GOD IS ENOUGH
When the believer has begun with trembling feet to walk in the way of the Lord, he asks to be still led onward like a little child upheld by its parent’s helping hand, and he craves to be further instructed in the alphabet of truth.
Zechariah was the head of a priestly family Neh 12:16. In the Sacred scriptures, the eight famous visions of the night, he had were one of the foremost apocalyptic writing during the post-exilic era. Today’s first reading is the third vision. Just like Haggai the prophet, he was instructed by God to tell the remnant of Israel that God will restore Jerusalem and all nations will flow to it. There will be no fence for God is a wall of fire around it and its glory. This is also an anticipation of the heavenly Jerusalem. In today’s Gospel, as Jesus goes up to Jerusalem together with his disciples, he revealed to them for the second time his passion and yet they did not understand the messianic knowledge, they were still yet to grasp fully the truth about his mission.
Every believer understands that to know God is the highest and best form of knowledge; and this spiritual knowledge is a source of strength to the Christian. It strengthens his faith. Believers are constantly spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who are enlightened and taught by the Lord; they are said to “have an unction to function from the Holy One,” and it is the Spirit’s peculiar office to lead them into all truth, and all this for the increase and the fostering of their faith.
Knowledge strengthens love, as well as faith. Knowledge opens the door, and then through that door we see our Saviour. Or, to use another similitude, knowledge paints the portrait of Jesus, and when we see that portrait then we love him, we cannot love a Christ whom we do not know, at least, in some degree. If we know but little of the excellences of Jesus, what he has done for us, and what he is doing now, we cannot love him much; but the more we know him, the more we shall love him.
Knowledge also strengthens hope. How can we hope for a thing if we do not know of its existence? Hope may be the telescope, but till we receive instruction, our ignorance stands in the front of the glass, and we can see nothing whatever; knowledge removes the interposing object, and when we look through the bright optic glass we discern the glory to be revealed, and anticipate it with joyous confidence.
Knowledge supplies us reasons for patience. How shall we have patience unless we know something of the compassion of Christ, and understand the good which is to come out of the correction which our heavenly Father brings to us? Nor is there one single grace of the Christian which, under God, will not be fostered and brought to perfection by holy knowledge. How important, then, is it that we should grow not only in grace, but in the “knowledge” of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
On thee do I wait all the day.” Patience is the fair handmaid and daughter of faith; we cheerfully wait when we are certain that we shall not wait in vain. It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord in service, in worship, in expectancy, in trust all the days of our life.
Surely, we will be put to test. Our faith will be tried and if it be of the true kind, it will bear continued trial without yielding immediately. We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously he once waited for us. “The people that do know their God shall be strong.”Daniel 11:32 The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guard his flock.
“Lead me in your truth, and teach me: for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day.”Psalm 25:5
