Unexpected Encounters

Introduction

As a family we have been reading through Luke recently. In chapter 2, as Mary and Joseph take the baby Jesus to the temple they have two seemingly odd encounters. It certainly seems that these were unusual, and unexpected. In verses 21-40 we read about Simeon and Anna. I was struck by their willingness to see God in unexpected places.

This got me thinking about other times in scripture where people are willing to see God in such times and places. I think of Moses, Elijah, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, the first disciples, and Ananias as he is sent to Saul. If we go back to Genesis we realise that God’s plan to have a chosen people starts with an unexpected encounter.

In Genesis 12 God speaks to Abram. He was not looking for God, there was no expectation at all. It is interesting to see that in Genesis 11 humanity is trying to reach the heavens to ensure their legacy. God stops them and in chapter 12 starts to make a people for himself, so that He may reach all people and there would be a real, lasting legacy. This is the result of an unexpected encounter, God’s redemptive plan starts with an unexpected encounter.

In this study we will look at some of these passages, hopefully we can learn what it is to encounter God in unexpected places.

Moses

Let’s start with Moses. His story starts in Exodus 2. We are going to focus on the events of chapter 3. In chapter 2 Moses is growing up in Pharaoh’s court, and he sees some injustice, acts rashly, and flees to Midian. In Midian Moses finds a wife, a new family, and a new life. It is while working as a shepherd that he encounters God.

“Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up.””

Exodus 3: 3

This is an unfamiliar sight in a very familiar location. Moses is at Mount Horeb finding pasture for his sheep in the desert. Acts 2: 29-30 tells us that Moses had been in Midian for forty years by this point. I think it is safe to assume he had been to this spot many times in this period. So, he is familiar with what Exodus calls “the far side of the desert”. Not only is this place familiar, it seems an unlikely place to meet God. 

Having been raised in the Egyptian courts Moses would understand that the gods are not “met”, and certainly not encountered alone in the desert. No, they would have temples and shrines, and you would go to them in prescribed ways at set times. Israel’s God is different. A difference we see in each of these encounters, and one we see most fully in the person of Jesus, God incarnate is the ultimate expression of this difference; God reaching to humanity to bring us to Him. This is what we see on a small scale in this unexpected encounter.

As an aside it is worth pointing out that here Moses was leading his sheep in the desert, and he was encountering God while he did so. All of this is training for what is to come as he will lead the people of Israel in this desert (Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai are the same place), and he will continue to encounter God there.

So, in the burning bush we have something unexpected, something unexplainable - a burning bush that does not burn up. Moses’ response to this shows us he is ready to encounter God in an unexpected way.

“When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.””

Exodus 3: 4

I think if a voice from a burning bush called my name I might run away. But Moses engages with God, eventually agreeing to what God is asking him to do. This positive response is what we see elsewhere in scripture, for example 1 Samuel 3: 4, it is also how Mary and Joseph respond to their unexpected encounters in Luke 2 and Matthew 1. Clearly this is the response God is looking for; a willingness to engage and obey.

The lesson for us is to be willing to meet God in familiar places in unexpected ways. Moses knew “the far side of the desert”. He knew that bushes don’t burn and not burn at the same time, and he had some expectations of what gods were like. Yet we see from his response here that he was prepared to encounter God in an unexpected way.

Practical Application

• Are there places in your life you are so familiar with that you no longer think about God acting there?

• Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you open to God moving at any time, and in any place.

Elijah

This is very different to the encounter Moses had, in some ways Elijah was expecting it, but perhaps not in the way it came. In 1 Kings 18 we have the famous competition on Mount Carmel. A competition full of power and might as God shows that He is the one true God. Then, in chapter 19 Elijah flees for his life and is ready to end it all. He is exhausted, he has had enough of the struggle. Even after seeing God move so mightily he thinks he is no better than his ancestors who rejected God.

In this moment God meets him. First with rest, then with food – 1 Kings 19: 3-9. At this point Elijah is in a cave on Mount Horeb, the mountain where God met Moses, it is also known as Mount Sinai. Clearly this is a place where God meets with His people. Yet still I think there is something unexpected about the encounter Elijah has with God.

Elijah, instructed by God, stands on the mountain. There he witnesses a powerful wind, an earthquake, and a fire (1 Kings 19: 11-12a). Then comes the encounter.

“And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

1 Kings 19: 12b-13a

Having just seen God move so powerfully on Mount Carmel perhaps Elijah expected the same again. Yet this time God was not displaying His mighty power. God chose to meet Elijah in the gentle whisper. This was what Elijah needed.

For us I think the lesson is to be wary of expecting the same thing from God every time. We can encounter God in many different ways. He will choose the manner of encounter that is right for us at any particular time. It may not match up with experiences to date, it may meet our expectations, but it will always be the way that is best for us in that moment.

