Isn’t it amazing how we have sanitized Christmas? Over the centuries we’ve cleaned up the story significantly. Christmas cards bear evidence of this. Most of them depict tinsel, holly, Christmas trees, bells, female angels, and Santa Claus. If they do get around to an image of the real Christmas, the picture is usually of a clean, happy family gathered around a cute little baby. The stable has a warm, yellow orange glow. It’s so nice. It gives us a feeling of serenity.
The real Christmas story plays out somewhat like a tabloid scandal story that you’d pick up in the checkout line at Wal-Mart. A pregnant teenager with a wild story about maintaining her virginity and the power of God? Sure. Give me a break. But the scandal goes even deeper than most Christians realize. Mary’s words and actions would have been considered outrageous to the people of her day – and most certainly to the good religious people of our time.
As far as the story from Luke is concerned, Mary was a revolutionary. She was a radical who, in our age, you might expect to see wearing a beret, fatigues, and combat boots. Mary went against the grain of society in numerous ways.
I suspect that maybe this is the reason God chose her. As far as we can tell she wasn’t holier than anyone else. There’s no indication that Mary had a moral advantage on any of the other Jewish girls of her day. But she did possess this difference: Mary was willing to be scandalized so that God would be glorified. It was through this willingness that God birthed the greatest gift history has ever known. If you desire God to be honored in your life, you’ve got to be willing to be scandalized in Jesus’ name. This morning I want to encourage you to …
Create Some Christmas Outrage
Roman Catholics uphold Mary as an extraordinary figure, but in a totally unbiblical way. Most adhere to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. It’s the belief that Mary was born without the stain of original sin. Catholics teach that Mary had human parents, but that she was miraculously prevented from inheriting a sin nature. The teaching also says that Mary never sinned. Please understand that the Bible never makes this claim; just the opposite, in fact.
From beginning to end, in this story we see that Mary was a woman in need of God’s grace. She acknowledged her need throughout the narrative. From this we’ll take our first lesson because it’s key to creating some Christmas outrage:
1. Declare fanatical dependence on God’s favor
Whenever bad things happen to good people what do they often ask? “What did I do to deserve this?” Have you ever noticed that when something good happens we never ask, “What did I do to deserve this”? Mary did. Notice her response to he angel’s greeting:
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Luke 1:28-29
Unlike Zechariah who we studied last week, Mary showed no fear at the angel’s presence. His words troubled her. Why was she highly favored? Who was she to receive a special call from God? Mary could see nothing in her life deserving of this greeting. She was an ordinary sinner in need of grace like everyone else. She even said so much in her song a while later:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Luke 1:46-47
Who needs a savior? A person who needs to be saved and such was Mary. I’m convinced that this was the key to her willingness to be scandalized for God’s glory. Mary knew that she deserved nothing but God’s judgment and wrath. Imagine how shocked she must have been to receive the unmerited favor of forgiveness and the unmerited favor of a divine call. It is this kind of deep humility that makes us useful to God.
Remember King David, the adulterous, murdering king, who was called a man after God’s own heart? He was confounded as to why God would bring him to the throne and use him for any good purpose. Listen to his words:
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” 2 Samuel 7:18
Just like Mary, David’s awareness of his unworthiness before a holy God led him to a reckless disregard for his reputation. He didn’t care what people thought of him in his worship and service unto such a gracious God. Once, when confronted with his lavish display of unrestrained love for God, David said this:
"And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight.” 2 Samuel 6:22
Also, like Mary …
“…David had served God’s purpose in his own generation …” Acts 13:36
Both declared fanatical dependence on God’s favor. In their humility they were willing to be scandalized so that God would be glorified. And He was.
Also, if you want to create some Christmas outrage …
2. Abandon all plans for God’s purpose
Let me ask you: where’s the scandal in responding positively to an altar call? Where the scandal in reading your Bible and praying? Where’s the scandal in church attendance? Where’s the scandal in giving 10% back to God? Those are all good and necessary things, but just because you do them doesn’t necessarily mean God will birth something significant in your life. He wants all that you have and all that you are all of the time. Jesus never said, “Ask Me into your heart to be your Lord and Savior.” He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” In other words, abandon all plans for God’s purpose.
This was Mary’s attitude. As a pious Jew, she expected a fairly comfortable, respectable life. That’s not at all what God offered her. When God calls His people to a special mission, it’s never easy. Almost immediately, God’s plan brought trouble to Mary’s life. She set off on a 50 to 100 mile journey, probably on foot, to see the sign of her pregnant aunt Elizabeth and that was just the beginning. Despite the challenge, look at Mary’s response:
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38
We’re very much like the hobbits in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. The Christ-like figure is a character named Gandalf, a wizard. Listen to this conversation between Gandalf and the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins and compare it to Christ’s call to follow Him:
“…I have no time to blow smoke-rings this morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.”
“I should think so – in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them,” said our Mr. Baggins, and stuck one thumb behind his braces, and blew out another even bigger smoke-ring.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, p. 4-5
Eventually, Gandalf lures Bilbo into the adventure of a lifetime. He battles trolls, giants spiders, goblins, and a terrifying dragon named Smaug. The adventure is difficult and dangerous, but in the end it changes Bilbo’s life for the better and sets into motion events that will save Middle Earth from evil.
