Today begins our reading of the gospel of Luke. If you have gotten off track with the daily reading of God’s Word, today is a good day to get back on track! With the coming of the Christmas season, reading a chapter from Luke is a good way to start each day (or end it depending on your schedule).
Luke 1 is a long chapter and there is certainly a lot to consider. For some reason the following verses are what really stood out to me this morning. They are spoken by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, the soon-to-be father of John the Baptist. Gabriel tells Zechariah what his future son will do:
Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous–to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:16-17)
That had to be quite a moment for Zechariah. First of all, to see an angel had to be a “memory maker” to say the least! Secondly, to hear that you are going to have a son…when your wife has been barren for most of your marriage. And finally, to hear that your son is going to be a great man of God, preparing the way for the coming Messiah of Israel. Zechariah certainly never forgot that day…nor did he forget that he responded to Gabriel in disbelief and lost his voice for the next nine months.
But what struck me was the prophesied mission of John the Baptist. He would fulfill the prophecy given in Malachi 4:5-6 that God would send Elijah before the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist’s role was to bring the people back to the Lord, to turn the disobedient toward righteousness, and to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children.
As a father, that phrase hit me. It’s interesting that turning the hearts of fathers to their children is an essential part of turning the people back to the Lord and preparing them for Messiah. Apparently the fathers during this time had abandoned their role as leaders in the home and as imparters of the faith to their children. And when fathers abandon this role, a whole generation is unprepared for the Lord.
I couldn’t help but think of our own generation. Fatherless homes are the norm. Children are growing up everywhere without fatherly leadership. Where are the fathers? Doing their own things. Pursing their own dreams. Fathering children and then leaving them with their mothers to raise them. Some men simply don’t see their importance. “Mom does a better job anyway.” But children need their fathers! Fathers impart a child’s first impression of God the Father. Unfortunately we have a whole generation who pictures God as absent and unconcerned about their lives. Or even worse, as abusive, angry, and unable to be pleased.
O God, turn the hearts of fathers back to their children! Give me a heart that sees the importance of investing time in my kids, that commits to raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Give me a heart for You and a life of integrity so that I won’t be ashamed when my kids follow my example. Raise up many Elijahs in this generation to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children.