Zachariah and Elizabeth were the power couple of their day. The B.C. Brad and Angelina. I wonder if people used to call them Zachabeth? I know we usually skip past these guys when we read the Christmas story and go straight for the main action with Mary and Joseph. But I cannot not stop to meditate on these two fascinating people recorded in Luke, Chapter 1. I believe they embody some crucial truths for us as we approach this holiday season.
Backstory: Their wedding would’ve been the most-talked about event of the year because Zachariah was born from a priestly line and he was betrothed to Elizabeth, who was from the infamous line of Aaron…the first ever God-appointed priest. The best marrying the best of the best. What would this couple achieve together? And what sort of superhuman children would they create? Surely God had something earth-shattering in store for them. The expectation would’ve been enormous, and the number of paparazzi even more.
However, as the wedding anniversaries added up, so did the speculation and scandal. This priestly powerhouse could not produce an heir. After years of countless pregnancy tests failing to manifest that 2nd pink line, it was obvious something was wrong. And by wrong, I mean, sinfully wrong. In the Jewish mindset of that time, the only explanation for God not blessing a union like Zachabeth with a baby was a shameful skeleton in a closet somewhere. The whispers swirling around Elizabeth would’ve been deafening. And Zachariah would’ve been fervently pressured by his mentors to divorce Elizabeth. It was acceptable by their law to do so. Even irresponsible not to. His priestly lineage depended upon it.
Disappointment is a sneaky cancer. At first we think we can brush it off, but it seeps into the cracks of our hearts and settles there. As time goes by, it invades our dreams and turns them into lead, forcing all our hopes to sink into pools of never-gonna-happen. Our souls grow heavy and our vision turns dim to the extent that even when an angel of the Lord visits us, our first response is to argue and spew doubt.
We begin to think we are the Rejected, and so, we act like it. We reject our calling, we shirk from love, and maybe the worst, we dull our ears to hearing God’s voice reminding us who we really are. The Called. The Blessed. The Chosen.
In what area of your life have you believed the lie that you have been rejected? In these last few days of 2015, follow me as we look at the lives of Zachabeth. I believe God has something to say to you that will shine a light into your heart. Allow that light to ricochet into the deepest places of darkness, all the way into that hidden cellar in your soul where you’ve discarded the “never gonna happen” dreams. Dare to release the lie of rejection and prepare yourself to embrace being The Chosen.
