And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. Luke 1:18-23
Zechariah was not disciplined by being made deaf. He was struck dumb.
This was no accident. God's discipline was a purposeful, calculated blessing. You heard me: a blessing. God's discipline is always a blessing.
First, Zechariah was prevented from speaking any more foolish doubts about the Word of God. That's a blessing. He had opportunity now to think over God's promises and learn to trust them instead of sounding off about what seemed reasonable by his own thinking. That's a blessing. It also prevented any distracting explanation about the vision of Gabriel until God fulfilled what was promised.
Not a few times following miracles Jesus asked people not to talk about what they saw because spiritually weak people are liable to make something sensational of it and end up obstructing the primary work of Christ. (Luke 5:14; 8:56; Mark 8:30; 9:9,30; Mt. 16:20)
Even today you hear fuss when a well-meaning but immature person claims to see an image of Jesus in a potato chip. Newspapers are sure to report "the giddy" going on a pilgrimage to visit a crying statue someplace. Not only bizarre things but quite ordinary things can divert attention away from the centrality of the Gospel.
That's why Zechariah was made dumb, not deaf. He was “talking over” God, and that's not good.
God has speech, gracious speech. He is the Word of Life. For the hearing of the Gospel we are given ears. But if the wagging of our own tongues, ungrounded assumptions about spiritual things, profane human opinions and popular theories about God interfere with hearing the Lord's plain Word of promise, such tongues are better off silenced.
Zechariah had not been convinced by God's great glad news. He wanted further substantiation. He wanted something more persuasive. He got it. He got his own tongue handed him. But God spared his ears.
That's what's really happening here, isn't it? Zechariah's ears failed him and his own tongue got in the way. He was making his own conclusions and having his own reason and doubt trump the Word of God. Years later the apostle Thomas did quite the same thing, dismissing the power and integrity of God's Word and refusing to believe the Easter declaration (John 20:27).
At such times, going speechless is a wonderful blessing. Instead of being in love with our own voice, we are blessed when God situates us to hear what we really need to hear.
Often Jesus said, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Each of the seven letters to the church recorded in Revelation culminates with the urging, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
The blessing in Zechariah's silence was that God's great Word prevailed. Elizabeth would have a child despite her husband's voiced skepticism. The Good News will prove and retain its supreme character without Zechariah's help or approval.
In the same way today, the Gospel doesn't need the eloquence of anyone. The liturgy of the Word, the Sacraments, and the announcement of absolution need none of the special effects or theatrical help so irresistible to those who love to show off. Much of modern church stagecraft has its roots right back with Zechariah. It doesn't help. It obstructs.
The beauty of the Gospel defies improvement. God's promises, as implausible or foolish as some make them, ARE true and seamless. The Word and water of baptism DO wash away sin. The body and blood of Christ ARE present in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion. The tongue of the pastor who comforts the repentant sinner, "Your sins are forgiven in the Name of Christ," speaks an impregnable Word that will never be trumped even in heaven.
Neither Zechariah or any of us must ever think the Word of God requires outside approval, polish, scientific interpretation, consensus, or sweetening, It only needs to be spoken! Gabriel's tongue served one purpose: the delivery of the glad tidings. We don't see Gabriel adding his own personal touch or flair, do we? We don't observe John the Baptist making his ministry and preaching flashy and flamboyant. Christ Himself never ever gave his ministry the air of cabaret?
Even within the distinctive persons of God Himself there is no innovation or novelty to fine-tune the Gospel. Even God the Holy Spirit strictly refrains from giving the message His own personal touch, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13) That being so, we then certainly haven't a syllable or a single vowel to add.
No, the glorious Word of life carries the day. The truth of sins forgiven and peace bestowed through the cross of Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end. The righteousness which comes as a pure gift received only through faith for the sake of Christ is flawless.
If losing his voice for a season striped Zechariah of his arguments against God's good news, I'd call that a blessing. If being struck dumb prepares one to rely on what God says instead of on human wisdom, then being dumb is a wonderful benefit.
God has much to say - and that's the real blessing.
Therefore, this Advent, let's heed Zephaniah's call, "Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near." (Zeph. 1:7)
Rejoice first that you have ears and that God blesses them with His Word. Then, and only then, may our tongues be loosed.
