As I was saying (see previous post), many of the people we meet in the Christmas story (see Matthew chapters 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2) are expecting miracles and God keeps sending them. And maybe those two things are not unrelated
(ps: they are related).
On the other hand, others in the very same story don’t see the miracles, they miss them entirely.
Look for instance at the case of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1). The angel of the Lord appears to him just as he did to Mary. Same angel (“Gabriel”), same message (“you will be given a son and he will be great”). But unlike Mary’s faith filled response to the angel, Zechariah responds with doubt: “How can I be sure….” You can’t Zech, that’s the point of being part of a miracle, you can’t be sure, you’ve got to approach miracles in faith.
Or take the strange saga of King Herod. He doesn’t just doubt, Matthew tells us he was “disturbed” (Matthew 2.3) at the talk of miracles. In the cycle of miracles that are unfolding around him, he actually becomes “furious” (Matthew 2.16). Ironically, Herod was called Herod the “Great.” He was great at not getting it.
Zechariah and Herod did not expect miracles. So they don’t see them. They expect nothing, so they see nothing.
Are you expecting to see a miracle this Christmas? What is it? This weekend we are giving away “miracle” cards, inviting everyone to tell us what they’re expecting. What miracle are you expecting? At home, at work, in your work? Maybe it’s about kicking a bad habit or a terrible disease. Maybe the miracle you’re thinking of has to do with reconciliation in your marriage or healing in your heart. Maybe it’s a financial miracle, your finances need healing.
We are at the beginning of December and the beginning of Advent. Decide now the miracle you’re looking for this Christmas.
Thank you so much for your blog posts and your reflection on Scripture – I love being reminded of God’s love through your blog.
I wanted to share with you what happened to me today. I went to brunch with a friend and shared with her how my husband and I found Church of the Nativity (a friend invited us) and how excited I am to go to church each week. This week will be our fourth Sunday in attendance (we’ve been attending a local Catholic Church for the last seven years, so it’s not a return to church, but it is definitely a return to faith-filled worship for me). I described the experience to her – that it was comfortably non-denominational for me in many regards, which I love, and it’s also true to a Catholic mass, which my husband demands. My husband would not go to church if it was not Catholic, and I’ve been craving a church with the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. When I described how all of these things were present at Nativity, my friend said, “Wow, that’s a miracle!” And there that word was – miracle! It made me laugh with joy because it is so true – I never thought I would find a place that met both our needs.
I found my first miracle of the season…I’ll continue to expect more of them as the season continues. Thanks again!
-Jen
I’m reminded of the movie Miracle on 34th Street – we are reclaiming miracles. Love the idea of the Miracle Cards!
Thank you!