Why was Zechariah punished but not Mary?

[Philthy]

In Luke’s gospel, when the angel Gabriel reveals to Zechariah that he and Elizabeth will have a son, the conversation goes:

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time” (Luke 1:18-20

).Fair enough.

However, when Gabriel reveals to Mary that she will bear a child she says, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” which seems analogous to Zechariah’s response. In contrast, however, she is not punished at all, but given a full explanation to how it can be to which she faithfully and obediently responds, “Let it be to me according to your word” (cf. Luke 1:26-38)

My question is: Why was Zechariah punished for questioning “How can this be?” but not Mary?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Zechariah was chastised because he had no reason not to understand the angel’s promise. Note his reasoning to the angel that “I [Zechariah] am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” Zechariah, a religiously-educated Jew and indeed a priest of the temple, should have known that this exact same miracle of late-in-life fertility had been granted to Abraham and Sarah, the founding patriarch and matriarch of the Jewish people. Abraham and Sarah’s miraculous baby Isaac should have been the sign for him that God could and would provide him and Elizabeth with their own son but instead he asks for another sign. That demonstrated a lack of faith.

The miracle promised Mary, on the other hand, was entirely different. By her question she implies that she was not expecting to have marital relations with Joseph (otherwise she would have assumed that the pregnancy would take place within her upcoming marriage) and so she needs information about how it is possible for a woman to have a baby without having had relations with a man. After Gabriel explains that the Holy Spirit would accomplish the task, she accepts without further question. Once her real need for information is satisfied, Mary believes.