Magic

"He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb," Luke 1:15.

No, not talking about Jesus. The pregnant mother? the very old Elizabeth, theretofore childless. The stunned father? the very old Zechariah. The Spirit filled, unborn baby? John. Before he was Baptist. We'd think that if God was going to send his own son into the world, he'd just get on with it, wouldn't we? I mean, if God is so loving and so strong, he'd hear our ads, and Just Do It. We'd think. But God's not man, nor the son of man. He's, well, God. And God's not magic. Magic knows nothing of human need, of unintended consequences. God considers everything we never even dreamed. So God does what we need. And baptizing John's needed to prep us, humans, big time: Repent! the kingdom of heaven's nearly here!

With a brother or sister today, we consider God's mercy in preparing us to receive grace. We set aside ignorant pride, and trust God's provision. And, together, we give thanks to the One who accounts for our need. Even before we were born.