It is not easy to be politically correct during the Christmas season. I mean just listen to this new version of “The Night before Christmas.”
Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck. How to live in a world that’s politically correct? His workers no longer would answer to Elves, vertically Challenged thy were calling themselves And labour conditions at the North pole were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety, released to the wilds by the Humane Society. And equal employment had made it quite clear. That Santa had better not use just reindeer. So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid were replaced with four pigs and you know that looked quite s --- well you know the word, we don’t say that word at my house and for me to say in the pulpit would surely cause a stir.
The runners had been removed from his sleigh; the ruts were termed dangerous by the EPA and the people had started to call for the cops when they heard sled noise on their rooftops. Secondhand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened. His fur trimmed red suit was called unenlightened. And to show you the strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows, Rudolph was suing over unauthorized use of his nose. And had gone on Geraldo in front of the nation demanding millions in overdue compensation. So half the reindeer were gone and his wife who suddenly said she’d enough of this life joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz Demanding from now on her title was Ms……
How society has twisted and changed even the most innocent of things? Even the biblical story of Christmas is not safe. There is a politically correct version of it as well. “There’s a problem with the angel” said a Pharisee who happened to be strolling by the stable. As he explained to Joseph, angels are widely regarded as religious symbols, and the stable is on public property where such symbols are not allowed to stand.
Besides, said a Sadducee who was with him, There are no such things as angels and telling a child that they’re real will only hinder the child’s emotional development. “”And I have to tell you said the Pharisee this whole thing looks very much like a religious Nativity scene. That’s a no no too. So Joseph had a bright idea, What if I put a couple of reindeer over there near the ox? He said eager to avoid sectarian strife…Just to clinch it, throw in a candy cane a couple of elves and snowmen too the Phariasee said,. What does a snowman have to do with my son, asked Mary. “Snowperson” CRIED A YOUNG WOMAN, CHANGING THE SUBJECT BEFORE IT VEERED DANGEROUSLY TOWARD RELIGION…
It is a humorous and yet painful twist of the Christmas story. We shake our heads in dismay, shaking our fingers at those who would play around with the story and yet…the church is just as guilty of twisting the story to make it fit what they think or want it to say.
Most religions accept Mary as the mother of Jesus. The Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and Islams all highly exalt Mary to almost the point of venerating her as equal to Jesus and God. While most Protestants churches only allow Mary a cameo appearance in Christmas cards, carols and nativity scenes. We overestimate or underestimate and ignore the fact that Mary is a significant part of the Christmas story, an innocent vessel of God’s will that we need to understand and emulate but not worship. We don’t need to give Mary what is Jesus’ to proclaim. We need to look the Christmas story from Mary’s point of view. We need to see her example and her witness and we need to grow in faith. This advent season my Christmas Sermon series is Mary Christmas as each we explore the weeks leading up to christmas through Mary’s eyes. We will look a fresh at the story and try to understand it not as a parody of society, a politically correct social statement or even as a dogma or belief of the church but as a revelation of God and his love, joy, peace and hope for all people.
Behold the handmaiden of the Lord ..." Tradition says Mary was born in Jerusalem, the daughter of Joh-uh-kim, Joachim and Ann, a direct descendent of David. Other sources say Mary was born in Nazareth. There is even an ancient record that points to Sepphoris a town a few miles from Nazareth as her birth place. Wherever she was born, Mary’s life was most likely unfolded in the staunch Jewish settlement of Nazareth in the hills of Galilee, not far from the important caravan routes linking Egypt and Mesopotamia.
The hill climate was dry and healthful. Though the land often lacked water and no one knew from one year to the next if enough rain would fall or if invading locust or field mice would spoil the crop – the Galilee people were strong, hardworking, religious people who had learned to always depend on God.
