In The Wilderness

Reading: Luke 1:57-80

57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. 58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her. 59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” 61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. 65 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. 66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way. 67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: 76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” 80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. (Luke 1:57-67, 76-80 NLT)

Eight days after Elizabeth’s baby was born, at his circumcision and naming ceremony, Zechariah and Elizabeth surprised everyone by naming him John (the name the angel had spoken). Suddenly, Zechariah could speak again and gave a prophecy about John’s purpose as the “preparer of the way” for the Savior.

John could have been a Temple priest like his father, but God’s path for John led into the wilderness instead. He was an outsider to the Jewish religious system and free from the religious politics and hypocrisy it contained. “John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.”

You and I must remember that as followers of Jesus, we too will always be a little bit “outside the system” whether it’s the political system, the religious system, the economic system, or the social system. Our ultimate allegiance is not to, and our ultimate dependence is not on, a system, but rather a person – Jesus.

Prayer:

Father, Please help us to remember that we are both citizens and strangers, belongers and outsiders. Keep us from unhealthy entanglements that make our souls prisoners and our spirits weak. For your Kingdom’s sake, Amen!