Paying the price

As we rejoice again this Christmas time over the wonder of God becoming a man, I have been mulling over the role of the key players, apart from Jesus, in this incredible event.

God did not just choose to place a baby or even a fully grown man on the earth, he involved a variety of people, many of whom had no idea at the time that they were partaking in the greatest event in history.

Mary and Joseph were both normal folk from the despised town of Nazareth. It was a place considered polluted by non-Jews. That is why the whole area was called Galilee of the Gentiles in Isaiah 9: 1.  Mary was just an ordinary young woman going about her ordinary life, betrothed to Joseph. Betrothal in those times was far more binding than our engagement. It could only be broken by divorce.

Mary may have been an ordinary lady from a despised town but she had too key points in her favour; she was a virgin and she was from the line of David. These two were essential for the task God wanted her to do. Into her life of domesticity came the angel Gabriel who said to her ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’

Mary’s reaction is fascinating. She was obviously troubled by the sudden appearance of an angel and by his greeting but when he told her that she would have a son and not just any son but the Son of the Most High God, her first question is ‘how will this be … since I am a virgin?’

How do you conceive the Son of God especially if you are a virgin? She knew God was not going to ask her to do something ungodly or unrighteous to fulfil this calling.  She didn’t doubt, she didn’t say she didn’t believe the angel like Zechariah but she did query how this would come about. Gabriel gave her the answer that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her.  The baby would be the Son of God in both nature and by name.

We can imagine the wave of different emotions that Mary would have had at this announcement – everything from a deep sense of honour to concern about the implications of being pregnant in this way.  Yet she submitted herself to God’s plan.

However fear, bewilderment and doubt must have started to rush in.  What will people think?  Society would have had a lot to say about an unmarried mother. Purity was highly regarded and Mary was pure but that was not what people would think. How would she explain this to Joseph or her parents? 

Mary immediately hurried off to her relative Elizabeth, another lady having a baby under very unusual circumstances. Mary was a virgin and Elizabeth was well past conceiving age but as the angel said, ‘Nothing is impossible with God.’

Elizabeth was the ideal person to talk things over with. She ‘was righteous in the sight of God’ and would have given Mary great strength at this difficult time whilst she came to terms with what was happening.

Joseph must have been incredibly disappointed that Mary did not appear to have been faithful to him. He too was a Godly and righteous man and he didn’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace even though it would clear his name and save his good standing in the community. Mary could have been stoned but instead he decided to divorce her quietly or sign the legal papers without any public spectacle but Gabriel came and told him to take Mary as his wife. The child was of the Holy Spirit – Mary was still pure and a virgin.

Joseph was obedient even though it would look as if he was actually the father of the child.  Both Mary and Joseph would be the subject of public criticism and censure. However Joseph took her home and brought both Mary and the child under his protection. He named the baby and by doing so he adopted him into the family of David. Jesus was now legally of the lineage of the kings of Judah.

Here were two ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events. Most people in those circumstances in those times would have been far more interested in preserving their own reputation and good standing but both Mary and Joseph gave these up to do God’s will. The plan to bring God’s son into the world could have fallen at the first hurdle but God knew who he was choosing – a man and woman of character.

Mary and Joseph had no education, no wealth, no position, no great talents, in fact nothing that would obviously select them to be the parents of the Son of God. Yet they had two of the greatest qualities – they were Godly and obedient. They must have paid a heavy price in terms of public criticism and gossip probably for years to come.

Being chosen to be the parents of Jesus was a hard road for these Godly people with no obvious reward at the time. Was it worth it? You bet it was!

A holy nation

Now Daniel so distinguished himself amongst the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom Daniel 6:3

Daniel lived a holy life – a life separated from everything of the ungodly world that surrounded him and separated unto Almighty God. Daniel was taken into captivity with his three friends Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego from Judah to Babylon in 609 BC and Daniel died there in 534 BC. He served under many kings but from an early age he sought to be a man of God no matter what. It almost cost him his life but he would not be deterred.

