From the start, the Gospel is for everyone. 

I mentioned briefly this past Sunday that the word Jesus uses for “Rejoice!” with his disciples in the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, is the same word Gabriel uses with Mary in Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. I actually learned that from Pope Benedict XVI, who wrote a three-volume work on Jesus. As you know, the stories in the Gospels were most likely spoken in Aramaic (a form of Hebrew), but later written down in Greek. It’s really impossible to know for sure the exact Aramaic wording of what was said, other than a few times where we’re told. You might remember Jesus’ phrase spoken on the cross, recorded in Aramaic and then translated into whatever language your bible might be. There are examples, especially of conversations that occur between individuals, where we’re usually given original snippets of what was said. “Peace!” would have been “Shalom!” in Aramaic, not the Greek word for peace. 

Why does any of this matter?! Well, Mary was Jewish. Angels seem to be able to speak many languages. It seems we are to assume Gabriel greeted Mary just as we are told. Except, there would be no reason for him to use a Greek greeting and not simply speak Mary’s heart language. Unless, from the outset, the Gospel was already being spoken to hearts that speak other languages. Pope Benedict suggests we are to understand that “this pronouncement by the angel immediately opens the door to the peoples of the world.” The point would be that this good news is for everyone. The magi certainly assumed it was. They came from afar, assuming the King of the Jews was also theirs to worship. What texts were they studying anyway? 

I think it would be fair to assume they had the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament, but beyond that they appear to have had knowledge that modern readers would likely place in the camp of astrology. Numbers 24 speaks of a star, but it’s a very vague reference. In and of itself, that text doesn’t seem to be enough to warrant the expedition these men embark on. While there is no way to know with certainty, we are left to assume that the God of the Israelites spoke to them. He called them. Could it have been truths embedded in ancient pagan astrological texts? I have no idea. 

 What comforts me about all of this is that we really do have little idea who God is talking to. Note, I didn’t say – we have no idea what God is talking to people about. We know that He is a revealer of Himself. A pursuer of people. His heart is always bent towards the lost. The more you read Scripture with His heart for the lost in mind, the more examples you see of Him going after people who are far afield. 

Pastor Carness has pointed our church toward the Great Commission as our verse for the year. In those verses of Matthew 28, Jesus instructs His disciples to “go.” Specifically, to go to the nations. In doing so, He is basically inviting us to join Him in what He does all the time. Instead of giving us a task to complete (which is how I can often think of it), when read in the context of Scripture, the Great Commission is an invitation to come alongside Jesus and do what He does. It seems that Gabriel understood that, along with the wise men. Do we? And possibly more importantly, do I have my expectations set for Him to prompt me to talk to folks I normally wouldn’t? If I’m following Him, that shouldn’t surprise me at all! 

Who might be someone He would want you to reach out to this week?