Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?” (Luke 1: 18) 

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and realized the other person wasn’t so much listening to you as waiting for their turn to speak?  

When I first read through this passage, I felt bad for Zechariah.  He had just received some incredible news from an angel, and then seconds later he is struck silent for not believing.  I can imagine being in his sandals as he first heard the angelic message, and then asking the obvious question, “Wait, are you sure?”  What I want to take away from this passage is next time an angel pops up to tell me something, smile, nod, and don’t ask too many questions.

But after reflecting more on what the angel said, I wonder if Zechariah wasn’t listening deeply to the message God was delivering.  I wonder if all he heard was, “You’re going to have a son” and then eagerly waited for his turn to speak.  Zechariah may have heard the words, but he missed what God was saying. And he certainly missed why God was acting.  

While Zechariah was going to get the son he always wanted, the angel’s message wasn’t about Zechariah. His son would be delivered to this world to prepare the way for the Messiah.  But after being silent for nine months, it’s clear Zechariah better understood what God was saying.  After declaring that his son must be named John, “his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.” God spoke but it took Zechariah’s silence for him to deeply hear God’s message.

 As I move past Christmas and into the new year, my first instinct is to go loud and proud, excited to start a new season.  I’m energized after hearing all about the birth of Jesus, and there’s no time like the first of January to declare a resolution to be better at something.  But this year, I’m going to resolve to do something different: I’m going to be quiet.  

What is God showing me? What is He telling me? Is there a new spot God wants for me? Or a direction God needs me to go? Maybe it’s somewhere I’ll need to lead? I will listen without pre-set expectations, without already planning my response.  I can be joyful in my anticipation of God’s message, but in my reflection, I’ll be careful to listen to why, remembering it’s always about Jesus.  

Join me this week in quiet reflection. Just listen. And listen without preconditions but with anticipation.  What is God telling you, and why is he saying it?