Wednesday December 20, 2017
Why are Mary and Zechariah treated differently? Both had doubts about the viability of God’s plan, but only one is punished. Did God have a soft spot for Mary? Perhaps the answer lies in each one’s personal context. Zechariah was a priest and he belonged to a priestly family. Elizabeth came from a priestly clan as well. Surely, they should be familiar with the strange and surprising ways of God. At their age one would expect them to be wiser. Both were married, open, and desirous of begetting a child. Moreover, the angel appeared to Zechariah in an ambience where one would expect to encounter God—in prayer, in the Sanctuary of the Lord. Now look at Mary: a little girl, young and raw, who has not begun a married life where one normally plans for children. She possibly came from a peasant family of humble origin, with no claims of scholarship in Sacred Scripture.
Though we like to present Mary on her knees praying when the angel appeared to her, we have no supportive evidence in Scripture. Most probably the angel met her in the midst of her daily chores, catching her by surprise.
No wonder, God had a soft spot for Mary. For her doubts were honest and sincere. So was her faith as well.
