12/06/2015
The Cast of Christmas
Mary
Luke 1: 26-56
PRAY
Dr. George Buttrick was one of the great preachers and Christian writers of
the twentieth century. In one of his books Dr. Buttrick recalled taking a trip
through northern France. He came upon an abbey with a fascinating name. It
was called “Our Lady of the Risk.” The name piqued his curiosity so Buttrick
asked some of the locals about the history of the place. He learned that many
years before, when the Catholics constructed the monastery, they wanted to
honor Mary the mother of Jesus. They named the abbey “Our Lady of the Risk,”
because they believed that Mary had taken the ultimate risk.
You remember the story. You probably know it by heart – the story of Mary
and the angel and the virgin birth. Somehow, I never tire of hearing it. We read it
again this morning. No doubt we will think about it again and again as the days
lead toward the celebration of Christmas.
When the angel Gabriel first appeared to Mary, she was shocked, taken by
surprise. She didn’t know what to make of this brazen visitor. The Bible says she
was perplexed. I think that’s got to be an understatement! The implication is: she
was scared to death. The angel immediately tried to calm her fears: “Do not be
afraid, Mary,” he said, “for you have found favor with God.”
I don’t know about you, but when I’m really scared, the words “Don’t be
afraid” aren’t all that helpful – particularly when those words come from a stranger
who seems to have come out of nowhere. I can’t even imagine how terrifying it
would be to turn around and see a strange man standing there, with absolutely no
idea where he came from or how he got into your house.
To make matters even more disturbing, this angel, Gabriel, isn’t exactly “Mr.
Smooth.” He doesn't waste any time trying to establish rapport. He just launches
right into his startling announcement: "Mary, you’re going to have a baby. You're
about to be pregnant.” Now there’s some news that will set your mind to spinning
and send your anxiety into orbit.
“Fear not, Mary, God likes you, so you’re going to have a baby.” That’s
pretty much what he said. Then he continued, “I'll even tell you what you’re going
to name him. You must name him Jesus. He is going to be the new king. He is
going to re-establish the throne of your ancestor, the great King David."
I don’t know how Mary felt at that moment, but I know a few women who
would have probably let Gabriel have it right between the eyes. “I don’t know who
you are or how you got in here, but I can tell you a thing or two. I’m not married!
I’ve never been with a man! And I’m sure not pregnant!”
Calmly Gabriel replied, “Oh, I know that! This is God’s doing. Don’t you
know that nothing is impossible for God? God is going to send his Spirit upon you
and the child you shall bear will be holy. This is the Son of God we are talking
about.”
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Then, to her eternal credit, Mary responded: “Here am I, the servant of the
Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” And with that, having gained her
consent, having fulfilled his mission, the angel vanished.
Is it any wonder that those French Catholics called Mary, “Our Lady of the
Risk?” For a young woman in first-century Jewish society, Mary took the ultimate
risk. A teenage girl with a child and no husband: at the very least she would be
shunned by her village – ostracized from community life. That’s if she was lucky.
Her fate could be much worse. She could be stoned to death, executed for the
crime of adultery. What a risk!
She didn’t have to take that risk. Mary had a choice. God doesn’t ever tie
us down and dictate the choice for us. God always allows us the freedom to
choose – to make our own decisions. Mary was no different. She had a choice.
She could have rejected Gabriel’s offer. She could have said no to God. God’s
will is never thwarted. God’s will cannot be denied. If Mary had said “No,” God
would no doubt have found another way or another woman to bring his child into
the world. The point is Mary did have a choice and Mary chose the path of
obedience. She took the risk, the ultimate risk. She believed the angel; she
trusted in God; and she stepped out in faith. What a risk!
There is a sense in which the whole gospel story began, at least humanly
speaking, when that simple, quiet, faithful-to-God Jewish girl responded to that
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heavenly visitor with the words: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with
me according to your word.”
The Gospel begins, in a very real sense, out of Mary’s willingness to risk it
all - her hopes, her dreams, her future, her life. Listen to her words. Luke
recorded them for us in verses 46 to 55 of the first chapter. They are some of the
most beautiful words in Scripture. It’s Mary’s song of praise and adoration to the
Lord. Centuries ago the Church gave a title to this song of Mary. We call it the
Magnificat.
It is not the song of an abused woman. It is not the song of a victim of rape.
It is not a song of rejection or depression. It is a song of joy.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.”
Then she continues:
“Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
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Do you sense the spirit and the power of that? These words of Mary are in
the tradition of the great prophets of Israel. These words are recorded at the
beginning of Luke’s Gospel in order that we might anticipate what the Gospel is
going to be; in order give us a sense from the outset who Jesus is going to be and
what Jesus is going to do.
