Marginal Christianity

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...

My FB friend Bobby Grow and I are thinking along the same line tonight (see his post at http://growrag.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/schooled-in-the-faith-of-christ-thomas-torrance-responds-to-rachel-held-evans-questioning-approach/ ).   Great minds think alike? :-)   I want to come at what I take to be our similar concern from another direction.   He takes on the matter of what constitutes proper questioning of God.   I will look at another facet of the matter here.   I have a growing concern that a certain recklessness in questioning God is becoming our default mode of relating to him.   From the Garden of Eden on the central issue between God and humanity was/is the latter inability/unwillingness to trust God.   Even for those who follow Jesus this remains our central struggle.   God accommodates this weakness by allowing us to vent and rage at him, call him terrible names, and hurl all manner of vile accusation against him (see Job and Lamen...