We should join the happy crowd at the circumcision of John.

Saturday, 12/23/17

We should join in the party at the home of Zechariah on the day of his son's circumcision. The tribes descended from the twelve sons of Jacob avoided mixing with those of other tribes, there was an exception here. Zechariah was of the tribe of Levi, and the members of that tribe, while lacking their own tribal land,  

served as priests throughout all neighborhoods. That brought it about that people from all the "hill country" gathered around for the miraculous boy's circumcision and name bestowal.

The angel Gabriel had declared that the boy should be named John, but the crowd intervened, saying the boy should be named Zechariah after his father. Elizabeth intervened, saying, "By no means. He shall be named John."

Sixty eight years ago, when our seminary class studied Luke's Gospel, we followed the Latin version. So, after the people had insisted on calling the boy Zechariah, it sounded true to life when the Latin had the old lady shouting "NEQUAQUAM, he shall be John."