Silenced by God Luke 1

11.30.03 - Silenced by God (Luke 1:5-23)

Silenced by God
Luke 1:5-23
November 30, 2003 (First Sunday in Advent)
St. John United Methodist Church
David Beckett, D.Min.

STORY/EXEGESIS

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah.

[Priests were from the tribe of Levi, the ones chosen to lead Israel in worship and sacrifices.]

His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. {6} Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. {7} But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

[Sound familiar? Remember Abraham and Sarah who were childless and old?]

{8} Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, {9} he was chosen by lot,

according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense.

[Priests were divided into 24 sections, and each group served twice a year for a week at the temple. A list was compiled of those priests who had never been chosen to enter the sanctuary, and lots were cast to determine which priest would have the honor. This honor normally came only once in a lifetime.]

{10} Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole

assembly of the people was praying outside. {11} Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. {12} When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.

[Follows a standard pattern: 1. Appearance of angel; 2. Response of fear; 3. Divine message; 4. An objection; 5. Giving of a sign to guarantee divine announcement.]

{13} 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. {14} You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, {15} 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. {16} He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. {17} 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." {18} 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." {19} 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. {20} 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."

{21} Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah,

and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary.

[It was customary for the priest, after burning incense to come out and bless the people. He wasn’t supposed to linger in the sanctuary.]

{22} When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. {23} When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

WHAT DOES THIS STORY HAVE TO SAY TO US TODAY?

{6} Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. {7} But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

[Who says God can’t use us when we are old? If our focus is what is happening in the present there is no better time for us to be alive than RIGHT NOW! We remember and celebrate what God did in the past. We pray for kingdom of God to come in the future. But God is to be experienced in the present moment.]

{10} Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole

[FEAR. Why do you suppose an encounter with God creates fear?

Bible says God is love. Have you ever been afraid of love? I have.]

{13} 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

[Advent is a time to prepare, to ready ourselves for the coming of the Lord.]

{18} 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." {19} 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.

[Zechariah gives a very human response, an excuse of sorts. God comes to us and says,"I am going to do a mighty work in your life. I’m going to love you and give you the ability to share this love with others. I’m going to offer you real freedom and wholeness of life." And what do we do? Out come the excuses...."But Lord, I want your love but don’t ask me to share it with the poor. God, I can’t bring myself to give 10% to you. Pray? You want me to pray every day?

Zechariah has his excuse, "I am old." The response is "I am Gabriel."

All of our excuses, no matter how important they seem to us, pale in the light of God’s message of new life. "I am God."]

{20} 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."

[Consequences in not believing. Silence.

When we don’t believe...when we don’t trust God...we can’t speak a word of faith.

Do we believe in God? Do we believe in such a way that our words and our actions are speaking to this community the message that Christ is alive, that God is real?]

{21} Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah,

and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. {22} When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak.

[You have heard it said that there are two sides to every coin. With a blessing also may come a curse. With a joy there may also be a sadness. In our state of disbelief and mistrust of God there is the curse of silence, but there is also a blessing. In the silence we have room to ponder, to contemplate, to wonder about God.

One of the junior salesmen in the office arrived two hours late for work and was asked pointedly, why. Sheepishly, he explained that he and his wife had been arguing the previous night. "If you can't speak to me nicely, you shouldn't speak to me at all!" he had yelled at her. Then he spent the night on the sofa.

The next morning he awoke to find the sun high, the house quiet and his wife long gone to work. A note on the coffee table beside him said, "Bryan, it's time to wake up."

What is it that will silence you this Advent? Belief? Or Unbelief?

In the midst of our disbelief and mistrust we cannot speak the powerful words of love. We are silenced by God. May this time of Advent be a time to be still and quiet so that we may create a space deep within our hearts, a little place that can never be filled with Christmas presents, but a place that can only be filled with the Christmas child.

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