Here, on Mount Horeb, Elijah didn’t need more fire, or earth shaking, he didn’t need, in that moment, for God to show him how powerful He is. Rather, Elijah needed gentleness, and conversation, he needed the unexpected encounter.

Our mistake can be coming to God in only one way, making it formulaic and ritualistic. We need to come to God with openness, allowing Him to decide how He will reveal Himself to us. Perhaps we even do things with a negative expectation, for example we may listen to a preach expecting not to encounter God because “we only encounter God in worship”. When we do this we put limits on God. If Elijah had limited God in that way, if he had thought “I only encounter God in fire”, not only would he have missed the gentle whisper he may have thought God hadn’t come to him at all. So, when we force our expectations on God we can miss Him, and get a false impression of who He is and His desire to meet with us.

Practical Application

• Do you expect to encounter God in the same way every time? What way is that?

• Ask God to keep you open to encountering Him at other times and in other ways. 

• Ask for a new encounter with Him.

The Shepherds

There are other examples in the Old Testament, such as Samuel responding to God calling him in 1 Samuel 3, or Gideon in Judges 6, and others besides. I will leave you to look those up on your own. 

Now I would like to move into the New Testament. Let’s look at the birth of Jesus. In Luke 2 there are two unexpected encounters I’d like to look at, starting with the shepherds.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of God shone around them, and they were terrified.”

Luke 2: 8-9

Of all the encounters we are looking at this is perhaps the most unexpected. Whether these angels look like the Cherubim of Ezekiel 1, or have a more human-like appearance as we read in Joshua 5, it is easy to see why the shepherds were terrified.

There is nothing in the text to suggest the shepherds were expecting, or even looking for this encounter. They were simply at work.

As we read on, the shepherds receive the message about the Messiah, and even more angels show up. This must have been truly spectacular, it sounds like it was a moment full of glory, light, sound, praise, and joy. What happens next is key.

“When the angels had left and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.””

Luke 2: 15

The shepherds respond with action. Their unexpected encounter leads them to act. It is probably a safe assumption that the angelic hosts are not going to interrupt my work day, but this story still leaves us with a challenge – do we expect to encounter God in our work, in our daily routines? Maybe we should raise our expectations. The bigger challenge is are we ready to respond if God does interrupt our routine in some way?

For me this is the lesson of the shepherds; God can meet me in my daily routine, am I willing to respond? This is a lesson for us all.

The shepherds find Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and it clearly changes their lives. They go out spreading the news, they return to their regular lives in the fields with the sheep, but now they are glorifying and praising God while they work. This unexpected encounter had a deep, and long lasting impact on them.

Practical Application

• Today, in your daily routine, ask God to meet with you, to give you a fresh sense of Him at work.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond well to unexpected encounters with God.

Simeon and Anna

These two are not a couple, but they are part of the same moment in Luke 2. Mary and Joseph have taken Jesus to the temple in accordance with the law. It is here that they meet Simeon. We don’t know much about Simeon, other than he is righteous and devout (verse 25) and the Holy Spirit has told him he would see the Messiah before he died (verse 26).

“Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God.”

Luke 2: 27-28

Here we see something a little different. Simen was expectant. We read that he had been told by the Spirit that he would see the Messiah, and we read that he had gone to the temple courts in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. So, perhaps on this day he was expecting something out of the ordinary, he may even have been expecting the Messiah. But I wonder if he was expecting to encounter God in the form of a baby.

So, while Simeon had some expectation, he may have still encountered God in an unexpected way. This is the challenge for us. We may be facing all kinds of situations, we expect that God will move and that we will have some encounter with Him that changes everything. But we may let our expectations block our view of what God is doing, and how He is working. Simeon is not like that, he is clearly open to seeing God move and act however He chooses. We need to be open to God, just as Simeon was.

As we read on in chapter 2 we read about Anna, a prophetess who lived in the temple. There is no hint that she was expecting to encounter God, no suggestion in the text that she was looking for the arrival of the Messiah.

“Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Luke 2: 38

It seems that Anna simply approaches Mary and Joseph and in doing so she encounters God in Jesus. This seems to be an unexpected encounter.

What can we learn from Anna? Well, she lived in the temple, she worshipped, prayed, and fasted. Her lifestyle was one that put God right at the centre. Her encounter may have been unexpected, meeting the Messiah in Jesus may not have been in her plan for the day, and she may not have thought the redemption of Jerusalem would come through a child, but she was prepared! The way she lived prepared her for this unexpected encounter. The same may be said of Simeon, a righteous and devout man who was open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

The challenge to us is to live prepared. To be ready to encounter God, and to put ourselves in the place of encounter by being open to the Holy Spirit.

