When I work outside, especially when I’m running power equipment, I put on some noise canceling headphones. I’m trying to preserve what little hearing I have left! Sometimes I’ll listen to the new stuff, just to see what’s being sung. You’ll often hear certain hit songs played over and over. Lara makes fun of me (just a little) because I pay attention to song lyrics. (I’m the song wrecker!) We’ll be in the car, and I’ll be like, “Did you just catch that? What do you think about that?”
For example, Miley Cyrus sings the song “Used to be Young.” It’s kind of depressing, she’s literally in tears, singing about all the lessons she’s learned and regrets she has. She sings the song in a Mickey Mouse shirt, symbolizing her younger days. It’s kind of shocking to think maybe her eyes are opening up. But then in the chorus she sings “I know I used to be crazy, messed up but g-d it was fun, I know I used to be wild… that’s because I used to be young.” She’s kind of blaming all her indiscretions on her youth. It’s all because I used to be young…
One of the audacious features of Luke’s gospel, is that God has the power to flip the script. In Luke’s gospel Zechariah and Mary sing a new song. God is going to raise up two sons in Israel. One a prophet, like Elijah, named John the Baptist. One a king, like David, a Messiah, a Christ, named Jesus. Not even their youth will be wasted. Both will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Instead of corrupting the children of Israel (taking a wrecking ball to everything that is good and decent and righteous)…
(Luke 1:16-17.) John. John will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will turn the hearts of wayward fathers toward moral and spiritual responsibility, to their sons and families. He will turn the disobedient to an understanding of the righteous. He will make for the Lord a people ready! There will be Redemption. Knowledge of Salvation. Forgiveness. Merciful Compassion. Light. Peace! And it will be because of God! (Luke 1:31-35.) And Jesus. Through him God will scatter the proud, with their thoughts. He will topple kings from their thrones. He will exalt the lowly, satisfy the hungry, help Israel, honor Abraham and his descendants forever.
In Luke 1, you’ll notice how worship punctuates every moment. When the angel appears to Mary in Luke 1:38 she says, “May it be done to me according to your word.” In Luke 1:41 Elizabeth exclaims in tears, “Mary you are blessed… how is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me… Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken…” Zechariah sings. Mary sings. When the shepherds find Jesus in Luke 2:18-19, Mary treasures up everything she’s seeing and hearing. In Luke 2:33-35, when Simeon and Anna sing over her child, Mary’s amazed and in wonder.
This is what Luke 1:80 says about John the Baptist, “The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” Luke 1:14-15, “he will be joy and delight… many will rejoice at his birth… he will be great in the sight of the Lord… he will never drink wine or beer… he will be filled with the Holy Spirit…”
The script doesn’t have to be “I was crazy, I messed up but g-d it was fun, I was wild but it was just because I was young.” None of that has to be a foregone conclusion. Generation after generation will learn to fear God! Generations will learn to be spiritually strong!
In Luke 2:21-24 Jesus is circumcised and named Jesus. He’s brought to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord. A righteous and devout man named Simeon, a prophetess named Anna bless Jesus. Luke 2:39-40 says, “When [the parents] had completed everything according to the law of the Lord they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was upon him.”
Luke 2:51-52 says, “[Jesus] went down with [his parents] to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.” These are apt descriptions of what, by God’s grace, a young person’s childhood can be. Your life doesn’t have to be filled with regret to grow in wisdom. You don’t have to mess up, and scar your conscience to gain understanding. Jesus and John stayed within the guardrails of God’s will, within the guardrails of God’s favor, within the guardrails of their community’s favor, their parent’s favor, their elders… and in this way they became strong!
There is a funny story in Luke 2:41-50 about Jesus’ childhood. After Passover, Jesus’ parents are returning home to Nazareth. In those days, nobody traveled alone. Family clans would travel together. The men would travel upfront, and the women and children in back of the caravans. Jesus being twelve… Joseph probably assumed he’s in the back of the pack, still being a momma’s boy. Mary probably assumed he’s becoming a young man, he’s up with dad. But he’s with neither. Unbeknownst to the parents, Jesus stayed back in Jerusalem. There’s a certain terror you feel when you lose your child, of any age. But imagine losing track of the Son of God! Anyhow, they go back to Jerusalem and search everywhere they think a young boy like Jesus might be.
Luke 2:46-50 says, “After three days [!!!!!!], they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished… [and they too had some questions for Jesus.] Jesus’ mother said, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you!” Jesus answers, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them.”
The essence of Jesus’ childhood wasn’t so much choosing between good and evil. His childhood was choosing between that which was good and great. It was good for him to return to Nazareth and be obedient to his parents. But the great thing was for him to be in his Father’s House, about his Father’s work, and to one day soon return to Jerusalem! It’s good to grow in in favor with people, but great to grow in favor with God. It’s good to grow in physical stature, in emotional maturity… but it’s great to grow in wisdom and understanding before God. Physical training is of some value… but godliness holds value for all eternity.
The same attitude people have about youth they have about adulthood too. We sinned “because we were young.” But John and Jesus show us that doesn’t have to a foregone conclusion in youth, much less adulthood.
In Luke 3 John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, near the Jordan river, preaching a baptism of repentance. Luke 3:4-6, he says, “… Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see the salvation of the Lord.”
John announces that the Kingdom of God is upon them! He warns them that God’s wrath is coming upon the wicked, that the metaphorical “ax” of God’s judgement is swinging at the base of their trees, and wicked, unfruitful lives. He tells them, ‘Don’t you dare brag you are children of Abraham. It’s not enough!’ Repent. Produce good fruit! And don’t just go through the motions! Prove your repentance with deeds of righteousness. If you have two shirts, share one with someone else. If you’ve taken more than you should from others, pay them back. If you’ve taken money, used violence to threaten or intimidate, made false accusations, been unsatisfied with your wages… repent. Luke 3:17, “[God’s] winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out. Christ is come to flip the script on wickedness and usher in his kingdom of righteousness for young and old alike! Do we yearn Christ’s righteousness…?