Readings Judges 13:2-7, 24-25
Luke 1:5-25
”He will bring joy and gladness to you
and many will rejoice at his birth.”
Today’s gospel
narrates to us the announcement of John’s birth, a thing, which even his father
Zechariah did not expect at all. But if ever Jesus himself calls John as
"the greatest man born of a woman," it is because his greatness
starts even from the moment of his conception. The birth of John gives us
these points for meditation.
1. John is God's choice. He is especially called by God to be
the herald of his Son. But John's calling,
being special, comes not, after his birth, but even before his birth. As if God
makes John because he is going to call him. And precisely so, because this is
the biblical pattern of God’s calling to his special envoys. The unexpected and
miraculous birth of John reminds us of Isaac (Gen 17-18) and Samson (Judges 13)
--- Both births - Isaac's and Samson's - aare announced by God's messengers to
parents who have been pleasing to the eyes of God. But their births must just
happen in a time when even their parents least expect these things to happen.
Isaac is given to Abraham and Sarah when they were already advanced in years.
Samson is given to the barren wife of Manoah --- These are the similar
circumstances that surround the birth of John. No doubt John is a man of God.
2. John is the
concrete reminder of how God remembers the Baptist’s father. Zechariah
means God remembers. Just like any
man, Zechariah’s desire to have a child must have been his normal expectation
when he took Elizabeth as his wife. His expectation must have been intense at
the early stage of his married life. But as days turned into weeks, weeks into
months, and months into years, that intense desire must have also little by
little turned into some frustrations and discouragements.
Desperate? Was
Zechariah really at the point of despair? Perhaps. His disbelief to the angel's
message seems to suggest how deep must have been Zechariah’s frustration. But not really. The way the gospel describes him as an upright man seems to suggest
too that his faith in God, though a little
weak and fragile, must have at least been stronger than the force of despair.
In fact, Zechariah did not resort to any displeasing protest, but to constant
prayer that God might hear his legitimate longing to be a real father. And by
his constant and consistent knocking at the
doors of God's mercy. God indeed remembers
him with kindness and love.
The messenger's greeting tells us so: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer is
heard.”
3. John is Elizabeth's savior. If a child is
man's greatest gift, to be without child is indeed a public disgrace. The
reason is not only cultural; it is deeply religious. A barren wife is a forgotten
child of heaven. She is deprived of heaven's
blessings. In fact, she is cursed. Thus, we understand how Sarah became so
tormented by the fact of being childless all through the years. The reason why
Hannah resorts to bitter tears was her being barren (cf 1Sam 1:6-8). This must
have been the sorrow of Elizabeth, too. Elizabeth must face the bitterness of
society's castrations if she remains childless forever. It is in this sense that
John becomes now the answer to Elizabeth’s present predicament. By John’s birth,
heaven is not completely closed, after all. And to the
poor Elizabeth, John's birth is indeed a saving act of God: "What
is the Lord doing for me! This is his time
for mercy and for taking away my public
disgrace."
4. The birth of John, therefore, is a breakthrough in many respects: "He will bring joy and gladness to you
and many will rejoice at his birth. “ -
- - On the part of God, John is the concreete proof of God’s love and compassion. A compassionate God could
not remain indifferent to the supplications of his servants. The prayer of a
just man is powerful indeed. It is the
strength of man and the weakness of God!
On the part of his human parents,
John is the fruit of their untiring prayer
and petitions to God. Although at one side Zechariah is portrayed with
disbelief, at the other side, however, we cannot help but sympathized with him as one like us He is weak, and yet, he
struggles a lot just to remain upright before God, So is the case of Elizabeth.
The holy old women in the Old Testament must
have inspired her so much. She takes her old
age not as a reason to regret, but as an occasion to be closer to her God. If
ever Zechariah became consistent all through the years, was because Elizabeth
was on his side.