I Believe in God: Ode to Joy – December 13, 2020

Scripture:  “He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. I live on high, in holiness, and also with the crushed and the lowly, reviving the spirit of the lowly, reviving the heart of those who have been crushed.” (Luke 1: 52 and Isaiah 57: 15b)

Luke’s Gospel is an account in two acts, the biography of Jesus and the story of the consequences of his ministry in the development of the “Jesus community.” Especially for those who–whether Jew or Gentile–were deciding to become a part of this illegal movement and could garner punishment for their allegiance, the message of the uprising of the downcast, lowly, and oppressed is a welcome and inspirational account. Like the Jewish exiled people of Isaiah’s time, the promise of a reason for joyful praise is the good news they long to hear.