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Gospel: Luke 1: 5-25
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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At the time when this Gospel passage occurred, there were about 20,000 priests in Israel. Often, this honor came by birthright; any male who was a descendant of Aaron was automatically a priest. Such was the case for Zechariah.
Because of the sheer number of priests, most never had the opportunity to enter the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Temple where God’s presence dwelt. There sacrifices were made on behalf of the entire nation of Israel.
Providentially, the lot fell on Zechariah. His time had come, but it was a bittersweet moment.
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Though a priest, Zechariah harbored angst and grief in his heart. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were childless. At that time, being barren was seen as a curse, or a punishment by God. It was even grounds for divorce.
What had either Zechariah or Elizabeth done to merit such punishment? Both were devout servants of the Lord…
Thus, when Zechariah entered the Holy of Holies, he was not only praying for his nation; but he was also praying for a son. Suddenly, the archangel Gabriel appeared telling him that his prayer had been heard!
Unlike Mary, who will welcome the news of bearing a son in faith, Zechariah doubts Gabriel’s promise, so the angel strikes him mute.
Scholars say this was an act of mercy to prevent Zechariah from speaking blasphemously, doubting God’s power while standing in his presence. Zechariah will not be able to speak again until God’s promise is fulfilled, and his son, John, is born.
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What might Zechariah’s story say to us today?
Never underestimate the power of God.
And notice where God reveals his power… in the Temple.
Like Zechariah, sometimes we must make a pilgrimage to God’s house, standing before his altar if we want our prayers to be heard. Where might we find ourselves this week?
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Image credits: (1) Patheos (2) Zechariah in the Temple, Jan Lievens (3) More Incense, Less Nonsense, WordPress.com