23 December 2009
Psalm 72; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 1:39-56

David realizes that he is secure enough now to build a house for the Lord. Nathan agrees and says, “Go for it.” Later, however, he listens to the Lord who has an opinion on the matter. The time has not come for building the temple and David isn’t the guy to do it. The promise the Lord makes concerning David’s line seems out of place to us today, seeing the government of Israel and how things have gone there for so long. The reality is that we, as Christians, know there is one from David’s line seated on the throne who will indeed be there forever. It isn’t, however, about an earthly kingdom, just as Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19 when asked if he was a king. His throne is, for now, a heavenly throne, and we await the coming of the kingdom to bear on all of creation.

Mary explodes in praise for her condition, the fulfillment of the promise of God. Elizabeth’s greeting must have been sweet music to her ears. We don’t know how her family reacted to the news of her pregnancy but we do know about Joseph’s reaction, he decided to put her away quietly. What a blessing it must have been to hear Elizabeth rejoicing with her and confirming the word of the Lord to her. It hardly seems possible that two women, two cousins, at the same time, conceived children who would be the fulfillment of the prophets, the hopes and dreams of all peoples. Mary’s hymn of praise is all about the One who has done great things and her expectations of what this will mean, little does she know that in the short term things won’t go so well.

Paul states that his expectations of Christians is that they truly become new creations. We are to be different people since we received salvation and the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that even though their lives are more characterized by righteousness it isn’t for their righteousness that they were saved but through the mercy of God to those who were foolish and disobedient. The giving of the Spirit was so that we could be heirs of hope and be capable of devoting ourselves to good words as we wait the fulfillment of that hope. Let us be pregnant with hope and ready to proclaim the greatness of God to all who share that hope.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!