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible for those of us who use the Daily Offices from the Book of Common Prayer. Mary’s song shows that she has pondered well in her heart concerning the meaning of this pregnancy. It was spontaneously given but reveals a young woman of great depth who had given much prayer and thought to her situation.

Clearly Mary’s treasure was with the Lord, she had given up respectability in some ways to bear this child for Him. She would live with the questions asked behind her back, the rumors that attended here situation. Here we see that true treasure is indeed in heaven, and we will appreciate and enjoy it throughout eternity without needing to own things. All we could need or want is the Lord Himself and He has provided for us richly. Why store up things here when we can’t take them with us and they would add nothing to what we have there?

Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!