But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Sometimes we ask, because, like Zechariah, we are giving voice to our doubts. But at other times we don't ask because, like Ahaz, we already have our own plans. We're afraid of the way the Lord wants to involve himself in our lives and so we shield ourselves under a false pretense of piety. The prohibition against tempting the Lord, or putting him to the test, was against trying to force his hand or make him prove himself. It certainly didn't mean that one couldn't ask for a sign when specifically instructed to do so by a prophet.
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
Mary might have expressed doubt, as Zechariah had done. Although she was not too old to bear a child she apparently did not plan to conceive in the normal way. This was likely due to a vow of virginity, or else, why the question? She might have responded to Gabriel that there was no way that what he was suggesting was possible in her specific circumstances. Or she might have refused to ask, like Ahaz, because she didn't want to know, and was unwilling to have her preexisting plans interrupted. But she was a faithful daughter of Israel who knew the Scriptures of her people. Rather than the selfish fear of Ahaz, or the servile fear of Zechariah, she demonstrated the holy fear that is the beginning of wisdom. This made her set her own plans and preconceptions aside enough to open herself to learn what God wanted to do in her life. She didn't require of him that he only do things that she was already able to understand. She opened herself to receive new understanding such as would be necessary for her to cooperate with God on his plans for her life.
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
We know that God does not typically explain everything about what his plans for us will mean. The future remains largely unknown and unknowable for us. But he does nevertheless want to make known enough for us to willing cooperate with his plans. He does this chiefly through the Scriptures. But he also acts on an individual level, since he has unique plans for each of us (see Jeremiah 29:11). Let us not be like Zechariah who doubted. Or, if do give in to that temptation, let us learn what he learned in the school of silence about the power of God's word. Let us not be like Ahaz, reluctant to listen when God wants to speak. Let us instead be like Mary who trusted God enough to let him speak into her life, and who fully embraced what she heard.
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
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