Saturday, December 24, 2016

God really meant it when He said, 'Seek FIRST the kingdom of God.'


The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity by contributing to the establishment of the kingdom of God, which can only be done by the recognition and profession of the truth by every man. – Leo Tolstoy: (1828 –1910: was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time)

Gospel Text: (LK 1:67-79)
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”


The Canticle of Zechariah is a hymn of praise for the salvation that was to come through the Messiah.  While Zechariah must have been thinking about God's promises to the nation of Israel to deliver her from her enemies, God's mission for the Messiah was a bit different.  The coming of Jesus was God's gift to save us from the bondage of sin and not from any temporal power.  Jesus brought with him a power of salvation to save us from the power of Satan.  He came into the world bearing with him the fullness of God's grace, mercy and love.  Surely there is every reason to exalt him as Zechariah did and make a promise to "serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life."  

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