Daily Lesson for December 21

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Luke 1 verses 36 and 37:

 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 

When we think of the joy we hear of here in the Advent season we think always of young Mary and the nativity of the child within her womb.

But there is also another child which the Advent heralds -- John the Baptist, born of Mary's much older and supposedly barren cousin Elizabeth.

While at Christmas all our focus centers mostly on children and young parents, let us not forget the story's good news for those who thought their best busiest days were behind them.  Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had long since put away the hope of ever having a child together. Elizabeth's barren womb was a sign of a barren future. They were probably planning for retirement and trying to figure who was going to care for them in their old age since they had no children. Perhaps they were thinking young Mary and her husband-to-be Joseph could help some. 

When suddenly, good new of great joy for this couple also -- a child would be born unto them that was going to change and complicate their lives and require much of them just as they were readying to slow down. Suddenly, the barren desert had come alive.  It was everything they had prayed for; but it was also nothing they were ready for. 

I pastor a church, a place where retirees ready to settle down get summoned into action all the time. Old women find themselves sitting down tutoring at-risk boys and old men find themselves on the roofs of Habitat for Humanity homes. Suddenly there's work to do use to be made of. They who were retired now have a job that is more important and will keep them busier than anything they've ever done before.

Around Christmastime clergy friend came into a nursing home with a sermon on Elizabeth conceiving in her old age story.  Afterwards, a wheelchair-bound woman there piped up, "I believe it, preacher. But I need you to explain it to Medicare."

And suddenly an old woman gave birth to laughter and joy in a place that was said to be barren of such things. 

And anything is possible with God.