The first few verses provide the dedication of this Gospel to Theophilus, Luke's sponsor. He then launches directly into the story of John the Baptist as the forerunner to the Messiah. The narrative seems to assume a rather limited idea of Israel and Judaism, along with some vague knowledge of Hebrew History. An educated reader can glean a great deal from the clues provided, and this Gospel clearly assumes such a reader. It also assumes a passing acquaintance with contemporary events from the viewpoint of a Roman official. Thus, the beginning is placed in the reign of Herod the Great.
There is a wealth of meaning here for someone more familiar with Jewish history and culture, but Luke wastes little time on such. Rather, he gives the pertinent facts to clarify just who Jesus is by telling about the birth and calling of His cousin, John. John's parents were of the priestly tribe, aged and childless, obviously an embarrassment. These were decent people, committed to living faithfully the best they knew of God's commands. The priestly service in Judaism was inherited, and by this time so many living priests could expect to serve as priest only rarely. In this case, during the course of service for his clan, this Zacharias drew the lot to offer incense in the Temple. This was a regular ritual with a large crowd in attendance in the Temple courtyard.
While inside, this man saw an angel. This was alarming to Zacharias. We get the feeling he expected this to signal something truly bad, perhaps a judgment from God. On the contrary, said the angel, this was a happy occasion. For Zacharias, it was to announce God was about to grant his request for a child. Better, it was to be a son, who must be named John. For Israel, whom Zacharias as priest represented in this ritual prayer by offering incense, this son was to be a catalyst for bringing repentance. Special ritual precautions were required for his upbringing, because from the very start this boy would be operating under the guidance of God's Spirit. Further, this son would be a fresh Elijah, the legendary prophet of old promised to return as herald of the Christ.
Zacharias would sound to Gentile ears a typical contentious Jewish man. This all sounded quite unlikely in his mind, and even to this angel he dared ask for some further proof. The angel revealed his identity as God's chief herald. Since Zacharias would not readily hear the promise of God, he would not be allowed to speak for a time.
All of this was taking quite a bit more time than the usual offering of incense, and the crowd in attendance at the prayer service were getting worried. When Zacharias finally came out, he couldn't offer the usual benediction. He couldn't speak at all, but was clearly agitated and making lots of hand signs. Eventually it was clear the old priest had seen some vision inside the Temple. When his term of service was completed, the man headed home in the hilly region of Southern Judea. Apparently he had faith enough in the message of this vision, because shortly after returning home, his wife became pregnant. She decided to keep it secret, savoring privately her maternal triumph, unlike the typical bragging Jewish woman. Time enough for others to find out when she could no longer hide it.
Six months later, this same angel showed up in another humble Jewish life. A good ways to the north, in a tiny village called Nazareth, a young woman was waiting for her espoused husband to claim her as his bride. It was well known Jewish custom provided a man would seal the deal for a wife well before he was in a position to live with her. She was legally bound in marriage to him, and must remain chaste. Meanwhile, the typical delay was the man went away to build a home for her and the future family. So this Mary was biding her time in her parent's home while waiting for her husband Joseph to proclaim a wedding feast in their new house.
It becomes critical here to note Scripture makes very little of Mary's virginity. The thrust of Isaiah's prophecy was more about the time it would take for a virgin to get married, bear a child, and wean it. Paul hardly says much about it, and the other Gospels give it far less space than Luke does. In this account, Luke emphasizes not Mary's estate, but the central involvement of the Holy Spirit. Frankly, nobody much is going to believe her claim, and it exposes her to public shame to accept this role. The Bible says it bluntly; we are obliged to believe it. However, it is hardly a central tenet of the teaching. It won't somehow destroy the grace of God if we refrain from making that fact a part of every mention of Jesus.
Mary is hailed as the select woman of her nation for a special task. There is nothing here about Mary's greatness, but of the greatness of that task. Naturally, a young virgin who had not yet left her parents' home could hardly comprehend what she might do that would be so important to God. Gabriel tells her she's going to do the same thing just about every woman has done, having a child, but this one would be special. He would be named Jesus, be called "Son of God," and would take the legendary Throne of David permanently -- indeed, forever. Even for a Gentile, this echoes of ancient legends and promised saviors common to many cultures. It was a common motif in various national legends.
Mary's only question was what she needed to do to get pregnant, since she could not legitimately bear anybody's child just yet. Gabriel's answer was not descriptive, but a reassurance God would handle the details. Luke's point here is simple: God did it, not man. Further, this was connected to other miraculous events. Mary's own cousin, Elizabeth was already six months pregnant with her first child, much to the joy and relief of all. God can do anything He wants, obviously. This was good enough for Mary, and she bowed herself readily to God's will.
People looking for things to paint "sacred" will find much here to satisfy their lusts. Meanwhile, they will completely miss the thrust of Luke's writing. God didn't suddenly decided He loved Nazareth more than His Temple in Jerusalem. Both were just places on the ground, and on maps drawn by men. The place didn't matter, and the people involved weren't somehow superior to others in that time and place. One priest out of thousands, chosen on the basis of God's purpose, was poorly qualified enough he had to be struck dumb for awhile because he argued with an angel, of all things. His very averageness was critical to the story. The same goes for the young gal in Nazareth. Her primary virtue was willingness to suffer embarrassment for something she hardly understood, except as shadowy prophecies from centuries before. These were ordinary people pulled into the pivotal moment in God's plans. It was the presence and work of the Holy Spirit which made it all so extraordinary.
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By Ed Hurst
31 May 2008
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