Rediscovering ChristmasSample

STILLING THE MIND

One day (seemingly at random but actually by the Will of God) a priest named Zechariah was chosen by lot “to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense” (Luke 1:9). It was the honor of a lifetime. He would spend the week next to the Holiest Place on Earth, lighting candles and offering prayers up to God for the people twice per day.

The irony here is thick. Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, had prayed for years to have a baby—to no avail. Now it seemed too late in life for them to have any hope of that. Think about all the disappointment, shame, and confu­sion Zechariah carried into the Holy Place.

But as Zechariah was in the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared and promised that Zechariah and his wife would have a son.

Zechariah found Gabriel’s announcement hard to believe. After all, he was super old. Had tons of wrinkles. Gray hair for sure, but maybe even balding. I imagine him leaning in toward the angel for clarity: “So, Gabriel, how exactly is this all going to work?”

Here is what the angel said:

"I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time." (Luke 1:19-20 NIV).

Zechariah was muted because he did not believe the angel. But I wonder if, in a way, the silencing of Zechariah was also a gift to improve his hearing and receptivity.

Notice what happened next. After a nine-month quarantine of silence, Zechariah’s speech was restored. He named his newborn son and then burst forth with a mouth filled with prophecy and praise (Luke 1:63-64, 67)!

How did that happen? we wonder. Well, the silence opened space in him to become full of God’s Word to the point of overflow!

Silence is the path to wonder, and stillness is the way to awe.

How can you bring quietness and reflection into your time this Christmastime?