|
Today we hear the story of
Mary. The fourth Sunday in advent is traditionally the time when we hear the
beautiful hymn that she recites. We call it the Magnificat, from the first
line magnify…”My soul magnifies the Lord.” It originates from the Common
Testament where it is known as the song of Hannah.
Today is Christmas Eve, but before we get to the Birth narrative, it behooves
us to look at Mary just a bit. For the past few weeks, we have been looking
at those who have played an important part in the life and ministry of our
Lord. A mother is after all the first person most of us meet in life.
Someone asked George W Bush about his claim to be a Texan when he was
actually born in Connecticut. He replied that he would have preferred to be
born in Texas, but his mother was in Connecticut at the time and he felt that
he should be with her on such an important occasion.
The images that we have of Mary are probably not very accurate.
First of all, she was not an adult by our standards. She was in all
likelihood a girl of no more than thirteen or fourteen of age. The scripture
does not tell us of her lineage, while it does tell us about her fiancé
Joseph’s family, indicating that she was probably marrying “up,” as folks
say. She was marrying a carpenter, not the lowest rung of society, but pretty
darn close. The move upwards was only a small one.
Second, we can banish from our minds that pretty blue robe we picture her
wearing. There were blue robes at the time. The blue dye came from rare
shells that were found on the coast near Caesarea Philippi. It was terribly
expensive.
Next, ditch the mule on which we see her riding. The scripture is pretty
clear that they journeyed to Bethlehem on foot and not by riding. Most
families did not have a mule. You may remember the disciples needing
directions from Jesus on where to find one on Palm Sunday. Even if Joseph and
Mary had had a mule, social customs and mores in first-century Palestine
would have dictated that Joseph ride while Mary do the walking, even though
she was pregnant. Joseph would have had to have been quite the feminist to
let Mary ride instead.
Just for fun, I would like to see one Manger scene where Mary doesn’t look
like she just came from the beauty shop instead of the delivery room. I
remember when my sister had Jake. It was days before she would let any of us
get near her with a camera.
So, picture Mary, a peasant girl, with a newly questionable reputation and
few options; a pregnant teenager, unmarried, uneducated, and unemployed. All
of these things, and she was the one chosen by God to bear the Messiah.
The intent of this sermon is not to pull the rug out from under your
Christmas, but to announce that apparently Christmas comes even to those who
don’t have a rug on which to stand. The point is not to bring down your
Christmas, but to remind you that God comes down even to those at the bottom
of society.
The story of Mary parallels another story in Luke. We discussed the story of
Zachariah and Elizabeth in Bible study this week.
Zach was everything that Mary wasn’t. He was a wise man, a learned man, a man
from a priestly family, with a job and an education. He was a religious man
and a respected man. He was married to Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. They had
advanced in years and had given up the hope of having a child.
An angel comes to both Mary and Zachariah; to Mary in her humble home, and to
Zachariah in the Temple. The angel announces to them both that it is God’s
will that a child should be born to them, to Mary a Savior. To Zachariah and
Elizabeth a prophet is to be born. Zachariah had prayed his whole life for a
child. Mary had not. Zachariah’s prayers were being answered, even if he
thought too late. Mary’s were answered too soon, before she was married.
There are many differences between these two individuals and their
situations. But here is the biggest difference. Mary believed the angel.
Zachariah did not. Mary believed instantly, while the good church man
Zachariah had to wait until he witnessed the actual birth of his son before
he believed. Mary sings. Zachariah is mute.
Don’t you find it interesting that God somehow used both of them, that God
kept his promises to both?
To really understand how God accomplished this loving mission we call Christmas
through Mary, we must also understand God accomplishing the divine mission
through Zachariah and Elizabeth; two very different situations, very
different people with different levels of faith and different prayers. God
needs both despite the different situations and differences in faith. God
kept his promise.
The good news is that God’s will is being done through us and with us,
sometimes despite us. God’s desire to save humanity is not based on our
understanding, knowledge, wisdom, or position in life, but is based solely on
God’s knowledge, wisdom, and position in our lives. God’s promises to us are
based not on our amount of faith, but on God’s faithfulness.
Mary and Zechariah, two very different people of very different levels of
faith. Their stories are our stories. Sometimes we are like Mary, and many
times, maybe even most of the time, we are like Zachariah. God still loves
us, uses us for His divine purpose, and is always faithful to us.
Blessed are you Mary, and Blessed are we.
|
