THE
JOURNEY
(Luke
1:26-28; 2:1-7)
Luke
1:26-28 (NASB) 26Now
in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in
Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin
engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David;
and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And coming in, he said
to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with
you."
Luke 2:1-7 (NASB) 1Now
in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be
taken of all the inhabited earth. 2This was the first
census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And
everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own
city. 4Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of
Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David, 5in order
to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with
child. 6While they were there, the days were completed for
her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn
son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
INTRODUCTION
The word
"promise" suggests excitement, hope, and new possibilities,
while the term "problems" conjures images and emotions that
are less than happy. It may be hard to believe, but promises come with
problems. This is definitely true of the Christmas story.
– A
promise is an announcement of intent. Luke tells us that the promise
was conceived in a city in Galilee called Nazareth. A moment in time
was interrupted by eternity and ordinariness was overshadowed by the
extraordinary. An unknown virgin is given a promise that will lift her
out of obscurity and place her name on the lips of millions, but more
importantly she is given a promise that will change the world—"…you
will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His
name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). Like
God's promise to Abraham, this promise overshadows Mary's need and
embraces the world's need for a Savior. The birth of this promise will
bring forth the "Seed" promised to the fallen couple of
Eden.
– The promise was conceived in
Nazareth, but Luke tells us that it came to fruition in Bethlehem.
Micah.
5:2 (NASB) 2"But
as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the
clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in
Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of
eternity."
I love those
life-changing moments when God drops a promise in my heart, but I
have learned that it is the Giver and not the recipient that
determines the time and place of fulfillment. I have learned
that a promise is a hard thing to explain to others. I have learned
that promises come with problems.
– Every
promise has a place of conception and a place of fulfillment. I have
found that the seasonal joy of conception often gives way to the
testing of one's faith. Concerning Joseph the son of Isaac, the
Psalmist declared, "19Until
the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested
him" (Psalm 105:19, NASB). Simply put,
the time between the promise given and the promise fulfilled is
difficult. The problem with promises is found between the place of
conception and the place of fulfillment!
Luke tells us that
Joseph and Mary, probably in her ninth month, were compelled to travel
from Nazareth to Bethlehem; about 75 miles. Caesar Augustus made the
decree that prompted the journey, but God was in control. This was not
a good time to be taking a trip. Perhaps it would help to be reminded
that Mary did not make the trip in an air-conditioned Lincoln Town
Car. More than likely her mode of transportation was a rough riding
wagon or a donkey. Every bump in the road magnified her discomfort.
Plagued by increased back pain, bladder problems and general
discomfort this Bethlehem bound couple would be compelled to stop
often.
We too encounter the
inconveniences, hardships and unexpected tests of the journey. It is
here that we question the wisdom of God. Why? Why didn't He
arrange this trip in the second or third month of my pregnancy? Why
didn't He postpone this trip until after this child was born?
Receiving a promise is one thing, but walking it out is quite another.
A delivered nation (Israel) faced many hardships in route to Canaan.
They viewed these adversities as God's attempt to kill them, but God's
purpose for the trip was development (Dt. 8:1-5). An entire generation
died in route to Canaan and that in spite of the promise of God. Why?
Because problems come with promises.
CONCLUSION
How are you handling
the journey? Are you complaining or contending? Are you confident that
He who began this good work will continue to perform it until it is
complete? Do you still view it as a "good work"? Has the
seasonal joy of the promise received given way to the impatience of
the journey—"are we there yet?" Perhaps you won't mind a
few traveling tips from a fellow pilgrim.
1. Keep your eye
on Bethlehem and not on the path. Jesus "who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross" (Heb. 12:2). Do not
make the mistake of judging all of life by the one thing you are
suffering (Ro. 8:28). Things won't be this way always!
2. Don't stop
short of God's destination for you life. Live your life so that
at it's end you can say with Paul, "I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2Tim.
4:7).
3. No matter how
impossible fulfillment may seem, stay the course in faith. Don't
confuse your role with God's. You do the people part and let God do
the God part.
4. Remember that
every Nazareth has a Bethlehem. Weeping may endure through the
night, but joy cometh in the morning. Every night has a morning and
every Nazareth has a Bethlehem!
Promises come with problems, but they
also come with the Promiser. May we keep our eyes on the Promiser!
PRAYER
Father,
I rejoiced when you spoke your promise to me. I must admit,
however, that it wasn't long before the joy of that moment gave way to
impatience and complaining. I ask you to forgive me for not being a
better steward of your promises. I realize that what you want to birth
through me is not just for me. It serves a much larger purpose. I ask
you to strengthen me for the journey and enable me to persevere until
you say "well done thought good and faithful servant."
©1999 by Louis Bartet,
all rights reserved.