Are you experienced?

Scripture:

"Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years...“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” Luke 1: 18,34 (NIV)

Application:
There is easily a way to confuse the doubt level between (I'm paraphrasing), "How can this happen, since I'm old?" and "How can this happen, since I'm a virgin?" Both refer to a physical condition that seems to make the promise delivered by the angel impossible. So why was Zachariah punished and Mary rewarded?
Experience.
God holds us accountable for what we should know, and do know, based on our individual experiences.
Being a young girl between 10 and 16, Mary's walk of faith was quite short. Pregnancy with marriage created an enormous risk for her, and she had little experience in understanding God's promises. So for her to question what's being promised is understandable.
But Zachariah had been reading, witnessing, hearing stories about, and probably teaching others about God's faithfulness most of his life. He was a senior male, given higher social status, and had a prominent place in the ministry. Thus, his longer walk of faith should have made him more receptive of the message from God's angel, whom he had heard about in early scripture. Also, if both questions were broadcast, his response probably would have greater community impact than Mary's. Zachariah rightfully was held to a higher standard, since to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

Prayer:
Father, thank You for giving us the Way to understand both the words of the bible and the scripture's context. We want our hearts to be receptive to instruction so that we will get Your message and Your blessings. Amen.