In the chronicles of Jesus' first advent are tucked two stories of angelic visits that have similar overtones but completely different results. Both stories are found in the first chapter of Luke, and both involve an angel named Gabriel delivering messages of miraculous occurrences to two separate people.
First, of the priest named Zechariah, Luke tells us (in Luke 1:5-20) that Gabriel broke the news to the aged priest that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son in spite of being in their older years, and that they were to name him John. John's assignment would be to prepare the way for the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.
Zechariah's response is a simple and completely understandable question:
How?
In Luke 1:26-38, Gabriel visits Mary to announce that she, a virgin, would conceive and bear a son. Her response to Gabriel, in a nutshell, is:
How?
Two people, visited separately by the same angel, offering the same question in response to the prophecy of the miraculous: How?
But Gabriel's response to each of them is quite different.
What if Gabriel silenced Zechariah not as some kind of punishment, but because that was the most compassionate way to respond to Zechariah in this season of his life?
Zechariah's story reminds me that God is incredibly patient!
Connect, read more, listen in, give feedback, or partner to support this podcast at WalkHumble.com.
Get full access to Walk Humble at www.walkhumble.com/subscribe
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.