Today I sat down to read Luke’s account of the first Christmas and the announcement of the coming birth of the world’s messiah. Luke begins with the account of Zechariah and the angel Gabriel’s visit to him to announce he will father the messiah’s predecessor, John the Baptist. Luke then records Gabriel’s visit to Mary to tell of her favored position and that God had chosen her to bear the messiah in his incarnation.
I was struck by their similar responses to Gabriel but with rather different results.
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”
Luke 1:18 LSB
34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:34 LSB
Zechariah’s response was “How will I know?”
Mary’s response was “How will this be?”
Then both point to their circumstances and ask how these births can occur in their unique situation. Zechariah points to his and Elizabeth’s barrenness and advanced age, Mary to her virginity.
Zechariah is rebuked and struck mute by Gabriel for his question, unable to speak until John is born. On the other hand, when Mary asks a similar question, Gabriel simply answers her and then leaves.
”How will I know?” versus “How will this be?”. What’s the big difference that causes such different reactions from Gabriel?
As I look at Zechariah’s question closely, his question is about the certainty of what he’s been told. How will I KNOW what you’ve said will come to pass? It has a foundation of unbelief. It is asking for some further sign or proof. It presupposes the messenger of God himself is not proof enough for him to trust and believe. This is the essence of Gabriel’s response – “How will you know? Because I am Gabriel, an angel that stands in the presence of God! I’ve been sent by Him to tell you this! Is this not enough for you?”
I compare that question with Mary’s similar question, but her’s portrays a rather different heart. “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” I see at the core of her response is a certainty – there is no question that the “this” is true and sure and dependable. She believes the “this”; she is not questioning Gabriel’s message. Her’s is a “how” question, a legitimate one only about how it will happen, not whether it will happen. She needs no further sign of the validity of what Gabriel has told her. I’m sure any young lady in her position, unmarried and a virgin, when told she was going to bear a son, would rather naturally be concerned with how that is to be accomplished. Gabriel sees she is by no means questioning his trustworthiness in the message, she’s only asking about the logistics given the circumstances. So he answers her question directly, she responds with her famous “let it be to me as you have said” and he leaves.
The point I take from all this is it is not so much about the words we use as their questions are somewhat similar, but it is all about the heart behind the questions. We can ask questions of the Lord that come from a heart of unbelief, and we can ask questions of the Lord that come from a heart of belief and trust. Asking questions of God is not the issue, the heart behind the questions is.
We too have been given messages and promises from the Lord contained in our Bibles. We too can ask “but how can I know this is true” type questions, and I’m reminded of Jesus’ oft-repeated answer, “Have you not read?”. I need to see that the question back to me in these times is “is my written Word not enough for you?” I can imagine Gabriel going “He wrote it in a book He has preserved for you through the ages to read it for yourself!!”
I’m also reminded when tragedy strikes and the inevitable “why” questions arise, we can go to God and ask “why” in ways that show we do not trust him; we question his character, his motives, his plan in allowing this. Or we can go to him with our “why” questions with a heart that still fully trusts in His good character, his love for us, his good plan though currently painful – as we try to see the purpose in our current suffering but without doubting Him. Huge difference. It is the heart of Job when, after all that tragically happened to him, said:
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:
Job 13:15a KJV