Ignorance is Bliss?

Ignorance can sometimes be a difficult thing to take. It can lead to the what ifs in life that are hard to quiet. At other times, you wish you really didn’t know the upcoming details. It can be a frightening thing.



Jesus and the disciples were on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to Jesus and wanted to know what to expect. They were cautioned to continue seeking truth, enjoined to rest in God’s peace. But, then there came a moment when the ignorance was stripped away somewhat. The words they heard were dire, terrible, and very frightening. I think I would have been tempted to stick fingers in my ears at this point, sing very loudly at the top of my lungs, shut my eyes, and spin in circles – trying to block out the words which were coming.


“You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and the each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…”(Matthew 24:9-12).


Yes, most definitely fingers in ears, singing loudly, eyes, shut, and spinning! Then, it gets worse. “When you see standing in the holy place, ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof on his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in these days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time,” ((Matthew 24:15-25).


Nah nah nah nah nah (hands are in ears, spinning is occurring, and eyes are shut)!


Is there any good news? Yes! The disciples were not left without hope. Instead, “he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come,” (Matthew 24: 13-14).
Maybe I can take the hands out of my ears after-all. I think I will keep my eyes shut still for right now.

A Father’s Song

I can just imagine Zechariah holding his new son close, a little boy holding onto his finger and gazing up at him with eyes in a way that only an infant can.  Opening his mouth, he gave his son a prayer, a poem of song to prophesy what his son’s life would present.

Offering praise to God, Zechariah prophesied that his son came, not to be the source of salvation, but instead be the herald to the one who would!  A father’s pride in his son having a purpose that was part of God’s plans was the role John was being spoken to about by his dad.  I wonder if it was one of those quiet moments between father and son, holding the baby close and talking to him, praying over him in the quiet of a nap. 

Zechariah started with praise – Praise God because He has brought redemption to His people!  Oh the journey that the people were taken through, from creation and a flood, from Egypt to wandering, from bondage by neighboring nations to national freedom, and now – from true bondage of the soul to true freedom.  Each of the steps that God had planned were a step in “showing mercy and remembering his holy covenant,” (Luke 1:72).    The difficult times were also a part of this, even though I’m very certain that when the people were going though them it was heartbreaking to understand.  Have you ever felt that way in your own life?  I have, times when I have wondered (quite loudly) why something difficult is happening, why God is allowing that to happen. 

I love the next part of this, as Zechariah remembers the difficult times the people have faced, and then goes on  ^“to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,  and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days,” (Luke 1:74-75).  Times of difficulty to enable us, can you imagine?  That is just not the way my mind thinks so it’s hard for me.  Enable, to authorize, make possible, permit, give an okay to, consent – God how could you consent to those difficult things?  Yet, somehow I don’t think Zechariah didn’t even stumble on those words.  I think that this man had a much broader understanding, I think of how this new father has a different awareness in the role of a father.  He will hold his son close and teach him, and part of that will be allowing young John as he starts toddling and growing to learn consequences.  This sense of boundaries, knowing what can and cannot be done, knowing what to expect from the choices that are made is an authorization of a parent to give (yes – give) a child a better and wiser confidence in choices. Zechariah, what a heart he must have had, realizes that the people are enabled to serve without fear because the Lord has proven over and over the consequences of stepping out in trust were to find the Lord ready to support and tend.

Then, Zechariah’s attention turned to his son, John, you “will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,” (Luke 1: 76).  John – you are going to be a prophet of God, one who will help prepare people to hear what He has to say.  And then, going on…
 ⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
      through the forgiveness of their sins,
 ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
      by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
 ⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
      and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the path of peace."