Thursday Advent 1

Luke 1:5-20
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I 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. 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.’

When we pray, we often ask God to provide something that we have not been able to do for ourselves. Our hope is that miracles occur…and that what we see as the final ending to our expectations can be opened to new beginnings. What if you have been praying for so long that you begin to make your own conclusions about their effectiveness? Time passes…and either you stop praying and let your hopes go…or you move in a different direction and determine another course for your life.
But then, what if your prayer was suddenly answered?
Zechariah had been praying for a son for years…decades. Zechariah was old…and his wife was beyond child bearing. They lived a blameless life. They were seen as spiritual leaders, regarded by the community as people who were close to the Lord.
Still, when the big moment came and their prayers were answered, Zechariah’s first response was less than faithful! When told by God’s messenger that his prayers had been answered and that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, would bear a child, Zechariah (who was frightened out of his wits) questioned and doubted that such a thing could happen.
Most of us would probably have a similar reaction. We are rational people…and when something is proposed that is not in line with the facts we can be quick to say “That’s not going to happen.”
I can imagine Gabriel saying: Ok, Zechariah, old man… Be still and think about this. And I’ll help you with that… zap! No more talking! Zechariah was forced to take some time to wrestle with his own lack of belief while God’s blessings continued to unfold. Unbelief is toxic to our ability to testify to God’s glory. Whenever something marvelous happens that defies all odds, we do well to silence our questions of “why” or “how” and move directly to words of praise and gratitude to the source of all good things!
As you pray, do you ever wonder what you would do if suddenly a wave of answers came your way? When things seem “too good to be true”, do you see it as a portal to deeper gratitude to God?