A Cosmic Mystery

I love that I notice different things each time I read through Scripture.  I began reading through Luke this past week as the Season of Lent got underway. 

I plan to move slowly through this book over 40 days.  This week, I read the first four chapters of Luke, and then over the weekend, I listened to those chapters again.  

What struck me in these chapters is just how often the supernatural is mentioned.  

• An angel visits Zechariah.  

• The angel declares that Zechariah and Elisabeth, who is barren, will have a son and that that son will be filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb.  

• The angel silences Zechariah for nine plus months! 

• Elisabeth miraculously gets pregnant.  

• The same angel is sent to Mary to let her know that though she is a virgin, she is going to have a baby.  

• The angel tells Mary about Elisabeth.  

• Mary visits Elisabeth, and when Elisabeth hears her greeting, the baby within her leaps, and Elisabeth and the baby are filled with the Holy Spirit.  

• Elisabeth gave birth to a son.  Zechariah wrote that his name should be John, and Zechariah regained his voice that very moment. 

• Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit.  

• John grew and became powerful in the Spirit.  

• Angels appear to the shepherds heralding Jesus’s birth.  

• The Holy Spirit directs Simeon to the temple to meet the Messiah.  

• The word of God came to John in the wilderness, and he began making a path for Jesus.  

• John baptizes Jesus, and the Holy Spirit descends on him like a dove.  

• God’s voice declares from the heavens that Jesus is his son, and he is pleased with him. 

• Jesus returned from the Jordan filled with the Spirit.  

• The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days.  

• Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.  

• Jesus encountered a man with the spirit of an unclean demon.  

• The evil spirit shouts at Jesus, knows who Jesus is, and wants to know why he is there.

• Jesus rebukes the unclean demon and commands it to leave at once.  

• The unclean demon leaves the man.  

• Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law.  

• Jesus spent the night healing people from all kinds of sicknesses.  

These first four chapters of Luke span a significant period of time - conception to adulthood.  So, it is not as if all of this happened in a few days or even a few years, but regardless, I found myself pondering the story behind the story.  

What the heck is happening in the supernatural?  The spaces we cannot see.  The spaces where angels and demons reside.  The spaces where space and time are different than what we know.  

I don’t even have any answers - mostly just awe and wonder.  I think there is far more mystery in this cosmic universe than we can ever fully name or even comprehend.  

I’ve read Luke before, and I’ll read Luke again.  But it seems this time through, the thing the Holy Spirit is inviting me to notice is the mystery of the story.  I’m here for it! 

If you are reading Luke, I’d love to hear what you are noticing as you read it this time.  

~  Melissa