“The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.

Luke 1:19-20

What would it be like to be unable to speak for nine months? This is the challenge that Zechariah faced because of his disbelief. Nine months of being unable to speak to his wife, Elizabeth. Nine months of being unable to communicate easily with his neighbors and friends. It is likely that for those nine months, Zechariah would not have been able to serve as a priest in the temple because of his muteness.

Zechariah had a few options for handling his inability to speak. The first option was to be angry with God. The sudden onset of muteness took away his ability to speak, fully engage in his relationship with others, and participate in the temple. His identity as a husband and priest was, in some ways, challenged by his inability to speak. Zechariah could express anger with God.

The second option would be to see this discipline as an ‘extreme example of divine grace.’ I imagine that the longer Zechariah was mute, the deeper his conversations with God were. The more he saw Elizabeth’s pregnancy advance, the more his faith increased. The writer of Hebrews says,

“God disciplines the ones he loves…”

God’s discipline of those God loves is not meant to be punitive but meant to nudge us back onto the path of discipleship and complete surrender and dependence on God. When Zechariah could speak again, his overflowed into praise and worship of God, who is faithful and who is with us.

Maybe you are experiencing what feels like divine punishment- could it be divine grace? Is God nudging you back into a right relationship? We each have a choice to make, to become angry with God, or to surrender our lives to God and trust that God is with us.

God,
Thank you for the discipline that you show us
Because you love us.
Help us to surrender daily to your will.
Give us the strength to trust you and to follow your ways.
Amen.