From Salvation to Service

Scripture — Luke 1:68-75

 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
     for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
     in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
     that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
     and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
     to grant us
that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
     might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness
     before him all our days.

Devotion

In the opening section of Luke 1, Zechariah receives a visit from an angel, who informs the priest that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, will bear a child. When Zechariah doubts the angel’s good news, his power of speech is taken away until the time when his child is born.

This birth happens in the final section of Luke 1. There we see that Zechariah’s ability to speak is restored. The first thing he does with his voice after months of silence is to praise God (Luke 1:64). A portion of his celebration is found in Luke 1:68-79, a passage that we often call the Benedictus (which is the first word of the Latin version of verse 68, meaning “blessed”).

In this hymn of praise to God, Zechariah proclaims that God “has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:69). Through this savior, the people of Israel would be “saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.” For Zechariah, these enemies and haters were the armies and leaders of the Roman empire.

Notice what follows from this act of salvation. Zechariah says that when God rescues us from our enemies, it will enable us to “serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness” (Luke 1:74-75). God’s people are saved so that they might respond by serving God. How does this service happen? To be sure, in Zechariah’s day it included the offerings presented in the temple and the other actions of the priests. But the Old Testament concept of serving God also embraces our daily work. In fact, the Hebrew word for “service” (avodah) can mean “work or “worship.” Those whom God saves will serve God, not just in their religious activities, but also in every part of life.

Those of us who have been saved by God’s grace through Christ have a similar experience and calling. We have been saved to serve the Lord in a variety of ways, including our daily work. In Ephesians 2:8-10, for example, we learn that we have been saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) and that when we are saved we are also recreated in Christ for good works (Eph 2:10). When we do our ordinary work “in holiness and righteousness” (Luke 1:74), then we are living out our salvation by serving God and contributing to God’s work in the world.

As you reflect on Luke 1:68-75, consider the following questions:

Banner image by Bimo Luki on Unsplash.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Advent Reflection: God’s Tender Mercy.

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