Practical Application

• Ask the Holy Spirit to prompt and lead you in some way, and to give you the boldness to act.

• Consider how you can make prayer and worship more central in your life.

The First Disciples

This story is told in all three Synoptic Gospels; Matthew 4: 18-22, Mark 1: 14-20, and Luke 5: 1-11. Luke has the fullest account including the large catch of fish. In Matthew and Mark we read of Jesus’ baptism, of Him being tempted, and then starting to preach. Luke includes some detail of Jesus teaching in the Synagogue, an account of casting out a demon, and of healing many people. So it seems people in the area are starting to be aware of Jesus. What happens next is another unexpected encounter.

Picking up the account in Luke 5 Jesus gets into a boat and begins to teach. The boat belongs to Simon Peter (v3), who seems to be at the lake shore after a night of fishing (v5), and is perhaps tidying away the nets. Maybe his mind is racing with what to do now that they have no catch. It seems likely that he is not paying full attention to Jesus, if he is engaged at all.

At this moment Jesus engages him.

“When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.””

Luke 5: 4

It seems that Jesus knows what was on Simon’s mind. Simon may not have been engaged, but Jesus was. Through his response we see that Simon recognises that Jesus is not a peer.

“Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.””

Luke 5: 5

In calling Jesus “Master” Simon is showing recognition that Jesus is one in a higher position. The word used here, Ἐπιστάτα (Epistata), is equivalent to teacher or Rabbi and means one who is set over. Simon has seen something of the authority of Jesus, he has seen enough to obey, even if the request seems like nonsense. After all, there is no sense of prior relationship here, and Jesus is a teacher from Nazareth, not a fisherman.

What happens next is a catch so large they call for help, and then it starts to sink both boats (v 7). Simon responds in the only meaningful way.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man.””

Luke 5: 8

Simon instantly switches from “Master” to “Lord. In this unexpected encounter he recognises that he has met with God. Something he declares more fully later on in the Gospels. He also recognises that he is a sinful man, and cannot be in the presence of the Lord.

As I read this brief, yet powerful confession I am reminded of Isaiah 6 and the prophets declaration that he is “a man of unclean lips”. In Isaiah 6 he is purified with a hot coal. Here, in Luke 5, Simon is drawn into Jesus and his life is altered. He leaves fishing and follows Jesus. As an aside, I wonder if the large catch set up the family business for a while – Jesus provided for them before he took away the fishermen.

Here we have seen another unexpected encounter. Simon Peter did not, could not, have expected this encounter, yet his response is wonderful. God has broken in, has interrupted not just his day, but his whole life, Simon doesn’t return to the life of fisherman again. This leaves the question, are we ready to be interrupted like this? How would we respond if God interrupted our very lives?

Such life changing encounters can, and do, happen. It is our response that matters. We should respond like Simon, calling Jesus Lord and laying everything down for Him.

Practical Application

• Spend some time in worship and adoration of Jesus, calling Him Lord, and giving Him free reign of your life.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you to respond well when Jesus calls you – no matter when and where that is.

Ananias

We could look at Saul, clearly he was not expecting his encounter with Jesus, but I’d rather look at Ananias. Arguably, he was expecting something, he was in a place of prayer when God spoke to him. However, the instruction is definitely unexpected.

“The Lord told him, “Got to the house of Joshua on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.””

Acts 9: 11-12

I think that verse 10 tells us that Ananias was expecting to meet with God during his prayer time; his response is positive and immediate when God first speaks to him. But verses 13-14 tell us that this request is not expected. Ananias is aware of the current hostilities followers of Jesus are facing, and he knows the role Saul has played and the role he is planning to play. He is understandably reluctant to get involved. God is insistent.

“But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.””

Acts 9: 15-16

God is clear that Ananias must go to Saul, and here He explains why.

Ananias responds with obedience, going to the house on Straight Street and placing his hands on Saul.

In this unexpected encounter we see that what God asks may be what is unexpected. We also see that it is important to engage, that we can respond because there is a true relationship with God. Ultimately Ananias teaches us the importance of obedience even when the instruction doesn’t seem to make sense to us.

Practical Application

• As you spend time in prayer expect God to speak with you, make time to listen and don’t do all the talking.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to obey.

Conclusion

Our God is a God of unexpected encounters. In addition to those we have considered here we might have looked at David, or Gideon. We may have looked at Zaccheus, or pondered Paul, Ananias and Saphira, or the jailer the night Paul and Silas were freed from prison in Acts 16. That last one is a real death to life encounter!

All of this leaves us with a challenge; don’t limit God to our expectations. After all His is the God of the unexpected encounter.