"Becoming instruments of peace" by Ken Newbold, provost
Scripture: Luke 1:
39 Without delay, Miryam set out and hurried to the town in the hill country of Y’hudah 40 where Z’kharyah lived, entered his house and greeted Elisheva. 41 When Elisheva heard Miryam’s greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh 42 and spoke up in a loud voice,
“How blessed are you among women!
And how blessed is the child in your womb!
43 “But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 Indeed you are blessed, because you have trusted that the promise Adonai has made to you will be fulfilled.”
[Complete Jewish Bible]---------------------
Love is a simple four-letter word that serves as the foundation of Christ’s teaching, but is often forgotten in our daily lives. Jesus spoke of the importance of loving one another but also provided living examples of how we are to treat each other, not only in the season of Advent but throughout our interactions. In Luke’s gospel, we are provided an illustration of Mary’s love and trust in God in Spirit as she visits Elizabeth.
This passage raises important questions during the Advent season as we await with great anticipation the celebration of the birth of Christ. What are we doing to live the teachings of Jesus to love one another? Are we too busy worried with the materialism of our modern world and consumerism to reflect on the real meaning of the season? Can we make an extra effort in our lives to reach out to someone in need?
Our world provides many examples of injustice and persecution, but as followers of Christ we are called to be humble servants. The Beatitudes offer guidance on our path to Heaven and here Luke reminds us to lift up the lowly and to show mercy. We are challenged by these words to follow God’s love for us in this passage from Luke to be instruments of peace by allowing the Spirit to guide us. In an increasingly crowded and noisy world, we can show our love for each other through simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity. In these final days before Christmas, we should all look to extend love and grace for each other in bringing peace on earth.
Scripture: Luke 1:39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
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Goshen College
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Goshen College
1700 South Main Street
Goshen, Indiana 46526, United States
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