Blind Faith?

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”~Luke 1:34

 

 

 

 

               

 

 

 

 

Advent Blog; Day 9

Another little detail  that had previously escaped my attention  was bought up by the comparison s with Zechariah's reaction. Although his doubt cannot be condoned it was amazingly helpful as a reference point  for us to see what Mary did right and he, not so well.

Firstly we see that Zechariah questions Gabriel "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Verse 18) and is punished for his unbelief. (The term "punish" is, although an obvious conclusion, a speculatory one on my part). Firstly this seems to us a little harsh, or at least it does to me. It would be very easy to write Zechariah off because of his failing to rise to the dizzy heights of faith. I think there's way more to his reaction that we may yet understand him better and, possibly, identify with him a little more. It would be easy to conclude, also that the sin here is to question god. A simplistic reading would have us thinking 'God requires unquestioning blind faith and Zechariah failed to make the mark'. Lets leave Zechariah opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish at the steps of the temple and Go, check on how Marys doing in her interview with an Angel.

So looking at the text, here in Luke's gospel, there are a couple of striking similarities between the two reactions to Gabriel. Both Mary and Zachariah are troubled by the angel. Both express, I use the word with caution in Mary's case, doubt. So how come the outcome is so different? I think we touched enough on that yesterday. Mary, ultimately responds in Faith. But is hers a blind faith? One that simply has no room for questions and will see nothing but the object of her faith?

I struggle with this model of faith that says there is no doubt, or no room for doubt. There you go, my cards are on the table. I once wrote in a poem the line, "Is doubt the hill that faith must climb?". In art we learnt first to draw negative spaces in order to define the spaces. This was to be a far more profound life lesson for me than any good it did me in the art room. When you draw what is not there, as if by magic, what is there becomes incredibly clear. I learnt this after a few hours of rigorously drawing the gaps between a pile of chairs. I didn't think it was going to work...but it did. Doubt defines faith and faith defines doubt. This is why I struggle with this kind of triumphalistic "name it and claim it" theology.

What did Mary do so right that Zechariah didn't quite get? Mary looks fully at the mountain. She is not saying "there is no mountain". She is saying "I am a virgin? So how is this going to work?!" Again taking the principle of negative space we can look at her reaction also by what she isn't saying! She is not saying that there is no way round this mountain! She is simply acknowledging its existence.

My mother went through some of these thorny issues as she battled cancer. All I can say is that sometimes "faith" and denial look very similar. Marys faith looks nothing like denial. I love that about her.

But hang on! Isn't that what Zechariah was doing? Listen he says 'How can I be sure of this? ' and Mary says 'How will this be?'. Not so dissimilar, surely? Why is Mary given a second crack of the whip, where old Zech, is summarily struck dumb?

Zechariah was old and had been praying for a child all his married life. He was a priest, a religious and faithful man. He is in the holy temple when an angel, THE main angel, appears to him and says God has heard your prayer and what you've asked for is going to come true. I hate to say it, and I dread to think how I would fare, but the most obvious thing that jumps out at me here is that Zechariah should have known better.
The second thing that Jumps out at me is that he is not asking how it will happen, as Mary is, He asks for proof. "How can I be sure of this?" He says. Well let me give you a hint, Zech, Gods top angel is standing before you in the temple of the God you have been serving all your life and knows about your prayer....enough to get you going, enough to stir your faith? I think possibly Old Zech was suffering from faith fatigue. He had possibly given up years ago. Disappointment potentially gripped him and impaired his vision. I speculate. Like I said the other day. Demanding proof is a sign of disbelief. Those in disbelief will not soften even when confronted with the proof they demand.

I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary allows questions but does not write God off. I am encouraged by that. In answer to her doubt Gabriel lays it down and she responds with phenomenal faith. Gabriel made it clear to Zechariah that what God says, will be and his message to Mary was 'no word from God shall fail'. I am so heartened by the result of both of these stories. The fantastic thing is that Gods word and promise to both the faithless Zechariah and the Faithful Mary comes true. Zechariah still, by the grace of God gets to participate in this promise but as one who pays a price. He limps across the finish line but still receives the prize. Mary flies through the tape to rapturous applause because her heart was huge and her faith was exemplary. God chose this amazing woman for the greatest honour of all human beings, the nurture and protection of the saviour of mankind. The greatest among women, we honour you, Mother Mary.