Advent IV
Dec 19, 2021
Fr. Phil Eberhart
A Question of Obedience
Have you
ever questioned something that you felt God say to you?
Most
people would say that they have never actually heard God speak to them, and
even fewer have ever encountered angels speaking in their prayer times! This morning I want to share a couple
thoughts about the questions that Mary and Zechariah posed to the angel (same
angel) who spoke to them during their visitations from God. There is just a word or two difference, in
fact. But there is a world of difference
in those few words!!
Before this
morning’s gospel reading, in the earlier part of Luke 1, Mary is visited by Gabriel,
the Archangel, the “messenger” of God and told that she will become pregnant,
supernaturally – [overshadowed by the Holy Spirit] – and that she will bear a
son, calling his name Yeshua / Jesus.
Upon hearing this pronouncement, that we call The Anunciation, Mary had
a question. Like many of us, the question
was not one of disbelief, but an inquiry about the ways & means: “How shall this be?”
Often in
our lives, when God is leading us, the ways and means are obscure, until the
time is full and the prophetic word is full-filled, in God’s way, and in God’s
time. We are not unacquainted with this
process in our own lives, nor in our life together here at REZ. It seems that the most common question in our
life, perhaps, has been, “How shall this be?”
Not a sacrament of unbelief, but a simple question of ways and
means. We are required to go forward,
walking ”by faith, not by sight!”
Mary’s
question took into account the reality of her situation as a young, unmarried
maiden, a “virgin.” The HOW question
loomed large in her mind. It was a very practical issue, and one that bore
considerable consequence for her future and for her daily life in the community
in Nazareth. Assumptions will be made,
and this will be difficult in our small town!
(You know small towns – everybody knows everybody else’s business, and
what they don’t know, they make up!)
I’m certain that Nazareth was no different – some things NEVER change!
Perhaps
that is why the trip to see Elizabeth.
Life is just easier if you put some distance between you and the rumor
mill! Easier for you, easier for Joseph,
easier for everyone. So a tri-mester
away seems like a good idea.
So let’s
consider Zechariah for a minute, and his encounter with the same angel,
Gabriel, the messenger of God. Zechariah
was going about his duties as a priest in worship, burning incense in the
temple. He was faithful to fulfill the works
of the law – a shining example of the Old Covenant righteousness. It says he was doing his duty and that he and
Elizabeth lived blamelessly! Zechariah,
and later his son, John, were the last of the temple worship and the prophets,
before the coming of Jesus and the New Covenant Kingdom of God. The Law & the Prophets are about to give
way to a NEW COVENANT, a NEW COMMANDMENT, and a NEW (GREAT) COMMISSION.
But
Zechariah, asked his question of Gabriel in a different way than Mary did! His words told a different tale: “How shall I know this to be certain? How shall I know your words to be true?” (The Message asks: “Do you expect me to
believe this?”) Zechariah places his
doubt in the forefront, and was, shall we say, IN YOUR FACE, with Gabriel! Gabriel recognizes it for what it is, and
Zechariah comes away from the meeting unable to speak at all – until the time
He confirms that the baby’s name will be John.
Until he comes into full obedience to the word he received from Gabriel.
What we
read here in Luke 1 are the intimate details of these visitations and the
different responses of the hearers. (It was likely that these stories were recounted to Luke
personally by Mary herself, in later years, as he began to write this account.)
God’s
will was not hindered by Zechariah’s unbelief, but his experience was very
different from Mary’s willing obedience:
“Be it
unto me according to thy word!”
Our liturgical
tradition has two songs or canticles in it’s Morning & Evening Prayer
offices that rise from these two encounters:
The Song of Zechariah, a.k.a. The Benedictus (BCP, 19) and The
Song of Mary or The Magnificat (BCP, 45). Each
song came after their individual obedience to the Word of God, Mary’s immediately
and Zechariah’s upon the birth of John and his naming.
I guess
the question I have for us this morning is when can we sing our song?
I think
that God wants to give us each a song – one that celebrates the destiny of His
purposes in our life. One that tells the
story of His ways and means, of His faithfulness to both call and equip us to
do His will in the world. One that celebrates
what God has accomplished through simple obedience, as a result of our
willingness of heart and availability to Him – walking by faith, not by sight!
If there
is a lesson from Luke 1 it is the difference between responding in faith [Be it
unto me according to Thy Word] and responding in unbelief [You expect me to
believe that?]. Unbelief is always
a limiting factor to the plans of God.
It was even for Jesus, as he continued to encounter it later in his hometown!
But faith…
Simple
faith, taking God at His Word even though we wonder about the how, moves
mountains! As Gabriel said to Mary, “Nothing
shall be impossible to God!” (1:37)
Let us
consider our response to God, as He encounters us day by day. God is speaking – are we listening in faith
and obeying? Are we willing, available, AND
obedient?
Let us
pray:
115. for
the Coming of God’s Kingdom
Hasten, O
Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now
live by [obedient] faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in
glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
I am no longer my own, but thine.
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