An Archangel’s Attitude

Traveling from the Old to the New Testament

06/23/2022

Lk 1:57-66 When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

Today’s gospel tells us how Zechariah got his voice back and named his son “John”. But do you remember how he had lost his voice in the first place? He didn’t lose it cheering loudly for the Hogs. He questioned the archangel about how his elderly wife could conceive and have a child. Now, Mary had also questioned the angel about how she could conceive being too young, but without losing her voice. Instead, she sang the Magnificat, and glorified God with her voice and suffered no punishment. What’s the diff? I have a little theory about the difference in the archangel’s attitude toward Zachariah and Mary. Would you like to hear it? Well, you’re about to.

First let me set the social stage. Zechariah was serving in the Jerusalem Temple, and offering incense in the Holy Place, one of the most prestigious actions a Jewish priest could perform. In a sense, Zechariah was at the peak of Jewish society. Mary, on the other hand, was on the lowest rung of the social ladder. She was a woman (strike one), she was very young (strike two), and she was unmarried (strike three) and you’re out of high society. Zechariah was at the peak and Mary was in the pits of first-century social circles.

Now notice the attitude of the archangel toward both of these unlikely saints. When Zechariah questions Gabriel, the archangel responds with authority and rebuke: “I am Gabriel who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk…because you did not believe my words.”

We see quite a contrast in Gabriel’s attitude and answer to Mary, who also doubts and questions. In her case, the archangel respectfully says: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” In other words, Gabriel should have shown more respect toward Zechariah, the priest, and been more punitive toward Mary, who had no social standing. Why this curious contrast in the attitude of the archangel?

The answer, I believe, lies in the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament represents the old creation. In the original creation, angels ranked higher than men and women. So if you dared to question the authority of an angel, you were put in your place. Like if you question a police officer who pulls you over, your ticket will be worse. He ranks above you in terms of the law. Not so in the New Testament.

In the new creation that hierarchy is turned upside-down, and human beings rank higher than angels. And who is “Exhibit A” of the new creation of the New Testament? Mother Mary is, who was conceived without sin in the womb. When the angel is talking to Mary, it’s like a boy scout talking to the Queen of England. In other words, the archangel’s attitude went from being a police officer to being a boy scout. Gabriel had not only traveled from Jerusalem to Nazareth, he had crossed over from the Old Testament to the New Testament. And that made all the difference in the world.

My friends, there is a very important lesson we can learn from the attitude of the archangel. That is, are we still stuck in the old creation of the Old Testament, or have we traveled that long road to the new creation of the New Testament? In other words, what is our attitude toward people? Sometimes we judge people by their social standing: are they wealthy, are they beautiful or handsome, are they successful, talented or powerful? We are quick to show great respect and deference to people of high social standing.

But if we find people who are poor and homeless (strike one), or they are uneducated or unkempt (strike two), or they are awkward and socially inept (strike three), they’re out. We avoid them, or worse, we belittle them. When we do that, we are still stuck in the old creation of the Old Testament, where angels act like police officers and we fear them and obey them, and we look down on those below us.

But if we travel like Gabriel from the old to the new, we see things differently. Those we may think at first sight are the nobodies of the world may actually turn out to be the highest and holiest of the saints in heaven. Every day at 12 noon, we pray the Angelus while the church bells ring. We say: “The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.” When we say that, we should remember the attitude of that archangel toward Mary, and see people and treat people accordingly.

Praised be Jesus Christ!