This magnificent response of Mary teaches us something that we need to
learn. We who claim to follow Jesus Christ need to learn from Mary what it means
to be responsive to God and to God’s call on our lives. Let’s take a moment to
look at our Lady of the Risk and consider what she teaches us.
First, in these words of Mary we find a warning – a warning about doubt and
complacency. Don’t accept the way it is as the way God intends it to be. Things
are not always the way they seem.
The facts for Mary were pretty bleak. She was pregnant and unmarried.
She could have focused on her condition and lapsed into self-pity. She could
have allowed her fear of what others might think to drive her into depression. She
could have contemplated abortion or even suicide. But those are not the emotions
revealed by her words. Rather than focus her attention on the way things were, in
faith she looked for the way God intended it to be.
Believing the words of the angel and placing her total confidence in God she
was able to sing: “For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is
his name.”
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I think that is a word for us. We should not accept the way it is as the way
God intends it to be. God can bring hope to the hopeless. God can work for good
even in the midst of evil. God can use us, even you and me, to accomplish God’s
purposes. God can use us whenever we display a willing spirit and desire to align
our spirit with God’s Spirit.
Don’t accept the way it is as the way God intends it to be! That’s the first
think we can learn from Mary’s response.
The second thing Mary teaches us flows from the first. Mary’s response
helps us to understand the nature of God’s intention for the world. It is God’s
intention for us to take a stand for justice and mercy in the world. The song of
Mary reminds us that just because it may seem impossible to realize the ideal of
justice and mercy in a sinful world, does not excuse us from doing justice and
showing mercy, nor is it any proof that justice and mercy are not going to come.
When I was a student at Asbury Seminary Maxie Dunnam was president
there. He is one of the great leaders of our church. I was blessed to hear him
preach many times in chapel. Whenever he said something profound, particularly
when it was a long run-on sentence, he was fond of saying, “Now that’s a mouthful
and a mindful, so let me say it again.” Well, that last sentence was “a mouthful
and a mindful,” so I want to say it again.
The song of Mary reminds us that just because it may seem impossible to
realize the ideal of justice and mercy in a sinful world, does not excuse us from
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doing justice and showing mercy, nor is it any proof that justice and mercy are not
going to come.
For Mary it may have been hard to see the mercy or the justice in being an
unmarried, pregnant, teenager. Still she sang of God’s mercy: (in verse 50) “His
mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” And she sang of
God’s justice: (verse 51 and following) “He has scattered the proud. He has
brought down the powerful. He has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry.
And he has sent the rich away empty.”
When I read the newspaper or watch the news, I often wonder where is the
justice and where is the mercy. This week we were shocked to learn of yet
another senseless mass murder, this time in California. Where was the mercy for
each of those helpless victims? And where is the justice for their families? The
killers may be dead, but the grief and the pain is only beginning to set in. We are
bombarded on the news with tales of corruption and scandal among our political
and business leaders. All around us families are in crisis. Friends are grappling
with the loss of a loved one. Diseases like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s,
and ALS rob us of our dreams. In the midst of all this we are prone to wonder:
where is the justice? Where is the mercy?
Yet we have one distinct advantage that Mary did not have. We stand on
this side of the cross, looking back. Sin may be spreading like wildfire all around
us, but we know Jesus has overcome sin. Death may seem to strike at will, but
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Jesus has overcome death. Life may seem so fragile and brief, but in Jesus
Christ, life is eternal.
And because of Jesus … because of what Jesus has done in my life …
because of what Jesus can do in your life … our lives can be different. Our lives
should be different.
Just because the world is sinful, just because the world does not often
exhibit justice and mercy, does not excuse us from doing justice and showing
mercy, nor is it any proof that justice and mercy are not going to come. That’s the
second lesson from Mary’s response.
The final lesson that Mary teaches us in her song is that no matter what kind
of hand life deals us, as Christians we are called to live the risk, confident that
God is with us, that God is in control, and that we can leave the outcome to God.
The world may be ravaged by sin. The world may seem out of control. But
one thing I know. No matter what others may say, no matter what others may do,
I know that God is good. If you can believe anything in this book, you can believe
that God is good! And if God is good, and if God truly loves His creation, He will
keep his promises, and he will come again. He will come again to bring justice
and to show mercy – just as he said!
That is the Good News of the Gospel. God came to earth at Christmas.
God came down bringing justice and mercy to a fallen world. And God in Jesus
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Christ has paved the way for us to rise above the conditions of this world and live
a new life, forgiven and free.
And so with Mary we too can boldly sing:
“For the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
AMEN!
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