As soon as he stepped inside the gate, every angel in Heaven seemed to know about his mission. They were all talking about it, and couldn’t wait to hear Gabriel tell everything he had seen and heard.
“Gabriel, you are so blessed to get to carry such a message to Earth,” Pearl said. “You are the most famous angel in Heaven, except for Michael of course.”
“I can’t believe it! After all these years of waiting, the message finally goes out,” Wilma added. “Everybody on Earth must be rejoicing.”
“Actually,” Gabriel answered, “I only told one person.”
“Oh, but that one person must be singing God’s praises,” James chimed in.
“Not really,” Gabriel replied. “She didn’t seem too happy at first.”
“Not happy! Who did you tell?” Pearl demanded.
“The one who is going to be his mother,” Gabriel said.
“The most blessed of all women?” Wilma asked. “The one chosen to carry such a child in her womb? She wasn’t happy?”
“No. She seemed more frightened than anything. Frightened and confused.”
“I can’t believe it,” Pearl said.
“It’s just not right,” Wilma said.
“It’s sure not the response we expected for such news,” James said, his wings beginning to droop.
“I’m wondering if it’s the right thing to do,” Gabriel said. “I was thinking that right from the beginning, but I didn’t want to say anything. After all, the Boss was so excited that we had finally reached this point.
Wilma started shaking her head and said, “Now don’t start second guessing God again, Gabriel, you know you have never been right, and God has never been wrong.”
“I know, I know. But think about it. Why should Jesus give up everything here to go down there to that mess? He’ll be so limited there. He’ll be stuck in just one place, one point of time. He’ll only be able to speak to one person or group at a time. And instead of managing all creation, he will be focusing on just the humans.”
“And on just that one small, noisy group of humans too,” Pearl added.
“And the Boss wants him to put on that human flesh,” Gabriel continued, “and as a little human baby. Creation’s King of Glory will be soiling himself, and have to have his bottom changed. He will have to leave behind his irresistible light for a human body. He’ll catch cold, and he’ll have to rest and sleep. And he’ll look so, so…”
“Human,” James interjected sadly.
“Yes, exactly,” Gabriel agreed. “He will look and be just like one of them.”
“But that’s the whole idea, isn’t it?” Wilma said.
“I know, but I really think God has it wrong this time,” Gabriel said.
“Not possible” James said thinking more deeply about the idea. “God wrong? How can you even suggest such a thing, Gabriel?”
“He’s right, Gabriel,” Wilma added. “You’d better be careful. That’s the kind of thing that can get you thrown out of Heaven. And after God chose you to deliver the most important message of all time, I think you would be more grateful.”
“O I am grateful, I really am. Who am I for God to choose me to tell Mary that she is going to give birth to the Son of the Living God? I am so blessed, and I will never be able to sing enough praises to even begin to let God know how thankful I am for that. But at the same time, I can’t help but be worried about Jesus.”
“It’s like I’ve been arguing right from the beginning,” Pearl agreed, “I think Jesus should be born to a royal family. He would be a lot safer, and I think he could get a lot more done. Those humans respect royalty. Royals have money, power, fame, all things humans hold to be very important.”
“I agree,” Gabriel said, “Mary and Joseph are such common people.”
“The scandal of her expecting a baby when they haven’t even been married isn’t going to help much either,” James added.
“Do you know what I am most worried about?” Gabriel asked. “Temptation. That world is awash with temptation. Jesus has never experienced temptation here in Heaven. How will he be able to resist it? He will be in human flesh. Think of all the sins possible there. He will be poor. Think of all the ways poverty has for crushing a person’s resistance. And what human is going to show Jesus how to resist the Tempter’s sly tricks and devious ways? It’s not like any of them have ever managed to keep from sinning. Tell me, what happens to the universe if the Son of God yields to temptation and sins against God? What happens to God’s plan then?”
“What happens to God?” Pearl added fearfully.
Shivers of fear went through the crowd of angels that had slowly gathered around the important discussion. Wings were drawn in tight to each of them. Heads were cast down. Some even trembled.
“You know what worries me the most?” James said. “Violence and lies. There is so much of both down there. A small group of hotheads with a few swords and clubs could easily capture a human Jesus. He wouldn’t fight against them. I know he wouldn’t. And their courts are so flawed. Toss a little money around, and think of how many of those people would be willing to lie in court. And you know it will happen! Jesus will threaten humans, powerful humans, because he won’t be silent, won’t tell half truths, won’t tolerate the lies that prop up their society. Those humans will kill him if he goes down there.”
“What can we do?” an angel in the crowd asked.
“I’ll tell you what we will do,” Michael announced as he strode into the group.
The group parted to let Michael come to the center. He was the most famous and most respected angel in Heaven, and there were rumors that God had big plans for Michael at the end of Earth’s time.
“We’re going to go down there and sing like we have never sung before,” Michael told them. “This is the most important thing that God has ever done, and every angel in Heaven gets to join in the singing! God is going to become human! This is even bigger than creation! So put on your best halos, and get moving!”
