Zachariah’s Annunciation
Gospel: Lk 1:5-25
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121924.cfm
In today’s gospel we learn about how Zachariah was told of the arrival of his son, John. Zachariah was of the tribe of Levi, or the priestly tribe of Israel. So John was a descendant of priests. Jesus, on the other hand, was from the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Judah was historically known for being the tribe where kings and rulers came from, and today, it is the primary ancestry of the Jewish people.
There are some differences between how both of their fathers were informed of their coming. When we look at the passages where Joseph learns about the coming of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, the angel was short and succinct, whereas the angel gets a little verbose describing John to Zachariah. Zachariah experienced his vision while burning incense for the people at the temple, and Joseph’s was probably a more humble setting. Priests also occasionally experienced visions while burning incense. Joseph believed what the angel said whereas Zachariah questioned the angel. Zachariah then is left mute due to his questioning.
You would think a man of great faith and religious practice would believe the angel, but he does not. Often those that may seem the closest to God, can also be the ones prone to question. Also with John coming from the tribe of the chief priests, it's interesting to see the level of scrutiny he receives from the priest throughout his life. While John came from the temple, he chose a different path. He went outside of the institution to experience people in nature.
God challenges us to go beyond. As God challenged Zachariah’s concept of what was possible. With his age, he probably had lost hope of ever having a child. God challenged John to go beyond his chiefly ancestry to bring something new and transformative beyond the established religious institution of his day.
How is God challenging you to go beyond? How are you limiting God’s possibilities in your life?
All is possible with God. May God delight us with his surprises this season. Amen.
