Devotion of the Week
Dec. 19, 2004
By: Dr. Terry Faris, DSAngel of the Lord "Then the angel said to the shepherds,'Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.'"
Luke 2:10-11
Have you ever seen or heard an angel of the Lord?The New Testament Greek word for "angel" is angelos, and it simply means "messenger". It does not mean a blue-eyed, haloed, winged creature but it does mean that God has sent someone with a "message" from Him. In the Christmas Story, the message from the messenger of the Lord (angel) is that "Christ is Born"!
In the Resurrection Story, the message from the messenger of the Lord (angel) is that "Christ is Risen"! This is how Matthew tells the story, but Mark says that the "angel" was a "young man", while John says that the messengers were "2 angels", while Luke says that the angels were "2 men". The New Testament Gospel writers seem to have no trouble at all in going "back and forth" from heaven to earth. Sometimes the "angel of the Lord" is from "out of this world", and sometimes the "angel of the Lord" is a very human person.
When Mark 1:2 quotes Isaiah, that God is sending His "messenger" to prepare the way of the Lord, the Greek word is angelos, but it clearly means John the Baptist, who is a very human person. An "angel" who dresses in camel hair, eats lots of honey, preaches all the time about repentance, and finally loses his head over the Kingdom of God, a martyr.
Hebrews 13:2 reminds us that sometimes we may even "entertain angels without even knowing it." We have e-mail, but God has "messengers" (angels) to deliver His word to us. Have you ever seen or heard an angel of the Lord?
In my 44 years of loving, serving, and following our Lord Jesus Christ, I know for sure of one time that God sent His "messenger" (angel) to me. It was February, 1974, during our ministry at Williamsburg, Ky. I was in the old Corbin Hospital, and my surgeon was Dr. Harry Hamilton, and I has having a tonsillectomy at the old age of 28. I had never been a patient in a hospital before, had never been "put to sleep" by anesthesia, and had never had surgery. The surgery was early in the morning, and later that afternoon I had never been sicker in my life. My little 10 year old roommate, who also had his tonsils removed that morning, was eating a cheeseburger and french fries, but I couldn't even keep down Jello! I suffered into the evening, and about 2:00 am that morning, I thought I was dying. I was afraid and felt all alone as I literally "cried/wept" and prayed to the Lord. A young nurse walked into my room, and with her came a deep sense of God's presence and His care for me. She explained that I was doing fine and would feel better in the morning, as many "older" people who have their tonsils removed have a rough time of it. As she left the room, my fear was gone and I dropped off into a deep and restful sleep.
As I awoke a few hours later, I felt so much better and was able to eat and enjoy a good breakfast. When my morning nurse came into the room, I shared with her about that wonderful young nurse who had visited with me about 2:00 am, and how she was about my age (28), had dark hair like mine (it was 30 years ago), and how she even looked like my sister, if I had a sister. All the nursing staff said there was noone in the hospital like that, but I wasn't dreaming, I really believe that God sent His "messenger" (angel) to tell me to "Fear not", and that I would be fine in the morning.
I found out later that the German word for "nurse" is Krankenschwester, which literally means a "sister to you when you are sick". Isn't the German language beautiful, and isn't God good all the time!
The old Corbin Hospital is no more, and I've never seen my "angel/sister" again, but I do see Dr. Harry Hamilton and his dear wife, Betty, at the Corbin First UMC real often, and they continue to be "angels", messengers of the Lord as they are always full of love and good news.
So please stop, look, and listen during this wonderful Advent Season as God's "angels" are all around us, and we may even be "angels" (messengers of the Lord) ourselves!
Dr. Terry Faris - Corbin District Superintendent - Advent, 2004
