Zach

So it hits me smack in-between the eyes today that we are in the dead center of the season of Advent. Through all that has been going on (no small amount), I seem to have lost sight of this special time. On top of everything else that has happened, I will not allow Christmas to be overshadowed by insignificance.

So I'm thinking of Zechariah, who is an oft-overlooked person in Luke's infancy narratives (that whole Jesus thing can really get distracting...). Perhaps he is a bit ignored because we think of the other important people in the story. And, after all, isn't this the guy who really messed up by not believing Gabriel? Yes, this is the one.

Zach's problem had many different angles. There was the fact that he flat-out questioned the promise of the angelic messenger when he asked, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years" (Luke 1:18). This is a question motivated by a lack of faith to accept, not just any Joe-Blow, but an angel.

An angel.

In the Temple...

Furthermore, this is Zechariah the priest, who should have trusted a little bit more and asked a little bit less. Perhaps he should have thought of folks like Abraham and Sarah (among others) that characterized God's incredible ability to pull this stuff off. In the face of real-life, Zach forgets his theology and doesn't pull through.

As if that wasn't enough, he is then contrasted with the faith of a twelve year old peasant girl. Indeed, if we look closely to Luke 1:34 we see a question of method that is driven by her faith. Mary's response to Gabriel: "OK, this sounds like a good plan. Um...since I'm going to be such a pivotal instrument in this, might I ask how God is going to pull this off?" Gabe's reply, "Oh yeah. Well, OK...there's this whole Holy Spirit dealy..." (personal paraphrase).

Moral of the story? Learn from Zach. Although it is easy to say now, it takes a clear and sure devotion to face life and hold true to one's faith and theology. We face the world and its challenges everyday. As was true 2000 years ago, those with the religious status do not always have all the right answers. Sometimes, it is the twelve year old poor kid. But, don't worry - people got freaked out by this back then too.