Measuring Greatness
He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. (Luke 1:14-16, NIV)
When I think of John the Baptist, I picture a long-haired, desert-dwelling prophet wrapped in a camel-haired cloak, surviving on locusts and honey, and pointing his finger at the religious hypocrites who he refers to as vipers. That’s pretty much how he is described by the gospel writers.
The angel’s description of John the Baptist to Zechariah in this passage links John’s lifestyle with his calling. As God’s prophet, called to prepare the people for the coming of Messiah, John was tasked with calling Israel back to their God.
His was the ministry of repentance, and his lifestyle reflected his calling. But John’s austere, disciplined lifestyle alone was not enough. He needed the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit with which he was filled while still in his mother’s womb.
But of all the things the angel says about John in this passage, the one that stands out the most is that “he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” Our world measures greatness very differently from God. Many who we consider great are nothing in the eyes of God.
The true measure of greatness in your life, and mine is not how others see us or even how we see ourselves. What we are in God’s eyes is what we are in reality.
In Christ,
Dan
Tis the season to measure our lives by God's standards.
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