Luke 1: 5-15 "The Real Christmas Gift"

The Day's End 12-19-13 (The True Christmas Gift) from The Day's End on Vimeo.

A Homily adapted from a sermon by Robert Austell

Advent is meant to be a time in which we prepare both for Christmas and for Jesus’ return. I think for many of us, this can be one of the most hectic times of the year. Kids are in special programs at school and at church. There are Christmas parties of all kinds – with the office, neighbors, friends and family. There is shopping to be done, and many us will travel. All of these activities have their special place in the season, but today let’s look at the Gospel in a way that may challenge us to try something a little different this year.

Today’s Gospel speaks of the story of a miracle pregnancy – not Mary’s, but that of her cousin, Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth were also in a busy time of year. Zechariah was a priest, and as was the custom, rotated through various duties at the Temple. At this particular time, he was scheduled to offer the, “Incense Offering” inside of the Temple. This high honor typically only happened to a particular priest once or twice in a lifetime. It was the closest an ordinary priest would come to the presence of the Lord in the Holy of Holies. The people would have been at worship in the Temple courtyards while this offering was going on.

It was there that Zechariah had a vision of an angel, who came with news from the Lord. “Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were going to have a baby.” Like Sarah and Abraham before them, Zechariah and Elizabeth were past child-bearing age, and Elizabeth had been unable to conceive when they were younger. She was barren, an emotional and challenging thing in any place and time, but particularly so in a culture where children and family were so very important.

In fact, having many children was part of the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and to be barren was especially difficult for a couple who were “heirs” of that promise. And like Abraham and Sarah before him, Zechariah fearfully recognized the angel for who he was, but found the message unrealistic. And this was no hazy promise of one day having a child. This was a full-on vision and promise with details including the baby’s name, calling, and future. He was to be called John, be raised under strict guidelines, and promised to be a prophet like Elijah. And Zechariah asked the question any of us probably would have asked, “How can this be?” (Or, we might add, “Are you sure you’ve got the right guy?”)

Now here is where a miraculous story gets even more interesting.

Because Zechariah asked how he would know this for certain, the angel (Gabriel) told him that he would be unable to speak until the baby was born. Gabriel attributes this action to Zechariah’s unbelief, but the muteness is not a punishment, but a SIGN that God was at work. Let’s take a moment and ponder the meaning and usefulness of that sign, and then a corresponding decision made by Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth. Zechariah asked for a sign. He said, “How will I know this for certain?” As if an angel appearing with a word from God wasn’t enough… and the answer he got was silence.

SO, was being struck with an inability to speak, “the sign?”

Or did being silent allow him the quiet and reflection to recognize God at work? 

In the case of Zechariah, I think being made mute was itself the sign; but I think it also afforded him the opportunity to really ponder God’s word to him through the angel. It probably slowed him down and gave him a lot more opportunity to listen since that was all he could do. What about your life? Has God provided opportunity for you to really listen to him? Or maybe it’s not something God has caused, but nonetheless invites you to make use of… an illness, some time off between jobs, a broken down car. The point here isn’t so much the specific sign, as it is taking the time to listen to God. Zechariah needed to listen and give attention to God because God had spoken and God was acting, and those things are true for us as well.

God has spoken and is speaking all the time.

And God has acted and is acting in and around us all the time!

But Are We paying attention? (Pause)

There is a second example in the Gospel for us of someone paying attention to God. After Elizabeth became pregnant, she “kept herself in seclusion for five months.” Now, our minds might be quick to think that a pregnant woman in seclusion means shame or embarrassment, but look at Elizabeth’s reasoning. She is anything but shamed.  The Gospel reads: “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.” Her barrenness was shame to her; her pregnancy was the Lord’s blessing.

Whereas Zechariah’s voice was taken away from him without a choice, as a sign, and then allowed him to ponder the promise of the Lord, I believe that Elizabeth made a conscious choice to be still and wait on the Lord. She withdrew to receive the favor and blessing the Lord had promised to her. Certainly the pregnancy also served as a very real and tangible sign to her of the Lord’s promise. But, her solitude afforded her the opportunity to really ponder what the Lord was doing, and was going to do, through this miraculous birth.

Today’s Gospel can give us a special lesson as well, as we look forward to Christmas – the celebration of the arrival of Jesus into the world. Whether silence and solitude has been your active choice or not, we should make time this Christmas season to pay attention to God. We should Pace ourselves; prioritize; and if we have to, just say ‘no’ in order to have some moments of quiet reflection, listening for what God is saying and doing in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. As important as the once-in-a-lifetime offering in the Temple was, God was doing something even more important with Zechariah and Elizabeth. As important as Christmas parties, decorating, shopping, and travel are, don’t miss what God is also doing.

I can’t think of any more important thing each of us could do this Christmas season than to seriously make some space in our life for silence and solitude before the Lord. It may be in the quiet of Holy Communion in just a few moments. It may be taking the family on a drive to the mountains to get the tree, or taking some time to read the Christmas story to your kids. It may be in the car in the parking lot at the mall, taking 5 minutes to pray before jumping into the fray. It may even be stopping by the adoration room to just be in his presence. Zechariah and Elizabeth were privileged to bear and raise the last great prophet who announced the arrival of God into the world. Their preparation and contemplation of that blessing and honor came through paying attention to what God was saying and doing.

God is also inviting each one of us to participate in what He is doing.

Our paying attention to God this Christmas season not only prepares us for a real and meaningful experience of Christmas, but also for serving God in that special way that we were uniquely created for.

And for all of us who look for, and can see, God in the events and people who surround us,

We will truly find,

the Real… Christmas Gift…. indeed!