Facts To Ponder

We go straightway into facts which help us to see this devout couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, as people, ‘without walls’.

Ponder these human facts. This couple in their honeymoon, young days, would have surrounded themselves with many walls as it were. Let me draw your attention to just a couple.

There is the wall of great anticipation. Certainly Zechariah and Elizabeth, even before their wedding day, would have been anticipating a wonderful family, obeying God’s command to have children together. Is this not what God told the first couple, Adam and Eve, when He blessed them? God said this to them. Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it. Genesis 1: 28b. However, regardless of unceasing prayer, regardless of asking, seeking, knocking, Elizabeth never ever became pregnant even. This wall of anticipation began to crumble and it fell, for time marched on, and it became too late. Time for reproduction was passed, in their eyes, as they were both now very old – past child-bearing age – and no child was given to them. In this regard they are people without the wall of hope.

There is the wall of gracious favour. Surely, Elizabeth was looking forward to being a mother, to be like all the other women in Israel, who had given offspring to their husbands. The stigma and disgrace of a barren woman in those days was criminal in its wake. This stability, this wall of favour, was not afforded her and she, perhaps more so than her husband, lived a life of disgrace. She was surrounded by disgrace from the community. Additionally, she would have carried inner disgrace, the deep hurt, pain, grief and shame of not being able to give her husband a child. This wall of favour also began to crumble and it fell, for nothing – no words, no actions and no loving gestures – could remove her aching heart of disgrace. Time was no healer for either of them. Time only made them older and older, and further and further away from being able to have a child. In this understanding, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were people without the wall of joy.

We now continue to listen to this well-known story, with even more triumphant ears, eyes and hearts, fully encircled with the comfort, courage, consolation and correction of our Heavenly Father.

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of the incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Luke 1: 8 – 13a.

One of the first things to hit us and to bring the Advent Story of Messiah, back into place, is the human response to God’s heavenly messenger. God has sent His angel to Zechariah, to bring him good news, but when he sees the angel, who has suddenly appeared, Zechariah, was startled and was gripped with fear. We note, with curious eye, the human response of fear, as seen with the shepherds also, as an angel suddenly appears to them as well. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2: 9. Once again, fear is the response of Mary, when she was visited by the angel of God. It is precisely because of her human response that the angel had to calm her fears. Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. Luke 1: 30b. Does this not make you pause, wonder and think about our responses to our Lord’s coming to us in forms of His choosing? Does fear play an integral part in our Advent receiving? Is this kind of fear of God?

Fear is of man not of God. Here is a true statement and one which marks us. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4: 18.

We give thanks to our Heavenly Father, the warmth of whose Love, is able to drive away our fears.