Introduction

The four "stories" that make up this unit are well known to most Christians, since they are part of the weekly Scripture readings in the weeks leading up to Christmas. While such readings provide a powerful sense of solidarity as we reflect together on the goodness and mercy of God during the season, they unfortunately also frame our minds to think of these as four stories; largely to be understood as the historical fact underlining the gospel story. But Luke is an amazing story teller, and he seems to have structured them, and probably intends us to read them, quite differently.

The four episodes form two pairs of similarly structured stories; the first pair consists of the stories of the pronouncements of the births of John (vv5-25) and Jesus (vv26-38) while the second pair consists of the stories leading up to the declarations of praises to God (vv39-56 and 57-80). The two pairs, however, are also arranged symmetrically:

A. Zechariah - Elizabeth - John, vv 5-25

B. Mary - Jesus, vv 26-38

B'. Mary - Praise, vv 39-56

A'. Zechariah - Elizabeth- Praise, vv 57-80

That, however, is not where the symmetry ends, because the two first two parts, the prophecy of the birth of John and the prophecy of the birth of Jesus are also paralleled; notice the similarities between them:

1. In the greetings - both are greeted with assurance of having found favour with God:

Zechariah: Do not be afraid . . . your prayers has been heard, v13a

Mary: you are highly favoured! (v28), do not be afraid (v30).

2. In their initial response - both were surprised, perplexed:

Zechariah: he was startled and gripped with fear , v12.

Mary: Mary was greatly troubled at his words, (v29).

3. In the prophecy of the birth of a son:

Zechariah: Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son . . ., v13b.

Mary: You will be with child and give birth to a son . . ., v31a.

4. In the command to name the child:

Zechariah: You are to give him the name John, v13c.

Mary: You are to give him the name Jesus, v31b.

5. In the prophecy of their role in God's plan:

Zechariah: He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, v14-17.

Mary: He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end, v32-33.

6. In their puzzlement how the prediction could be:

Zechariah: How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years, v18.

Mary: How will this be since I am a virgin?, v34.

7. In the angel's explanation:

Zechariah: I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time, v19-20.

Mary: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God , v35-37.

If they are similar in so many ways, the two stories are also diametrically different. In one, Zechariah was the most visibly important person of the day, the priest going before God to offer up incense and prayers on behalf of the nation. It was probably also one of the most important days of his career as a priest (see the commentary on v8-9). As a priest of long standing he would have been well versed in all the mysteries of God's working. He would have counselled many about faith in God. Yet bruised by years of his own unanswered prayer for a son, his circle of faith had closed in on him bit by inconspicuous bit over the years. We would not have known just from the flow of the recorded conversation that he was a doubting priest, except that Luke had also recorded the angel's response, ". . . you did not believe my words" and he was struck dumb. On this day, when God finally sent an angel to announce His favour to him, his circle of faith had shrunk so small, though upright and blameless he may be, there wasn't enough room for the angel to stand in. Mary, on the other hand, was a young woman and on this day we are not even told what she was about; she was of no importance. She would have sat quietly, listening, rather than speaking if a discussion about the workings of God was going on. She may put her arms around someone in doubt but she would not have offered her counsel. Yet the circle of her faith was broad and open. She had plenty of room for God's angel to speak. "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." So, what is the circle of our faith? Is there room for an angel to stand if God would send one to us today?