The Silence of Zechariah

Last updated on: December 7, 2015 at 11:24 am by Rebecca Frech

The Silence of Zechariah 2015-12-07T11:24:29-05:00 Rebecca Frech

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I often feel like we miss out on the story of Zechariah in our rush to get to the birth of Christ. He was an important figure in the community in which he lived, and yet he is overshadowed in history by the figures around him.

An elderly man, faithful enough to be chosen to enter the sanctuary, Zechariah is not a heroic figure, but a completely human one. When faced with a prophetic angel, he doesn’t laugh like Sarah or weep like Hannah. He is a man who has spent his adulthood becoming reconciled to the barrenness of his marriage, only to have it upended in an instant with only the word of Gabriel. I have no doubt that he and Elizabeth had shed many tears and spent much time in prayer over their lack of a child, and learned to be accepting of God’s ‘No,’ only to be stunned to realize that it was instead a ‘not yet.’

Scripture doesn’t record Elizabeth’s reaction to this revelation for us. We only know his. When he stood face-to-face with an angel, Zechariah asked “How?” Zechariah is not Joseph who needed only the nudging of a dream, but a regular man whose need for more information was met with silence… his own.

During the pregnancy, the couple received the consolation of a visit from Mary who brought the Divine Child with her into their home. We know of Elizabeth’s joy and John’s exuberance, but nothing is said of Zechariah. Here was this devout old man receiving all that he had dreamed and prayed for, a son and a Messiah, and he could share the news with no one. I can’t help but think that perhaps that was the point.

Judging by his Canticle which follows the birth of his firstborn son, Zechariah was a man of words and emotions. The more I think about his imposed muteness, I can’t help but feel that his lessons went beyond accepting the will of God, and included learning the value of silence. He lived for a time with the two babies who would grow up to be the most important men who ever lived, and he knew it. And had to say nothing. That’s a huge burden for a man who likes to talk and is used to being important, and yet their safety relied on his ability to keep them safely hidden until it was time for them to reveal themselves.

And so God, in His infinite mercy, used the time until John’s circumcision to teach Zechariah about obedience and silence. They are lessons that we still grapple with today. As used to over sharing as the internet has made us, how would we be able to handle being unable to communicate for months on end? Would we be crushed under the weight of our own silence, or would we learn to better listen to God and the people around us? Oh, that we could be so beloved by God in our moments of doubt that He would gift us with silent stillness until we see His promises fulfilled and ourselves accepting of the perfection of His will for our lives.

photo credit: By Janmad (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 6, 2015

The Sleep Book That Really Works

Next Post

December 10, 2015 Being Honest About The Effects of Pregnancy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Paul John Jesus Peter