Whoa, Gabriel, that's not fair!

So I'm reading in Luke, and the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah his wife would have a baby, etc., and Zechariah asks a question and the angel makes him mute till the birth. Then Gabe scoots over to Mary and tells her she's gonna have a baby. Mary asks a question, and the angel makes her mute--no, wait, he doesn't! That's not fair, is it?! Look at their questions:

Zechariah: How can I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years?

Mary: How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?

Both questions take the form: Explain this, because I have this reason it won't work.

So why does Zechariah get punished and Mary doesn't? Obviously, God likes men better than women. No, wait, He says later there is neither male nor female, and He made them both in His image, so I don't think that's it... Does Mary get a pass because she'll be carrying Jesus and God wants His baby to hear lullabies during gestation? Maybe, but I doubt it. (It's at this point as he reads over my shoulder that my son pronounces my weirdness.)

Here's what I think. THINK! That's important, because this is just a guess, but it makes sense to me. I think that the Bible DOES teach that spiritual leaders are held to a higher level of accountability. I think for a young Jewish girl to struggle in her faith at a bizarre angelic decree is one thing, but for a priest of Israel, in the very service of the temple, to display a weak faith is another. I take this as a lesson to me, as a pastor-type. Yes, I'm only human, but as a spiritual leader, I need to be ready to respond to God when He moves in unexpected directions!

What do you think? Am I on the right track here?