{"id":7622,"date":"2025-11-01T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T00:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7622"},"modified":"2025-10-01T07:51:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T23:51:45","slug":"350-doubt-and-faith-both-zechariah-and-mary-questioned-the-angel-but-why-was-zechariah-alone-struck-dumb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7622","title":{"rendered":"351. Doubt and Faith: Both Zechariah and Mary questioned the angel, but why was Zechariah alone struck dumb?"},"content":{"rendered":"

18\u00a0<\/sup>Zechariah said to the angel, \u201cHow can I know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.\u201d\u00a019\u00a0<\/sup>The angel replied, \u201cI am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.\u00a020\u00a0<\/sup>But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.\u201d [Luke 1:18-20, NRSV<\/em>]<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

34 <\/sup>Mary said to the angel, \u201cHow can this be, since I am a virgin?\u201d\u00a035\u00a0<\/sup>The angel said to her, \u201cThe Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[d<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0will be holy; he will be called Son of God.\u00a036\u00a0<\/sup>And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.\u00a037\u00a0<\/sup>For nothing will be impossible with God.\u201d\u00a038\u00a0<\/sup>Then Mary said, \u201cHere am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.\u201d Then the angel departed from her<\/span><\/strong>. [Luke 1:28-<\/span>38<\/strong>, NRSV<\/em>]<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[L] Zechariah is promised a son.\u00a0[R] Annunciation, Fra Angelico, 1433.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Faith, an Important Key<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Faith is an essential key in Luke\u2019s Gospel.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Zechariah, a priest, was struck dumb in the most holy place of Israel, the Temple, for lack of faith, unable to complete the liturgy he began, for a dumb-priest could not bless the people.<\/span><\/p>\n

    This contrasts sharply with Jesus, the layman, who, in obedience of faith, surrendered<\/em> to the Father\u2019s will at Gethsemane (Luke 22:42), and committed<\/em> his spirit to the Father on the cross (Luke 23:46), blessed his disciples<\/em> after completing his liturgy of life at the place of Ascension. And then, his disciples returned to Jerusalem <\/em>with great joy and continually praising God in the Temple (Luke 24:50-53).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Now we come to a comparison between Zechariah and Mary. At both the angelic annunciations to Zechariah and Mary, both the message-recipients questioned the angel, but why was Zechariah alone struck dumb? What\u2019s different<\/em> in their questions to warrant such a seemingly glaring \u201cbias\u201d or \u201cfavouritism\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

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    1. Scripture Testifies to Mary\u2019s Faith<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      First, the short answer: Scripture attributes it to faith<\/em><\/strong>. Zechariah did not believe <\/em>what the angel said (Luke 1:20); Mary, however, believed (Luke 1:45).<\/span><\/p>\n

      Secondly, on reflection, we do see a subtle difference <\/em>in their questions: Zechariah self-confidently believed that his and his wife Elizabeth\u2019s old age meant that it was a case of \u2018no way!\u2019 (Luke 1:18). Right here, might we not give some thought to the fact that here is a priest, hearing God\u2019s message, delivered by an angel, at the holiest of places in Israel, the Temple. Surely, a seasoned man who deals with holy things ought to know better about what God can<\/em> do; and yet, he thought he knew better about what God cannot<\/em> do! Mary, on the other hand, who was lay, young, and had no husband and so did not have the \u201cspiritual or mental blocks\u201d that confronted Zechariah, only asked how<\/u><\/em> God\u2019s will would be achieved (Luke 1:34). This explanation is supported by the fact that this was later followed by her fiat<\/em> out of profound faith, while Scripture remains silent on any relenting and positive response from Zechariah at that point.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

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      1. A Delightful Surprise<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        In passing, an element of delightful \u201csurprise\u201d is found in the Annunciation to Zechariah. In the text, John\u2019s parents were pious, law-abiding couple, steeped in righteousness. Yet old and barren, they had privately suffered it as a \u201cdisgrace\u201d (Luke 1:25). But barrenness is never due to the presence of sin or of condemnation. Rather, for God, that becomes an opportunity for blessing as for example, in many cases God gives a child late either through maternal child-bearing or by adoption. Furthermore, and this is super-important in many other cases, God leads a couple to pursue other opportunities of service free from, pardon the expression, the \u201cburdensome responsibilities\u201d of child-care. Caring for young children puts a lot of strain on one\u2019s capacity to serve outside of the family. In truth, it \u201cincapacitated\u201d a friend, who also wanted to go overseas to take up serious theological studies at the same time that we embarked upon that journey.\u00a0 He could not go, simply because he had a string of young children to care for.<\/span><\/p>\n

        And always, take heart: precisely because you are unmarried or married but childless, God may have something \u201cspecial\u201d for you.<\/span><\/p>\n