Though Daniel lived a long and prayer filled life we only read about the high points. In the first six chapters of the book we hear about Daniel’s amazing gift of revelatory discernment to interpret signs and dreams. We hear of Daniel and his three friends’ uncompromising stand against the devil’s schemes which led the three friends into the fiery furnace and Daniel into the lion’s den.  God delivered these Godly young men from all of it.

In between these times though there are many years when we know nothing of what Daniel was doing other than he was a man of prayer and ‘exceptional qualities’. He was in administrative charge of large parts of the Babylonian and later the Persian Empire but he never held back from his prayer life despite his extremely responsible and demanding career.

 Daniel prayed Jeremiah’s prophecy of the Jewish nation being in exile for 70 years to fulfilment. Prophecy is amazing but just prophecy until it is prayed into being. Daniel fasted and prayed for the nation to be released according to the word given to Jeremiah. Gabriel was sent to instruct him (Daniel 9) and Daniel and his companions continued to pray and seek God until a mighty angel again came to strengthen him (Daniel 10: 18 – 19). These angels gave Daniel amazing revelations of what was to come which have subsequently been incredibly fulfilled.

Daniel’s life was a life of service and prayer. Through his prayers the Jewish nation returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple and it was a pagan king, Cyrus, who sent the Jews back and even paid for the work. He even returned the holy objects taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel’s uncompromising life is such a source of huge encouragement for all of us. He determined to live for God from an early age no matter the cost. His amazing prayer life led him to be able to interpret dreams and signs at the highest level in the land. His exceptional qualities were used to serve in a pagan empire again at the highest level. He had the most amazing visions and dreams and all coming from a determination to live a holy life; a life separated to God and to his service.

Today our nations need as many Daniels as are willing to pay the price to be the shining lights that our countries are desperate for. Imagine Godly and God fearing men and women serving the nation at the highest levels and imagine a passionate church bringing the Kingdom of God to every area of our lands. It doesn’t take many to pray this into being but it does take determination. We are a holy people (I Peter 2: 9) – let’s live holy lives.

Godliness with contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain I Timothy 6:6

Contentment is a state that is hard to gain but wonderful when one can truly say you feel content. Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction and Paul aspires that his young charge and representative, Timothy, should learn and teach how to be content. Paul himself said that, ‘he had learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether living in plenty or in want.’ Philippians 4: 11 – 12.

Timothy had been sent by Paul to look after the church at Ephesus. Paul had hoped to return to it but his plans changed and so in this first letter to Timothy he is giving him further instruction in looking after the church. He encouraged him to refute false teaching and one of the errors that was infiltrating the church was that godliness was a means to financial gain.

Believers today are under ever greater pressure to believe that contentment comes when you have everything you want and of course you never do. Paul however is quite clear that contentment whether in plenty or lack is the goal not having an overflow of possessions and lots of money.

Paul tells Timothy that ‘people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction’ (I Timothy 6: 9).  There are no get rich quick schemes and the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Eagerly desiring money is a trap. Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father will look after us; we do not need to worry about what we will eat, drink or wear (Matthew 6: 25 – 32). Paul says to Timothy that if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. And ladies, our Father knows we like nice clothes and he will provide those for us! Being content with what we have is a wonderful attribute.

If you have ever cleared out the house of a person who has died, it can be very distressing. We brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out. There will be many things that they valued and which they have left behind and which you may now have to just throw away because no one else wants them.  It puts possessions in perspective. Our Father knows what we need and he will give us those things we need and much else besides. He is a good God who gives good gifts to his children but let us learn, like Paul, to be content whether we are in a time of plenty or in a time of lack. Contentment helps us not to worry in our time of lack and to rejoice with thankfulness in our time of plenty.

Thankfulness is the key to contentment. Let us be thankful and content people who will be a joy to those around us.