Marginal Christianity

Exposition Gabriel’s annunciation of Jesus’ birth to Mary parallels his announcement of John’s birth to Zechariah with some significant differences. The man, Zechariah, is a highly-placed and respected religionist in Israel. Jesus’ mother, Mary, is a peasant girl of no account. He works in Jerusalem. She lives in out-of-the-way Nazareth. Yet her child is the greater of the two announced to be born. He and his wife are too old and have failed sexually to bear a child. She is too young and has not had sex. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child’s birth is marvelous. Mary’s is miraculous (“virgin” 2x in v.27). Zechariah could not get over his doubts to accept the news of his son’s birth-to-be. Mary believes the angelic announcement enough to say “yes” to it. Luke’s story moves in a downward-outward direction, away from the center and the Temple. This reversal theme is prominent in Luke and it is well to be alerted to it early on. Mary’s father has agreed to her marriage to Joseph. The b...

Exposition Zechariah is at his appointed duty to offer incense in the temple. This is the Tamid service (1: 8– 10), at which sacrifice for the forgiveness of the people were offered twice each day. The “whole assembly” is gathered in prayer outside. Luke pictures the chosen people acting in obedience to the Lord (vv.8-10). While at his service an angel, Gabriel as it turns out (v.19), appears announcing to him the birth of a son through his up-till-now barren wife Elizabeth. As is usual in these kinds of appearances, fear is the (appropriate) human response. But the angel’s news is good news. A son is coming to this couple! Zechariah’s prayers have been answered (like Isaac, Gen.25:21). The angelic announcement is also similar to that made to Abraham (Gen.17:19). This puts this episode within the story-line Luke is tracing for his readers. As Garland put it: “Divine intervention in the lives of this couple is divine intervention for Israel. Their personal prayers have meshed...

Exposition A faithful priestly family, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were living faithfully - “righteous before God” (v.6), that is, within the story line that governs Luke’s account. He carefully situates them in this story within the history of the world going around them. God’s work is this world, in this world, and for this world – “in the days of King Herod of Judea” (v.5). “Righteous” means living in right relation to God and for right relations in the world God created. Far from a stuffy, priggish, rule-keeping fetish, righteousness is the freedom to live for God and from his good order and intentions for his world. Just one problem: Elizabeth was barren! A curse from the world’s point of view, though from the story line of divine promise from which Luke worked, just where she needed to be. A barren “mother” of Israel, Elizabeth takes her place alongside Sarah (Gen.11:30), Rebekah (Gen.25:21), Rachel (Gen.29:31), and Hannah (1 Sam.2:5), as those who received from God new l...

The Book of the Twelve for Lent 2016 The Refiner’s Fire – Zechariah (2) “This third I will put into the fire;     I will refine them like silver     and test them like gold. They will call on my name     and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’     and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”                                                                                                    ...

The Book of the Twelve for Lent 2016 The Branch – Zechariah (1)           Twenty years after the return from exile in Babylon we meet the prophet Zechariah. A contemporary of Haggai, he like his fellow prophet focused on the rebuilding of the temple. This iteration of the temple, to avoid the fate of its predecessor must keep the vision of life of the Torah front-and-center. “ And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah:   “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’” (7:8-10). “ The rebuilt temple will make God’s return concrete.  Even more, though, the call to live with trust in God and God’s message in Torah (and not trust in idols), and to practice justice, mercy, and kindness, especially toward vulnerable members of the community (and not ga...