We are looking at various elders of the Bible during the season of Pentecost. Last week we met Elizabeth and Zechariah, an older couple given the astonishing gift of a child who grew up to be John the Baptist. It can be easy to slip into thinking that God can’t use our talents because of age or gender or social position. In reading about men and women in the Biblical record, we discover that God uses all sorts of people. Zechariah and Elizabeth thought they were too old for the miracle of a child to happen. God had other plans—and they were gifted with a son who became the prophet of Messiah.
We might be like Zechariah, sure that we know God’s plan for
us. Then we may find it hard to accept a different revelation, even if it comes
from an angel. Zechariah isn’t the only Bible person to argue with God. Moses
famously argues with God at the burning bush, insisting he isn’t the right
choice and that God has made a mistake. Jonah gets himself into trouble by
trying to run from God. It seems it’s not a good idea to try to thwart God’s
plan for us (even if it seems impossible).
Sometimes we respond like Elizabeth. After so many years of
hoping for a child, the reality of her pregnancy was so overwhelming that she ‘hid
away’ to ‘rejoice in the pregnancy’. When our prayers suddenly seem to be
answered and all the pieces start falling into place for what you dreamed and
hoped for, if can be overwhelming and rather than leaping forward into the new thing,
we pause and whisper, “can this really be happening?” We might wonder if our
dreams will be snatched away, just when they seem to be coming true.
The neighbors of Elizabeth and Zechariah must have been
astonished by Elizabeth’s pregnancy. After all, they all knew she was too old
to have a child. Also, Zechariah came back from his Temple duties unable to
speak. That must have caused a lot of gossip. He couldn’t tell them what
happened, so they had to make up their own stories. Perhaps some thought he was
being punished for doing something wrong during his time in the Temple. Others
may have whispered that he was ill or had been possessed by a demon who made
him dumb. I’m sure they were the talk of their small town.
The talk didn’t stop when the baby was born. When Elizabeth
said that the child would be called “John” and not named for his father, that
must have caused a stir. Indeed, those gathered used sign language to
ask Zechariah what he wanted the name to be. That has always puzzled me.
Zechariah was unable to speak, but there is no other indication that he was
also deaf. Perhaps it is a sign of how we treat those who have disabilities. We
assume that because someone can’t walk, that they are also stupid; or if they
cannot speak, they must be deaf. Some commentators note that Zechariah could
have been hard of hearing before his encounter with Gabriel, since he was old. Others
suggest that even if it isn’t stated, he was deaf and dumb after he met
Gabriel.
Whatever the reason, it was even more astonishing that
Zechariah was able to speak as soon as he affirmed the name “John”. The
townsfolk must have been abuzz with the idea that something amazing and holy
really had happened to Elizabeth and Zechariah.
I invited you to think about how you might have reacted
to this event if you were Zechariah or Elizabeth or one of the neighbors.
If you did so, were you surprised by what you discovered by putting yourself in
their sandals?
Has there been a time when you, like Zechariah, resisted what you knew was God urging you in a new direction of ministry or career or goals? How did that resolve itself?
When has God given you what you hoped for? Was your reaction
like Elizabeth? Did you feel amazed and thankful or overwhelmed and a little
fearful?
What do you think your reaction would have been to all these
events, if you were just a bystander and neighbor?
Next week we’ll conclude looking at Zechariah and Elizabeth
by considering how they can inspire us to be open to ways the Spirit moves in
our lives.
