Just a few verses later, Zechariah begins to refer to his newborn son John (the Baptist as he will be called). He prophesies that John will prepare the way of the Lord (v.76). Thinking ahead on the life of John the Baptist, it can be said that he was hated by people and might have even served God while fearing for his life. He is a man who is 'crying in the wilderness' but also waiting for the 'light to shine on those in darkness'. He will eventually see the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but he will also be murdered by those who hate him. How courageous John the Baptist had to be...working for yet still waiting on the Lord.
I think the same can be said of Paul the Apostle. In the Philippians 1 text, he is thankful that the church in Philippi are partners and partakers along with him...in his imprisonment and defense of the gospel (Phil 1:5,7). While Paul is totally aware of Jesus Christ -- Him crucified and now glorified, he is still in real time waiting for God to save him from those who hate him. It is not that Paul doesn't have fear, he just learns how to 'do it [the work] afraid'. Again, the courage that we see in Paul...working for yet still waiting on the Lord.
I often pray that God would remove all of the pressures and tensions of ministry. While I do not think people hate me, I do sometimes wonder if there are people against me. I do not find myself being afraid for my life, but sometimes afraid for my future, my reputation, or my paycheck. And at times, my prayer will be something like 'let this cup pass from me'. My thought is if life were easier, ministry were simpler, loving and defending people were less costly, then I would be willing to do more of it. I'm all about the work, but I do not want to wait. We see in the examples of John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle, that as we have been called to work for the Lord, we are also called to wait for the Lord.
Then I go back to my original thought...I am not sure I can truly relate to Zechariah's prophesy. I do know if I am really waiting on God to deliver me in any way. Herein is the issue...maybe my work for the Lord is so safe that it does not require me to wait on Him. No one hates me because they have no need to, even though Jesus said that the world would hate us because He chose us (John 15:19). I do not have fear of serving the Lord publicly because I actually do a good job of making sure my worship of God makes sense to the culture (see Romans 12:1 The Message). It seems that faithfulness for John and Paul required the kind of risky life that only God could be their deliverer. Working, but also waiting.
Some have commented that the call to wait is not isolated from working. And I agree. But I think we gravitate towards the work at times in hopes of opting out of the waiting. Am I willing to press into the tension that calls me to work while I wait for the Lord. Am I willing to do the kind of dangerous work for the Lord that helps me get a grasp of why Zechariah's prophecy was (and still is) so powerful? John did it. Paul did it. Will I do it?
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