MODEL OF DISCIPLESHIP
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
My dear encountered couples:
Today’s gospel has for us a model of discipleship. We often hear the phrase, faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. But which is listed first? Faith. That elusive God given gift; the one that is hard to put a finger on. Faith is more than belief; it is like love; it is an action word.
Today’s model of faith is found in both Zechariah and Elizabeth. First, they surrendered to God in life style – no child in those days was unthinkable, how do you get Abraham’s number of children to be as great as the grains of sand on the beach? They did not have the personal satisfaction of their own children to take care of them when they got old! There was no divorce, and no concubine.
Though Zechariah must have been a somewhat stubborn man, Elizabeth and Zechariah surrendered to what God allowed in their personal lives together. They had other choices, but their choice was not based on personal motivation, but on a way of life, surrender, a life built around, organized around surrender to God.
Since Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of God, were cousins, do you suppose that Elizabeth and Zechariah were models for Jesus in his early years? Models that reminded Jesus of his need to surrender to the will of his heavenly Father?
We live in a world, a time and a culture that constantly gives us choices. Even the least of us gets to choose among four and six channels to watch on television. Even the least of us gets to choose whom we vote for, even the least of us get to decide whom we love and don’t love. We are blessed and cursed to live at this time, in this space. Cursed because the abundance of choices lulls us into thinking that is the way it is with everything, including our number one relationship – our relationship with God when we are in need.
When our relationship with God becomes one of surrender it is then that we have real choices – real freedom. The distant stares in the eyes of so many, the impersonal relationship with our neighbors, the stampede of greed to get the most toys are all based on personal choice without the foundation of surrender to God. If we want personal, even family and community happiness then we must surrender to our God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Our choices must be based not on our feelings or our need for power or control or autonomy. Our choices should be based on what is morally right, what others need, what will bring us all closer to God, together. Our conviction must be based less on personal need, Democratic or Republican ideals, or company policy, and more and more on needs of others. It should be based on the morals that the body of Christ on earth, the church, teaches us and what God speaks to us in our hearts. We need to tune in and listen. We need to become students of God’s will for us, we need to surrender to our God.
Have you ever gone on a vacation that was long enough for you to really begin to forget what was going on at home, at work? This vacation didn’t have to be one in a tropical paradise, or one in which you were spending a lot of money, but just one where you got away to a different space and finally began to lay down the everyday worries and cares. In this relaxed condition you started to recognize the many gifts and the beauty that surrounded you. Perhaps a peace comes over you as you enjoyed the relationships with those you love and care for. Maybe you even wanted to move to that place because what it began to symbolize to you.
When we surrender to God, we begin to get those same kinds of rewards. Slowly but surely, we recognize his peace, even when the world around us picks up speed and buffets us with all kinds of potentially fearful things. When we surrender, our loved ones become more dear to us, our community friendlier, our direction more sure, internally it can be as if we have been on vacation long enough to finally be enjoying life.
The model of discipleship of Zechariah and Elizabeth is based on surrender and patience. John the Baptist is not conceived until very late in their life. The humanity of both is quite evident and thus encouraging to us. Elizabeth is portrayed as typical Jewish mother, even by today’s standards. A son, she gave birth to a son and everyone rejoiced in the Lord’s great mercy toward her. She obviously held in her heart and shared with whomever would listen the desire to bear a son.
Zechariah is even amusing in his probable stubbornness and maybe continual need to talk. As we know, in order to help him hear God’s will for him his ability to speak is temporarily suspended!
In God’s mercy and not in God’s justice the happy couple get the opportunity to surrender in faith by naming the child, John. They also get the chance to grow in hope that God really is in charge and love by surrendering even their only son, for as the scripture concludes today it says that John grew strong in spirit, not in their place of worship, but in the desert.
These two people were not perfect, but they reached a high level of holiness and satisfaction in this life by surrendering themselves to God. How about you and me, have we had enough of our way? Are we ready to surrender more of ourselves this day, this week to our God?
Faith, hope and love, the greatest is love, but the foundation is a faith built on surrender. Run up the white flag to your God!