I think that God invites us to the same thing. After we come to Him by faith He calls us to abandon all for His purpose. It is an adventure that will benefit us, other people, and bring glory to Himself. Listen to Gandalf’s words at the end of Bilbo’s adventure:
“You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide-world after all!”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, p. 305
What do you want out of life: a ticket to heaven or an adventure with God that begins now and spills over into eternity? If you want the adventure abandon all plans for God’s purpose. Low commitment Christians will be scandalized by your choice, but God will be glorified.
Third, if you want to create some Christmas outrage …
3. Seize God’s subversive vision
Revolutionaries are also visionaries. They have a bigger picture before them. It’s a vision of a new and different world. That vision motivates and propels them. Mary’s God-given vision was subversive. It undermined the old order of things. If she was the type of person who sat back and concluded, “I’ve never done it that way before,” I’m certain God would not have birthed His greatest gift through her life.
Think how outrageous this vision was. In all of human history, God had never taken on human flesh. Yes, there were numerous myths about pagan gods cohabitating with female humans to produce semi-divine beings, but God’s work in Mary’s life was all together different. What happened in her womb was not conception, but a new work by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary agreed to be the vessel for a new Adam, who was God in the flesh. Jesus Christ was not half God and half human. He was fully God and fully human. He was born of a woman, but Jesus, unlike all of us, was untainted with original sin. It had to be this way because only a perfect sacrifice could take away the sin of the world. Only God is perfect, so he put on flesh and gave Himself up for us on the cross. That was a radical concept. It undermined everyone’s way of thinking. But it was this subversive vision that guided Mary.
Her song was pretty subversive too. In it she thanks God for allowing her to be a part of His work. She praises His power and faithfulness to His promise to Israel. Mary, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit also sang a scandalous verse. Had she been in the company of an ancient politician she might have been jailed or worse for these words:
“He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” Luke 1:51b-53
This was a revolutionary vision of God overturning the humanly devised order of life. We, like the people of Mary’s age, celebrate the proud, the powerful, and the wealthy. We, like the people of Mary’s day, want to be like them because they appear to have no needs. But here she speaks of God overthrowing and turning them away. This is a vision, a prophecy of the ministry of Jesus and the ultimate triumph of His kingdom. He ministered primarily to the poor, the nobodies, the weak, the uneducated. Jesus did minister to the rich and powerful and wise occasionally. For the most part He built His kingdom upon those at the low end of the social ladder. Why? They felt their need and reached out for Him.
I believe God wants this church to dream a subversive dream. He wants something a bit more revolutionary that a quaint country church following respectable traditions. His vision will scandalize, but through it He will be glorified. God also has a subversive vision for your life if you’ll seek it and orient everything toward its fulfillment. He wants to birth an incredible gift through your life, but you must be willing to be scandalized so that He is glorified.
Finally, if you want to create some outrage this Christmas …
4. Risk reputation for the call of God’s kingdom
When the angel made his announcement that Mary would carry the Son of the Most High she asked an obvious question:
“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin.” Luke 1:34
Mary had no doubt about the message, but she wondered about the method. The most remarkable thing to me is that she never said, “But Lord, what will people think about me?” She knew a scandal would surround her reputation. It did. When Jesus was an adult male people were still making snide comments about His paternity. (“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. John 8:41b)
I suspect that Mary used the scandal to bear witness to Jesus’ identity. Don’t assume that she hushed up the matter so as not to be thought crazy or a liar as well as loose. If Mary was as revolutionary as I’ve proposed she testified about God’s work in her life. I think she did because she appears not to have concerned herself with reputation. In fact, it looks more like she was waiting on the I-told-you-so moment when Jesus would verify His identity publicly. I take a clue from the gospel of John. The partygoers ran out of wine at a wedding feast that Mary and Jesus were attending:
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:2-4
Mary risked her reputation on Jesus’ identity. She was ready for Him to go public, not recognizing the full extent of His mission, so He performed a miracle, but not a dramatic, convincing one.
Think how your life would be different and how you’d impact the kingdom of God with this attitude. You’d be bold about sharing your faith. When, where, and how you pray would probably change. You’d more concerned about pleasing Almighty God than earning the almighty dollar and the things it will buy. You’d be less inhibited to denounce evil and uphold good at home, at work, at school, at play, and at church. You’d be much more likely to attempt risky ventures of faith that you believed God was calling you to. All we’ve got to do is think clearly. What good will reputation do? In the end, whose opinion will matter? You won’t give an account to all those people you’re trying desperately to impress. Jesus Christ is the only one who will pronounce, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Let’s make a commitment to become scandalous people. Let’s create a little outrage beginning this Christmas season. Declare fanatical dependence on God’s favor. Abandon all plans for God’s purpose. Seize God’s subversive vision. Risk reputation for the call of God’s kingdom. If you want something great to be birthed through your life you must have a willingness to be scandalized so that God would be glorified.