Angels everywhere sprang into action. Forgotten was their discussion of their many concerns about Jesus’ safety. God was doing a new thing! Never before in all creation has such a thing been done. God was going to risk everything and become human – all for the sake of turning things around for a world that had run out of hope.
“We’re going to assemble on the fields around a village called Bethlehem,” Michael shouted after the rapidly departing angels.
In less time than it takes to tell it, Heaven was emptied of angels – except for two who had not moved from where they had been standing. “Did you hear what I said,” Michael asked Gabriel.
“I heard you.”
“Then why are you still here?”
“I’m not going,” Gabriel answered defiantly.
“The Boss said ‘everyone.'”
“I understand, but I’m still not going.”
“Do you realize what an honor and a privilege it is to participate in this?”
“I do not consider it an honor or a privilege to help put Jesus in such danger,” Gabriel replied. “I am staying here. I’m boycotting, and you can report that to the Boss.”
“You know you’re putting yourself in danger by doing this,” Michael said. “You wouldn’t be the first angel to fall from Heaven.”
“Better me than Jesus.”
“No. It would be better if both of you obeyed God.”
“Michael, I’m not going. And if you are going to stand here arguing with me, there will be two absentee angels down there.”
“Not me!” Michael declared. “I’m not going to miss the most important event in Earth’s entire history.”
And with that said, Michael abruptly turned and headed quickly down toward the fields of Bethlehem. Gabriel was left standing alone.
He flexed his wings a little. He paced back and forth. Then flexed his wings again. He adjusted his halo, and then paced some more.
Then the singing started in the fields near Bethlehem. It reverberated all over Heaven. It was beautiful, so beautiful. And Gabriel could hear the joy, the peace, the hope, the love. The feelings evoked by the music were indescribable. Such had never before been heard in all of creation. The music was so captivating that Gabriel began unconsciously humming along with the tune, and his body began moving slowly from side to side. But when he realized what he was doing, he willed himself to stop. And when he stopped, it felt like he had somehow jammed the gears that moved the stars in their orbits, like he had stopped the whole universe from spinning.
“You’re not singing?” a voice said behind him.
Gabriel turned and looked into the face of God.
“I want to, with all my heart I want to,” Gabriel answered God. “Please don’t think me disobedient. I’m just worried about Jesus. This is all so dangerous, so very dangerous.”
“Yes, you’re right. It is dangerous. But it is also necessary,” God answered. “Even this will not turn all of them from their ways. Many will still be lost.”
“But, God,” Gabriel argued, “why take such risks?”
God looked him right in the eye, and said, “Gabriel, you know the answer to that.”
“Love, I know. But it just seems too much to ask for so few.”
“If you were one of the ones being saved,” God said, “would it seem to be too much to ask of me then?”
“I would die a thousand times before I would ask Jesus to leave Heaven for me,” Gabriel answered.
“Ah, but you already know him. They do not. Would you deny them that chance?”
“But they have already had so many chances, and they have thrown them all away. And why make Jesus so vulnerable? Why put him under their power? What if they do something to hurt him? Will you still be able to forgive them then? Will you still give them another chance?”
“Gabriel,” God answered, “can you so easily put limits on love? Can you say ‘This much, but no more?’ Can you draw a line, and say ‘I will love you forever, unless you cross this line. Then I will stop loving you, and never love you again.’ Can you do that, Gabriel? Would you have me do that?”
Then Gabriel fell down before God and said, “I can resist you no more, my beloved Creator! I repent of my evil, and beg your forgiveness! I do not understand you, nor do I understand the far-reaching borders of your love. But I embrace you, and I embrace your love! The magnitude of such love is beyond me! Yet, it is the eternal spring from which I quench my thirst! It is the bread from which I draw my strength! It is the ground on which I stand, and the country where I make my home. Forgive me, beloved Creator, and let me join my voice with those who are singing the glories of your love!”
“I do forgive you, Gabriel, but it is too late to join the singing.”
Gabriel looked around, and he saw the angels returning to Heaven. They continued to sing of God’s love. They would never cease singing this new song, but for a while they would sing it only in Heaven. It would be up to human voices to sing it on Earth now.
Gabriel’s heart sank when he realized that he had missed out on the singing that proclaimed the birth of God’s Son.
“Do not be upset, Gabriel,” God said to him. “I have another mission for you. I will soon need you to go to Joseph to warn him to leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt to protect my Son from those who would harm him.”
“But he is such a small child! Are there already humans who are afraid of him?” Gabriel asked.
“They have always feared love and the truth it brings,” God answered. “And there is no love greater than that which lives and grows among them now. He is a terrible threat to some, but to others he is the answer to their prayers.” Then God looked toward Herod’s palace in Jerusalem and said to Gabriel, “Get yourself ready. He will need you very soon.”
Gabriel snapped to attention and said, “I am ready now!”
“Good,” God answered, “now here is what I want you to tell Joseph…”
God very carefully gave Gabriel his instructions, and Gabriel hurried off to Earth in obedience. For the rest of time Gabriel served faithfully in the house of God.
Questions for Meditation, Discussion or Preaching
