January 15 | Luke 1:57-80

Kathleen Serio
Jan 15, 2025
2 min read

DAILY READING

Luke 1:57-80

REFLECTION

?????

By Kathleen Serio

My mom and I frequently watch TV together and, during the show, I will share some random fact or tidbit of knowledge which gets met with silence. I look at my mom who, with a look of pure bewilderment exclaims, “WHY do you know that?!” In her defense, what I share is often out of context and very strange, but I get a lot of joy out of sharing with her. Now why, after 28 years, she is still surprised by what I know is beyond me.

I have to imagine that Zechariah was met with similar looks of bewilderment when he could suddenly speak after having been silenced for 9 months. Then, on top of that, he surprises everyone by proclaiming that his son’s name was to be John. I can just imagine his neighbors looking at him with pure confusion and thinking that the man had lost his mind. But, in the Bible, there are endless stories of someone shocking those around them because they are following what God told them to do. Jesus Himself was the epitome of surprising people by doing the unexpected.

It was expected that Zechariah would name his son after a relative, so when he does what he was instructed to and surprises those around him, it tells all of the people that something bigger was happening. Recall that the fact that Zechariah and Elizabeth were having a child in the first place was a shock in itself; add to that Zechariah’s silence; and top that with an unexpected name. It was a clear sign to everyone that this child was special.

Sometimes I wish that we got signs like this more in life. Some giant arrow telling us, “Hey this guy is important! Pay attention people!” But something tells me that even when God gives us those signs, we miss them. Or we let doubt cloud what we are being told just as Zechariah did when the Angel first told him about his child. What I take away from this story is that: when we doubt God, He will show us how wrong we are to do so; when we do as God commands, we are rewarded; and when what God asks of us doesn’t make sense, the confusion that comes from doing what we are told to do just might be the very reason we are doing it. God works in unexpected ways.

PRAYER

God help us when we doubt you like Zachariah. Help us to stand by what you ask of us even when it doesn’t make sense. Help us to notice when you are surprising us so that we take time to really pay attention to what is happening. God, thank you for all the ways you work in our lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KATHLEEN SERIO

I grew up at UALC and have been blessed to have many role models in this church. They encouraged me to pursue my passions including volunteering with Young Kids’ VBS, HSM, teaching Sunday School, small groups, Operation Christmas Child, mission trips, ushering, and more. It has been a joy to go from participating in ministries as a kid to becoming a leader as an adult.