Luke 1:5-25

It was Zechariah’s big day. His name was drawn to go into the temple and burn incense at the altar. He would be only one veil away from the Holy of Holies. Geographically speaking, this is as close to God’s Presence as he was ever going to get.

Once inside the temple, Zechariah meets an angel named Gabriel. Gabriel tells him that his prayers have been answered. He and Elizabeth are going to have a son. Israel’s prayers have also been answered. God is on the move. God is getting ready to take action and redeem his people and Zechariah’s son is going to play a major role in it all.

This moment was God’s response to countless prayers and years and years of waiting. The hopes and dreams of Israel, Zechariah, and Elizabeth are about to be fulfilled.

And Zechariah doesn’t believe it.

So Gabriel gives Zechariah an opportunity to reflect on all the alternative ways he could have responded to the good news by telling him that he will be silent until the baby is born.

This gets me to thinking . . .

What kind of people have the hardest time letting God be God? Religious people.

What kind of people are the most resistant to letting themselves be surprised by God? Those who think they are closer to God than everyone else.

What kind of people are the least willing let God go off and do something new and outrageous? Those who think they’ve got the ways of God all figured out.

What is God’s prescription for those who think they know what God can and can’t do?

Silence.

What does God say to those who think they have God all figured out.

Shut up and let me surprise you.

What does God say to those who have a hard time accepting what God is wanting to do in and around and through them?

Just be quiet and watch me work.

Advent is a time be quiet. It’s a time to practice the discipline of silence.

This is actually a discipline that comes in handy year round, because most Christians talk too much as it is. I grow weary of hearing people like me chattering on about what God thinks and intends and what God is doing or not doing or what God will do someday.

Usually our chatter is driven not by doubt, but by certainty. Zechariah’s expresses doubt about God’s plan because he’s certain that old people don’t go around having babies. We are so sure of what God can or can’t do or will or won’t do that we walk around speaking words of judgment when silence would be much better.

“God is in the hurricane.”
“God is not in the hurricane.”
“God healed you because you have faith.”
“You haven’t been healed because you lack faith.”
“You’re still single because God is displeased with you.”
“You lost your job because you sinned.”
“God allowed this to happen to you because . . .”

The reason we talk so much about these things is because we are arrogant enough to think we’ve got the ways of God all figured out.

One thing Jesus’ first coming made clear is that we don’t understand God nearly as well as we’d like to think. Jesus was full of surprises and those who thought they were closest to God were the ones who had the hardest time accepting what he was doing.

By practicing the discipline of silence, we are putting ourselves in a position of humility. Gabriel humbled Zechariah by forcing silence upon him. We have an opportunity this advent to humble ourselves.

When I’m intentionally silent, I’m still saying something. I’m saying that I don’t know it all, and that I don’t have it all figured out, and I’m going to keep my mouth closed and let God surprise me.

Advent is about waiting on God to do something wonderful, something unexpected, something so surprisingly beautiful that it will take our breath away (and maybe even our words).