THE WORD
Jgs 13: 2–7.24–25 / Lk 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.”
IN OTHER WORDS
The Gospel describes Zechariah and Elizabeth as “righteous in the eyes of God.” The description is a high measure of laudation. In the Old Testament, the virtue of righteousness entails obedience, humility, and trust in God.
Zechariah and Elizabeth belonged to a group called “anawin,” the poor of the Lord who never doubted that God is always true to His promise.
It may be reasonably supposed that when Zechariah and Elizabeth were young they fervently prayed for the greatest gift a married couple could ask: a child. For Elizabeth was barren—a predicament considered to be the most frightening curse or disgrace that could befall any young married woman.
Day-in and day-out, Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed to God for His grace and intervention, their flame of hope blazing with youthful strength and vigor. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, but their prayers went unheard, while they grew grey, slow, and old.
Inexorable Time slowly dimmed the glow of their expectation for a child.
Although their trust in the Lord remained steadfast, the flame of hope that once gleamed with blinding luster had now been reduced to a flickering smolder of resignation. Elizabeth, now passed her childbearing years, and Zechariah were fast slipping in the slope of decrepitude.
At the sunset of their married life, the prospect of posterity was finally closed to them. And the prayer they uttered in the ardor of youth was now a forgotten document in their memory bank.
That explains why Zechariah was visibly puzzled by Angel Gabriel’s message. “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years,” he deadpanned. Note that Gabriel prefaced his news with a telling salutation: “Do not be afraid . . . Your prayer has been heard.”
We can understand Zechariah’s skepticism. We can’t blame him. With the passage of Time, he had forgotten the prayer of his youth.
But God has not forgotten it, and I think this is the key to understand the Gospel reading. God never forgets our prayers, and he never neglects His promises.
This is what the season of Advent is all about. It is a about the ultimate promise that God will soon fulfill.
- Fr. Raymun J. Festin, SVD (CKMS,QC)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
