Unbelief at Christmas- Zechariah Lk. 1:5-20,24,25,57,58,62-68; Mt. 6:25-34 12/2/07 1st Advent
It is easy for me to point out all the things wrong with the world. Often preachers do this as do news reporters. But one of the most important things in life is to be able to rejoice when God gives us good news.
Winnie the Pooh was telling Eeyore- “I got a new job, isn’t that great?” Eeyore replied, “Good for you. You’ll probably lose it soon as you get used to having the money.” Winnie the Pooh said, “Today’s my birthday isn’t that great?” Eeyore replied, “Oh sure, another day closer to getting old.” It is easy, frankly to look at the world through Eeyore’s donkey-eyes.
When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, one of the most famous scientists in England said, “England has plenty of small school boys to run messages.” When the Wrights flew off the coast of NC in 1903, the U.S., government refused to believe it for five years. When Raymopnd Damadian helped invent the MRI, he couldn’t get funding because his machine was said to be physically impossible. When something good happens, how wonderful it is to accept it.
Zechariah had Eeyore’s unbelieving, doubtful eyes. He couldn’t appreciate the miracle of God, the wonder of life. The angel of God came to him. How many have seen an angel of God, much less the angel Gabriel who stands in the very presence of God. Zechariah was a believer in a sense. He was a priest. He was, it appears a good and faithful man. But he had been hurt in life—especially because he had no children. He was older, and he thought he knew about life. He was used to the patterns, the rhythms of life, and not expecting a miracle. In fact, he was so hardened to the miracles that when the angel himself came, he could not believe it.
So Zechariah was a believer who didn’t believe. He didn’t believe in God’s power, God’s ability to save or help. When the angel came to him, he said to an angel of God, “How can I be sure?” We don’t have many examples of people arguing with an angel. Most people are too afraid to speak. Joseph didn’t argue when the angel told him about the virgin birth- as unusual as that was. Elizabeth didn’t argue with God when she found out she was pregnant- but said, “The Lord has done this for me—he has taken away my disgrace and shown favor to his people.” We do have an instance where Sarah dared to laugh thinking about becoming pregnant when old. But even then she didn’t admit to laughing. Mary had the news of her baby’s birth come to her and she marveled at God’s blessing the humble- and pondered it in her heart. Zechariah dared to say, “How can I be sure?” This wasn’t just a “you’re kidding me!” This was I won’t believe it until I see it.
Part of Zechariah’s dumbness was he spoke too much and trusted too little. Zechariah was made sure in that he couldn’t speak until the child was born. His first words confirmed his belief in the angel’s message- naming him John. Maybe he didn’t want to believe that God would perform such things. Or maybe he said God just doesn’t do this kind of thing anymore- after all, it had been hundreds of years since Malachi wrote. God gave Zechariah a sign that he should believe His Word, and not just his rationality that told him how the world works.
The angel said, “You’re going to have a baby- isn’t that great news!” Zechariah said, “How?” “Are you sure you got the message straight?” If God does a miracle, answers a prayer clearly and we are all wrapped up in the “hows” and the idea that “God doesn’t normally act this way” then we have lost our sense of wonder, and the real joy of advent and Christmas.
When you have been truly blessed, then one of the real dangers is to constantly look on the horizon for things that might come and take those blessings away. If you’re always looking for danger, then you can’t enjoy the moment. I don’t mean that you should hide your head in the sand- of course there is a balance. But I think we live in a day when people are looking for bad news. Let’s think about it. This year we had a drought- but there were no Hurricane Katrinas. People are talking everywhere about there might be a recession, and there’s a housing slump- but unemployment is still down and inflation is still low.
I think about the words of Jesus- “Look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.” Jesus said “do not worry about your life what you will eat or drink or your body what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes?” I don’t think even the most dour economist is saying we won’t have enough food for our country. We are not facing famine. No one is saying there aren’t enough clothes to go around. We may- just may have to eat out less. We may- just may have to cut back on our credit card use. I am tired of those who have nothing good to say. We live in a wonderful country, with wonderful freedoms. Our wealth has doubled six times in the last thirty years. The average size of our houses have quadrupled in size. While everything may not be always growing and rosy, things are still very, very good in our country. It is easy to be an eeyore- and have an unbelieving spirit- especially when things go wrong- big things or little things. But I invite you to look beyond the bad and find the wonder this advent.
Here is a story of the pink advent candle.
This is a story that I hope will help you remember some things about advent.
Once there were was a family of four purple candles.
One was named hope, another was named truth, another was named joy, and the fourth candle was named love.
They were all in a family circle.
On Christmas the stable where Jesus was born was dark (they didn’t have electricity back then), so they took the four candles into the stable.
The candle named hope said, This baby’s birth will bring hope, and fulfill the hopes of many.”
The candle named truth said, “This baby will bring great truth to the world, and show us where we have gone wrong.”
The candle named love said, “This baby will bring love to the world, for the baby was born in love and will die in love.
The candle named joy- stood there, not knowing what to say.
The other candles looked at it. The other three candles were all straight and serious and somber.
But the joy candle had melted a bit, it’s back was bent and it didn’t know what to say.
Finally it began to sing. And when this candle sang, it began to get straight. And when this candle sang, it began to lose its purple color. It had never sung before- but it sand “Joy tot eh world the Lord is come.” It started blushing, but also radiating in joy. So in our advent wreath, the third candle is a different color- the color of joy. While joy may not be as serious as hope, truth, and love, it is truly rejoicing.