How Can This Be?

 How Can This Be?

Fourth Sunday of Advent

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Luke 1:34-37

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piety

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

  and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favor –

  me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

  because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

  his mercy lasts for generation after generation

  for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

  he has scattered the proud and conceited,

  torn princes from their thrones;

  but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

  the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

  he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,

  to Abraham and his children forever. Amen.

Study

How do people react to a message from God?

Yesterday, Melanie Rigney reflected on Zechariah and his reaction to the angel.   Today, we hear of Mary and her response. We will start both stories from the premise that the angel had nothing but Good News for them both.

However, is Zechariah’s question so very different from Mary’s that he deserved to be struck mute?  

Z: Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18)

M: But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I have no relations with a man?” (Luke 1:34)

I want to think that everyone from Pope Francis to Mother Theresa would react in the same fashion to Good News delivered by an angel sent by God.  “You are telling me what?  How can that possibly be?”

So, the questions do seem the same. However, Gabriel’s (and by connection God’s) reaction was quite different.  Melanie reminded us:   The angel of the Lord struck him speechless until his heart and soul and brain expand enough to be obedient. 

Why was Mary not treated the same way? Let’s look for hints in how Luke introduces us to each person in these stories. 

 

In Herod’s days, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. (Luke 1:5-7)

Looking back into the Tanakh (aka our Old Testament), we learn that Abijah descended from Eleazar, Aaron’s son, a chief of one of the twenty-four orders of the priesthood set up by none other than King David (1 Chr. 24:10). The priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel and Joshua, included Abijah’s order (Nehemiah 12:4; 17)

These facts make us realize that Zechariah was in the upper crust of society and married the high priest’s daughter. They were “righteous,” observing all commandments blamelessly. Why not merely rejoice and be glad for this Good News?  Despite all his education and reading and preaching on the Torah, Zechariah’s question and doubt springs forth from someone who should know better and what to expect of God.

On the other hand, Mary is introduced merely as a young virgin from the town of Nazareth.

 

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee. There Gabriel appeared to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1(26-27). 

From the genealogy notes in Matthew, we also know that she was marrying into
the priestly class because of Joseph’s connections.  However, she had not had the benefit of education yet for a young girl in ancient Palestine. 

 

Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan; Matthan, Jacob’s father; Jacob, the father of Joseph, Mary’s husband. Of her was born Jesus, who is called the Messiah. (Matthew 1:15-16)

Mary’s youth, inexperience, and simple upbringing in Nazareth set her dramatically apart from Zechariah’s learned leadership and higher education.  Perhaps that is why the angel entertained her question with patience. Zechariah probably should have known better or at least acted differently.  Do you have any other theories?

Action

The Bible overflows with stories about how people reacted to God.  Usually, the learned Pharisees, Sadducees, and high priests do not respond any better than Zechariah.

The genuinely memorable stories are NOT from those whom we would consider the “likely suspects.”  Nicodemus. The good Samaritan. The woman at the well. The Roman centurion. These and others make up the “Unlikely Suspects.”

In a matter of days, if not hours, Mary will deliver to the world her baby, and God will be with us. 

How would you react to any news that Gabriel brings you right from God? In our simplicity and inexperience, perhaps we will be able to be more Mary-like in responding.  

Let’s hope.

 

Image 1: by Jen Norton, The Sacred Art Gallery

Image 2: Henry Owassa Tanner