Luke 1
I'm sure I've read Luke 1 before. I'm sure I have. But it was as if I read it with new eyes this morning.Zechariah was silenced for questioning the angel,(Lk 1:18, 20) Mary was not.(Lk 1:34) The same angel (Gabriel), the messenger of God, coming and speaking with His authority, spoke to them both. I doubt that the angel had different criteria, because we know that God is consistent.
So why was Zechariah silenced? And not Mary?
I think it must come down to their attitude.
God saw it - and we do not.
He knows what's going on in our hearts and isn't fooled by the outward appearance. It is possible that Zechariah was doubting the message - doubting the answer to prayer - and perhaps he'd have spent the next 9 months or so, ridiculing the whole thing. In a way self cursing himself, his wife and the son to be.
God didn't want that. So he silenced him.
The film Bambi is one of my favourites. There's that scene where little Thumper repeats his mother's teaching. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all. It's a lesson I've still to learn I'm afraid, though sometimes I realise that I am making progress and that's good!
Mary did question the angel. But I suspect that she wasn't doubtful, just puzzled.
Her attitude to the message was "I am the Lord's servant" - something well worth emulating.
(cross posted at stf)
posted by see-through faith @ 1:31 AM
3 Comments:
Hey what happened to Elizabeth's great post. I read it here this morning but couldn't comment on it. Skipped over to her otherplace and commented there. But now the post has gone.
you have to be quick around here it seems :) but do check out her post over there - it's GREAT. And she writes about reading the bible in 101 days - and about ...well go read it yourself :)
this is her link
http://www.bethquick.com/2006/03/jesus-greatest-hits-volume-1.html
I remember reading those early sections of Luke in my bible study, just after my baptism. I was so deeply moved by Mary's faith. I couldn't get through it without crying.
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