Silence Is Golden Series

SILENCE IS GOLDEN (LUKE 1:5-25)

Middle Age is the last laugh before old age, which is no laughing matter. People in middle-age can identify with this excerpt from a piece of humor titled “Middle Age”:

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.

There are three signs of old age. The first is your loss of memory, the other two I forget.

You are getting old when you do not care where your spouse goes, just so long as you do not have to go along.

Middle age is when work is a lot less fun and fun is a lot more work.

Statistics show that at the age of seventy, there are five women to every man. Is not that the strongest time for a guy to get those odds?

You know you are getting on in years when the girls at the office start confiding in you.

Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than to get tired.

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.

Middle age is when you have stopped growing at both ends, and have begun to grow in the middle.

Of course I'm against sin. I'm against anything that I'm too old to enjoy.

A man has reached middle age when he is cautioned to slow down by his doctor instead of by the police.

The gospel of Luke opens with a dark cloud, a deep sigh, and a mood of resignation. The drama is increased by the absence of recorded prophetic utterances for about 400 years, the period between the Old and New Testament records. God had not spoken a word for four long centuries! Worse, the king, not the Lord, was in control or in charge. The tyrant Herod the Great had humiliated God's people by placing idols in the temple. The government's sword was louder than the people's protests. Herod's name was feared more than God's. However, God’s presence, power, and purpose were evident for all who had eyes of faith, but many people’s faith was turning middle-age – the time when faith is getting worn-out, getting washed out and getting no workout. Luke’s gospel began not with the Messiah’s birth, but with His forerunner’s appearance and family. God’s 400 years of silence between the two Testaments was broken by a loud announcement, but it was greeted with strong skepticism and outright disbelief by one of His most faithful servants.

What is middle-age faith? Where did the midlife crisis in faith come from? How can believers become young at heart and fresh in faith again?

God Deserves Our Best

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. (Luke 1:5-7)

Father Joseph went up to Father Fred one afternoon and said, “I am sick of all this clean living. Tonight let's you and I go out and party. We'll carouse, drink, do whatever we want.” Fred was shocked. “Are you crazy? This is a small town and everyone knows us. Besides, even if they didn't, they would see our clothes and know we were priests.” Joe was ready for this. “Don't be silly. We won't stay in town, we'll go into the city where nobody knows us and we'll dress just like anyone else.”

In the end, he managed to persuade Fred, and they went out that night and partied like professionals. When they got back home at 5:00 AM, Fred's face became pale. “I just thought of something,” he said. “We have to confess this.” Again, Joe was ready. “Relax, I told you I thought this all out in advance. Tomorrow, you go into church and into the confessional. I will come in my regular clothes and confess, and you absolve me. Then I'll go put on my garments, you come in and confess, and I'll absolve you.” Fred was amazed at Joe's brilliance.

Joseph went in later that morning and said, “Father, forgive me, for I have sinned. My friend and I, we're both young men, and last night we went out and caroused. We became drunk, went womanizing, used foul language, and danced to wicked music.” Fred answered, “God is patient and forgiving, and thus shall I be. Do five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys, and you will be absolved of your sin.”

A while later, their places were reversed as Fred came in and confessed everything in detail. There was a short pause, and Joseph answered, “I don't believe this. And you dare to call yourself a priest? You will do 500 Our Fathers, 500 Hail Marys, donate all your money to the church and go around the church 500 times on your knees praying for God's forgiveness. Then come back and we'll discuss absolution, but I make no guarantees.” “What?” Father Fred was shocked. “What about our agreement?” Joe replied, “Hey, what I do on my time off is one thing, but I take my job seriously.”