Here’s another lesson from Zechariah and Elizabeth – a faith lesson:

During the reign of King Herod the Great over Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah who served in the temple as part of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife, Elizabeth, was also from a family of priests, being a direct descendant of Aaron. They were both lovers of God, living virtuously and following the commandments of the Lord fully. But they were childless since Elizabeth was barren, and now they both were quite old. (Luke 1.5 – 7, Passion Translation)

Zechariah and Elizabeth chose to be faithful amid a sandwich of difficulty: King Herod the Great was their governor. An extremely evil man, as Matthew’s account of his killing all the baby boys 2 years old and under shows. Also, Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless. In a culture that believed obedience produced blessing, and blessing equals children, continued virtuous living must have been difficult.

Dr. Esau McCaulley, assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, and director of Next Generation Leadership for the Anglican Church in North America, wrote about Zechariah and Elizabeth in his book Reading while Black. He compares them to elderly black believers today and to the first generation of black believers during slavery:

Zechariah and Elizabeth are, in a sense, Israel writ small. Elizabeth and Zechariah’s generation could say alongside Jeremiah’s, “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved” (Jer 8:20). It is important that Luke begins here because it situates the Jesus story in the middle of the pain of Israel, which includes the large-scale tragedy of exile and disinheritance along with the personal traumas each individual Israelite must face. In other words, Luke begins with the issue of injustice as a central concern.

Elizabeth and Zechariah are crucial for understanding Black hope. As the faithful elderly who persevered in the faith despite long-delayed hope, they are our Black grandparents who dragged us to church and prayed for us when we lacked the faith to pray for ourselves.

But more urgently, Zechariah and Elizabeth are the first generation of Black Christians who came to faith during slavery. Why put your faith in the God worshiped by slave owners? What good could come of it? How could its message be of use to you? The question posed by Frederick Douglass could also be found in the lament psalms of Israel: “Does a righteous God govern the universe? And for what does he hold the thunders in his right hand if not to smite the oppressor, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the spoiler?” Why would such a people who have every reason for cynicism put their faith in a God whose promises seem long delayed? – Esau McCauley, Reading While Black, page 82.

Jesus came into an imperfect world. A world of oppression. We wait in hope. We wait in faith. COVID has gone on way longer than any of us expected. And racial injustice has gone on longer than anyone expected, too, despite many improvements. And yet one day, we will be on the other side of COVID as I wrote earlier, and, hopefully, on the other side of injustice, too.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9.6, 7, ESV)