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Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke
blessing God. Luke 1:64
This line reveals the happy conclusion to Zechariah’s initial
failure to believe in what God revealed to him. Recall that nine
months earlier, as Zechariah was fulfilling his priestly duty of
offering sacrifice within the Holy of Holies in the Temple, he
received a visit from the glorious Archangel Gabriel, who stands
before God. Gabriel revealed to Zechariah the good news that his
wife would conceive in her old age and that this child would be the
one to prepare the people of Israel for the coming Messiah. What an
incredible privilege that would have been! But Zechariah
disbelieved. And as a result, the Archangel struck him mute for the
nine months of his wife’s pregnancy.
The punishments of the Lord are always gifts of His grace.
Zechariah was not punished out of spite, or for punitive reasons.
Instead, this punishment was more like a penance. He was given the
humbling penance of losing his ability to speak for nine months for
a good reason. It appears as if God knew that Zechariah needed nine
months to silently reflect upon what the Archangel had said. He
needed nine months to ponder his wife’s miraculous pregnancy. And
he needed nine months to ponder who this child would be. And those
nine months produced the desired effect of a full conversion of
heart.
After the child was born, it was expected that this firstborn son
would be named after the father, Zechariah. But the Archangel had
told Zechariah that the child was to be named John. Therefore, on
the eighth day, the day of his son’s circumcision when he was
presented to the Lord, Zechariah wrote on a tablet that the baby’s
name was John. This was an act of faith and a sign that he had
fully turned from disbelief to belief. And it was this act of faith
that undid his prior doubt.
Every one of our lives will be marked by failures to believe on the
deepest level of faith. For that reason, Zechariah is a model for
us of how we are to deal with our failures. We deal with them by
allowing the consequences of past failures to change us for the
good. We learn from our mistakes and move forward with new
resolutions. This is what Zechariah did, and this is what we must
do if we wish to learn from his good example.
Reflect, today, upon any sin you have committed that has had
painful consequences in your life. As you ponder that sin, the real
question is where you go from here. Do you allow that past sin, or
lack of faith, to dominate and control your life? Or do you use
your past failures to make new resolutions and decisions for the
future so as to learn from your mistakes? It takes courage,
humility and strength to imitate the example of Zechariah. Seek to
bring these virtues into your life this day.
Lord, I know I lack faith in my life. I fail to believe
all that You speak to me. As a result, I often fail to put
Your words into action. Dear Lord, when I suffer as a result
of my weakness, help me to know that this and all suffering can
result in giving glory to You if I renew my faith. Help me,
like Zechariah, to return to You always, and use me as an
instrument of Your manifest glory. Jesus, I trust in You.
Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.com
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Featured image above: The Birth and Naming of St John the
Baptist by Barent Fabritius, via Städel Museum, Frankfurt am
Main
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