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Breakfast with the Word December 23
Luke 1:57-66
Grace is the unconditional love of God, it is an unmerited favour that God gives us out of His superabundant mercy.
When Grace is at work, the mercy of God abounds, barriers are broken, the unexpected happens, the unusual becomes the reality. Everything that happens in the gospel of today of Luke 1:57-66 is all about the workings of Divine grace.
The events of today have three unusual features: (1) the old gives birth. 2. The child has a strange name, and (3) Zechariah’s handicap is taken away.
These three features show that when the grace of God is at work, significant things happen. When the grace of God is at work, the impossible can become possible. Also when the grace of God is at work, the unthinkable happens.
One thing we must be praying for every day is for the grace of God to be at work in everything we do.
Read More
The Magnificat: A Way to Give Thanks to God. 22nd of December
In the Midst of How-Can-This-Be Situations. 20th December
How to Welcome Jesus. Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C
The Identity of the Child Jesus. Fourth Sunday of Advent Year C(2018)
The Birth of John.
The birth of John defied all reasonable, biological and physical odds. It was clear that what happened was supernatural. When grace is at work, natural barriers are broken. This is because He who is at work is God, not man.
Such remarkable events cause the crowd to fear and reflect as it happens today. This is when something beyond human comprehension, Something different from the normal and something surprising is happening.
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When God is involved, great things happen, things worth remembering and considering. Everything that surrounds the birth of John the Baptist is the grace of God at work.
God’s favours marvel Human Understanding.
In the gospel today, the crowd wondered, “What then is this child going to be?”. The crowd knows that something beyond human understanding is happening.
They know that the birth of this child is beyond normal. Therefore, significant things happen when God is totally in control. When the grace of God is at work, people begin to wonder.
The wonders of God keep many in awe and bewilderment. Because at this point the unexpected happens. This is why the people concluded that the Hand of the Lord must be upon the child.
Zechariah’s Experience.
We encounter this act of God today in the life of Zechariah. The dumb spoke immediately after writing the name of the newborn child.
This shows God’s favour on Zechariah, relieving him of the handicap. It also portrays God’s mercy on him, who through His abundant love does not wish to see Zechariah suffer forever.
Sometimes God uses things like this to prove His power and love. When the grace of God is at work the mercy of God abounds.
When the grace of God is at work, a miracle happens. We need to be praying for His grace every day. When the grace of God is at work, some things we consider as sufferings and punishment from God become a blessing in disguise.
The Name of John.
Let us not forget that ‘John’ in Hebrew means ‘The Lord is gracious.’ Everything that surrounds his birth is all about grace. It portrays what God does when His grace abounds. The event surrounding the birth of John the Baptist is an event that is full of divine surprises.
Through his birth, God also showed his kindness to Elizabeth and Zechariah, fulfilling their desire to have a child.
The barren womb becomes fruitful, the forgotten family is remembered, the dumb spoke and God’s mercy was shown to a family that must have undergone mockery from people and neighbours.
The family that was looked down on, jilted and ridiculed was blessed with a special child that is remembered till this day. A child that has a special mission. All these can only happen by the grace of God.
When the grace of God is at work, ordinary things will become extraordinary. God’s grace is what we need. When the grace of God is with us, He breaks every barriers, hope that is in oblivion revives again, and new life begins again.
When the Grace of God is at work, the people who people think will be nothing, becomes something, the poor becomes rich and the forgotten becomes the celebrated etc. We need the grace of God in all we do.
Let us consistently always pray for God’s grace in everything we do. When His grace is at work, the unexpected happens.
As we prepare to celebrate this Christmas, may God continue to enrich you with abundant graces and may you encounter His favour this season even when you least expect it. Amen.
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