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| Bear Tooth Mountain, Montana |
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
The appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to Zechariah marked the end of a very long silence. The last of the Hebrew prophets had died centuries before, and the Jews courageously carried on without their guidance. Rabbis in the synagogues of Asia, Africa, and Europe reflected on the Hebrew Torah, and other histories, psalms, sages, and prophets; and began writing the Talmud. But few expected divine apparitions in the synagogue or temple.
So Zechariah was more than surprised at the appearance of Gabriel. He probably supposed he was going daft in his old age. And then the Apparition's promise of a son to be born? I don't think so. Who could believe what we have heard?
Saint Luke has described the setting. It sounds pretty routine:
Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
That he was "chosen by lot" tells us he had not won the privilege by his leadership, talents, or clever manipulations of the system. His colleagues believed God's will was revealed by lots -- which were something like our dice or a roulette wheel -- but many other Levites had won the same privilege. It might be God's will, or it might be luck; if priests used lots to discern God's will, soldiers used them for gambling. Zechariah knew that as well as anyone.
Nevertheless, there was the Angel standing by the altar and speaking to him!
The story of our Salvation begins inauspiciously. The Angel's appearance to Mary, his dream appearance to Joseph; the birth of the Lord in a manger, outside of insignificant Bethlehem, even the appearance of angels to the shepherds, and the child's presentation in the temple: none of these cause an uproar. Only the madness of King Herod could suspect something major is afoot, and he completely missed their importance.
Only the faithful can appreciate Gabriel's appearance to Zechariah. If the world gets a little hysterical around Christmas, it's not like they see what's happening. They have no more insight than Herod.
But we come quietly to Bethlehem with the shepherds and the magi, to see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And like the Beloved Disciple, we see and believe.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.