John Chrysostom, On the Birth of Saint John the Prophet

Zacharias, do not be troubled by thoughts; I am an angel of light, and not of darkness. I am Gabriel, one of the rulers of the heavenly king. I bring a command, I do not order by my own authority. I was sent to announce to you, not to make an assault on you. I am clothed in a form, I do not appear to you in my naked substance. For he who sent me spares your life. Do not be afraid, Zacharias; I was sent to bring you good news, not to terrify you. You bring up old age, and barren gray hairs, and a seedless womb. And who gives birth by willing it? It is the gift of God; is it not the discovery of man? Have you not heard the Lord saying, ‘I am he who makes man, and forms a spirit in man’? Do you disbelieve, Zacharias? How was Adam formed? How was Eve created? How was Isaac born? Abraham obeyed and was not mistaken; and you, being a priest, disbelieve? Is any word impossible with God, Zacharias? Do you contradict on account of old age, O elder? Do you define bodily deadness as more effective than God? If you had not seen Abraham, you would have doubted well. You bring up natural weakness, and with a divine promise present you do not believe, but you doubt and contend? You ask for small things, and you receive great things; and as if suffering a loss you cry out, Zacharias? You pray only for the Jewish people; but I, what I announce to you as good news, introduces salvation to all the nations. And Zacharias, hearing these things, and turning his gaze a little, answered and said to the angel: What are you saying, O angel? My wife will give birth? For what? For this I prayed, or for this reason do I offer the incense of my daily service, that I might show fruitfulness to the people?

I ask for forgiveness of sins; do I not long for a release from barrenness? I want the synagogue to be relieved; not for Elizabeth to be puffed up? I beg for wounded souls to be healed; not for dried-up breasts to become flowing with milk? What are you saying, O angel? My wife will give birth? And what is the gain for those praying outside? Will they not, upon hearing, stone me, saying that I am not appointed high priest for them and for the common salvation, but for myself alone? And that I received not a word, but an offspring. I have no word for childbearing; away, I do not want this. What I prayed for, I did not receive; and now you make known to me other things instead of others? I have no word concerning childbearing; the disease of barrenness has come to be. For has not time reaped the desire, and the weakness of nature, not of union? I have no word now concerning childbearing. We are not able to walk without a staff, and how are we commanded to begin childbearing? Old age has denied nature; the matter is outside of faith. We are looking around for a tomb, and we are to be betrothed to a nurse? I have no word concerning childbearing. I seek the salvation of the people, and the happiness of the nation, the captivity of the enemies, and the prosperity of the people, but not wailings, and swaddling clothes and infant foods. I have no word concerning this. How shall I be found the father of a legitimate child? Old age rejects the faith, the matter is henceforth outside of nature, the generative parts are dissolved; I ride holding a staff like a horse, and you reopen for me the trial of monogamy 61.759, when my whole body has become a tomb? By what shall I know this, tell me, O greatest Gabriel, (for it is necessary for those who are ignorant to know this, that Gabriel is interpreted as Man of God); tell me, by what shall I know this? Behold my trembling limbs; behold the old age of us both and our looking to the earth. If one part were young, and one part had grown old, there would be some small hope for what is said; now the body of each is decayed. We expect nothing else, except the sickle of death, like ripe ears of corn for the harvest. But if you speak the truth at all, master Gabriel, in what you say, give now another sign to appear, entrust to me as a pledge of the promise the working of a wonder. By what shall I know this? Aaron did not believe, unless the rod blossomed; Moses was not fully convinced, unless his hand turned white; Gideon did not understand, unless the dew was upon the fleece.

Ζαχαρία, μηδὲ λογισμοῖς ταράττου· ἄγγελός εἰμι φωτὸς, καὶ οὐχὶ σκότους· Γαβριήλ εἰμι ἐγὼ, εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ ἐπουρανίου βασιλέως· πρόσταγμα κομίζω, οὐκ ἐξουσίᾳ κελεύω. Ἀπεστάλην μηνῦσαί σοι, οὐχὶ ἔφοδον ποιῆσαί σοι. Σχῆμα περιβέβλημαι, οὐχὶ δὲ γυμνῇ τῇ οὐσίᾳ σοι φαίνομαι. Φείδεται γάρ σου τῆς ζωῆς ὁ ἀποστείλας με. Μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία· ἀπεστάλην εὐαγγελίσασθαί σοι, οὐχὶ δὲ θαμβῆσαί σε. Τὸ γῆρας προβάλλῃ, καὶ τὴν ἄγονον πολιὰν, καὶ τὴν ἄσπορον μήτραν. Καὶ τίς θέλων γεννᾷ; Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· μὴ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου τὸ εὕρεμα; οὐκ ἤκουσας τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιῶν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ πλάσσων ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ πνεῦμα; Ἀπιστεῖς, Ζαχαρία; Πῶς ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐπλάσθη; πῶς ἡ Εὔα ἐκτίσθη; πῶς ὁ Ἰσαὰκ ἐγεννήθη; Ὑπακούσας Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἐσφάλη·καὶ σὺ ἱερεὺς ὢν ἀπιστεῖς; Μὴ ἀδυνατεῖ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ῥῆμα, Ζαχαρία; ∆ιὰ τὸ γῆρας ἀντιλέγεις, ὦ πρεσβῦτα; σωματικὴν νέκρωσιν δραστικωτέραν ὁρίζεις Θεοῦ; Εἰ μὴ εἶδες τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καλῶς ἀμφέβαλες. Φυσικὴν ἀσθένειαν προβάλλῃ, καὶ θεϊκῆς ἐπαγγελίας παρούσης οὐ πιστεύεις, ἀλλ' ἀμφιβάλλεις καὶ φιλονεικεῖς; Μικρὰ αἰτεῖς, καὶ μεγάλα λαμβάνεις· καὶ ὡς ζημίαν ὑπομένων κραυγάζεις, Ζαχαρία; Ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰουδαϊκοῦ λαοῦ μόνον προσεύχῃ· ἐγὼ δὲ ὃ εὐαγγελίζομαί σοι, εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη συνεισάγει τὴν σωτηρίαν. Ὁ δὲ Ζαχαρίας ταῦτα ἀκούσας, καὶ μικρὸν τὴν ὄψιν ἀποστρέψας, ἀνταποκριθεὶς πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον ἔφη· Τί λέγεις, ὦ ἄγγελε; ἡ γυνή μου γεννήσει; Τί γάρ; διὰ τοῦτο προσηυξάμην, ἢ τούτου ἕνεκεν τὸ θυμίαμα κινῶ τῆς ἐφημερίας, ἵνα τὴν καρπογονίαν τῷ λαῷ ἐπιδείξω;

