What's the difference between Zacharia and Mary?

[bmonk]

Read the two statements a bit more carefully. Zechariah asks for a sign - ‘How shall I know this’. Frankly, he seems not to believe the message of the angel at all. He is asking for greater and stronger confirmation, above and beyond the fact that an angel of God appears to him to tell him. And we know what God thinks of those who seek after signs!

Yes! God’s favorite response to those who seek signs is to give them a sign–after they do what he asks. Zechariah is similar to Moses, who wants a sign for him to know this is God speaking from the Burning Bush. His sign (Exod. 3:11-12):

Moses said to God, “Who am I* that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God answered: I will be with you; and this will be your sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God at this mountain.

In other words, do as I say, and then you will have your sign.

 

[LilyM]

Yes! God’s favorite response to those who seek signs is to give them a sign–after they do what he asks. Zechariah is similar to Moses, who wants a sign for him to know this is God speaking from the Burning Bush. His sign (Exod. 3:11-12):

Moses said to God, “Who am I* that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God answered: I will be with you; and this will be your sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve God at this mountain.

In other words, do as I say, and then you will have your sign.

Of course God loves people who pester Him for signs and wonders. All that talk of ‘it is a foolish generation that seeks for a sign’ and ‘blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe’ was just so much fluff, eh?

Sorry, you’ve totally lost me here. Moses is in no way asking for a sign at all. He’s certainly not asking Zechariah’s question of ‘how will I know’. He’s simply asking ‘why me’, a very different question.

True, God offers him a sign (not much of one - surely Moses would serve God at Sinai or anywhere else, regardless of His saying that the service will be a sign!).

But, importantly, Moses NEVER asks for one. Certainly never for himself - only for the Israelites to whom he is sent. Who are much stubborner and slower to believe than Moses, and duly suffer for these traits.

 

[Stratocatholic]

Mary was a young orphan girl but Zacharia was a priest.

Lk:1:5:
5 ¶ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

Excuse me? Mary was an orphan?