Συγγνώμην ἁμαρτημάτων αἰτῶ· μὴ γὰρ λύσιν στειρώσεως ἐπιποθῶ; τὴν συναγωγὴν κουφισθῆναι θέλω· μὴ γὰρ τὴν Ἐλισάβετ ὀγκωθῆναι; ψυχὰς τετραυματισμένας παρακαλῶ ἰαθῆναι· μὴ γὰρ μαζοὺς ξηρανθέντας γαλακτοῤῥυεῖς γενέσθαι; Τί λέγεις, ὦ ἄγγελε; ἡ γυνή μου γεννήσει; Καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος τῶν ἔξω προσευχομένων; ἆρα δὲ ἀκούσαντες οὐ λιθάσουσί με, λέγοντες ὅτι μὴ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς κοινωφελοῦς ἕνεκεν σωτηρίας καθίσταμαι ἀρχιερεὺς, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῦ μόνον; καὶ ὅτι οὐ λόγον, ἀλλὰ γόνον ἐδεξάμην· Οὐδείς μοι λόγος πρὸς τεκνογονίαν· ἄπαγε, τοῦτο οὐ βούλομαι. Ὅπερ ηὐχόμην, οὐκ ἔλαβον· καὶ νῦν ἕτερα ἀνθ' ἑτέρων μοι γνωρίζεις; Οὐδείς μοι λόγος περὶ παιδοποιίας· νόσος στειρώσεως γέγονε. Μὴ γὰρ χρόνος τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐθέρισε, καὶ ἡ ἀσθένεια τῆς φύσεως, οὐ τῆς μίξεως; Οὐδείς μοι λόγος νῦν περὶ τεκνογονίας. Ἄνευ βακτηρίας βαδίζειν οὐ δυνάμεθα, καὶ πῶς τεκνογονίας ἄρχεσθαι κελευόμεθα; Τὸ γῆρας τὴν φύσιν ἠρνήσατο· πίστεως ἔξω τὸ πρᾶγμα. Τάφον περιβλεπόμεθα, καὶ τροφὸν ἀῤῥαβωνισόμεθα; Οὐδείς μοι λόγος περὶ τεκνογονίας. Τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν ζητῶ, καὶ τοῦ ἔθνους τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν, τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν εὐημερίαν, οὐχὶ δὲ κλαυθμυρίσματα, καὶ σπάργανα καὶ νηπιώδεις τροφάς. Οὐδείς μοι λόγος περὶ τούτου. Πῶς πατὴρ γνησίου παιδὸς εὑρεθήσομαι; Τὸ γῆρας ἀπωθεῖται τὴν πίστιν, ἔξω φύσεως λοιπὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα, διαλέλυται τὰ γεννητικὰ μόρια· ῥάβδον ὡς ἵππον κατέχων ἐπιβαίνω, καὶ μονογαμίας μοι πεῖραν ἀνα 61.759 ξέεις, ὅτε τάφος τὸ πᾶν σῶμα γέγονε; Κατὰ τί γνώσομαι τοῦτο, φράσον μοι, ὦ μέγιστε Γαβριήλ, (ἀναγκαῖον γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας γνῶναι, ὅτιπερ Γαβριὴλ, Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος ἑρμηνεύεται)· εἰπὲ, κατὰ τί γνώσομαι τοῦτο; Ἰδοὺ τρέμοντά μου τὰ μέλη· ἰδοὺ τὸ γῆρας ἀμφοτέρων καὶ εἰς γῆν ὁρώντων. Εἰ μέρος ἐνέαζε, καὶ μέρος ἐπεπαλαίωτο, μικρά τις ἐλπὶς ἦν τῶν λεγομένων· νῦν ἑκατέρων τὸ σῶμα σεσάθρωται. Οὐδὲν ἕτερον περιμένομεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ δρέπανον τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς στάχυες πέπειροι πρὸς θερισμόν. Εἰ δὲ ὅλως ἀληθεύεις, δέσποτα Γαβριὴλ, ὃ λέγεις, δὸς δὴ ἄλλο προσοδεῦσαι σημεῖον, ἀῤῥαβῶνά μοι πίστευσον τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὴν θαυματουργίαν. Κατὰ τί γνώσομαι τοῦτο; Ὁ Ἀαρὼν οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν, εἰ μὴ ἡ ῥάβδος ἤνθησε· Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐπληροφορήθη, εἰ μὴ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ἐλευκάνθη· Γεδεὼν οὐ συνῆκεν, εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ τὸν πόκον γέγονεν ἡ δρόσος.