Mary was a woman this rural Galilee. She lived as they did, in a small family house of stone and mud brick. She worked like any young girl, grinding wheat and barley into flour, preparing dishes of beans, vegetables, eggs, fruits, nuts and an occasional chunk of mutton. Wool had to be made into clothing. Bread had to be baked. A few chickens and a donkey had to be fed. And in the village, small as it was, there were always little children to care for. Almost daily Mary carried a large jar of water from the town well for washing and cooking. (from Compassionate)
Mary’s faith was strong. Yet in fervently religious Nazareth with its high moral standards, she hardly stood out at all, even in the eyes of those who knew her best. Besides, as a woman living in a society where men counted most, she had little purpose except as a mother and a wife.
She was somewhere between the age of 11 and 15 when her parents made plans for her to be married. She was betrothed to Joseph, a widowed carpenter, who lived in the city. A betrothal or engagement as we might call it was a solemn precursor in Jewish society to marriage. It was consecrated before a priest and was so binding that divorce was necessary to break it. If Joseph had died during this time, Mary would have been considered a widow. The betrothal normally lasted for about a year during which time Mary would have been expected to live a chaste in the home of her parents not with Joseph even though she was identified as Joseph’s wife.
She was probably like any young engaged girl. She was giddy with excitement as she and her mother planned her wedding. And then something happened. Something that would shatter her dreams of a beautiful wedding ceremony and feast. In an instant, a flash Mary’s life and ours was changed forever.
TURN WITH ME if you will to day’s scripture, Luke 1:26-29. READ!
“Highly favored!” What did this mean to be favored by God? The angel’s message struck like lightning. Mary was confused, troubled she did not think of herself as one who was highly favored. She wasn’t special, more religious, or more deserving than anyone else she knew. In fact she knew more than anyone her shortcomings and imperfections.
She struck the angel Gabriel as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this child, but he’d been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it. He told her what the child was to be named and who he was to be and something about the mystery that was to come upon her. “You mustn’t be afraid, Mary,” he said. And as he said it, he only hoped she wouldn’t notice that beneath the great golden wings he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole future of creation hung now on the answer of this young girl.” (Peculiar Treasures, Frederich Buechner).
I have found favor with God. Now notice, Mary was not startled by the angel she doesn’t doubt the angel’s word, even though it must have sounded incredible. She wasn’t shocked by the fact that the Messiah was about to come to earth. Did her heart skip a beat, you bet it probably did? She knew the prophecies, all young jewish girls at that time hoped to be that virgin. It was not the experience of seeing an angel that gripped Mary, what concerned her, what made her eyebrows furl was the fact that she was highly favored, that she had found favor with God.
The Greek word for highly favored comes from the word, charis which means grace, the unearned or undeserved blessing of God. She was a godly woman, blessed among women but not above men and women. She was a recipient of God’s grace and it was God’s grace, not Mary’s character that made her God’s choice. There were other godly women, other virgins, but in grace God chose her because that was his plan, his desire. She was not worthy of being the mother of the Son of God. She was made worthy by His grace. The context here of “found favor with God” is that because the Lord is with her, she has found grace by the side of God, in fellowship with God.
God seldom acts in a manner we expect or think we deserve. God works through people and events that seem strange and bizarre yet somehow wonderful all in the same moment. Favor with God means he has found you usable in his kingdom. He has decided to bless you. God blessed Mary by giving her the baby Jesus, likewise he has blessed us, favored us with the gift of Jesus. You may feel that your ability, experiences, or education makes you an unlikely candidate to be used by God. But by God’s grace you have found favor with God. Don’t limit God’s choices and will for you. Don’t limit the example he has given us in Mary.
She found favor in God. She trusted him even when she didn’t understand. And because she did the whole world has the opportunity to experience God’s grace. What if in her free will she had decided not to become the mother of God? What if she had decided the demand was too much? That she didn’t have enough time, money or resources, to follow God’s will? What if she had decided it just didn’t fit her career plans for her life? What if she decided she just didn’t want too? In God’s grace Mary found strength, encouragement, and promise through the Holy Spirit to follow his will for her life. Thanks be to God!
But, hear what God’s favor didn’t bring her. It didn’t bring her wealth, or notoriety in her day. It didn’t bring her security and an easy life. It didn’t bring her a life of leisure and luxury. It brought her ridicule for a pregnancy out of wedlock, it brought her pain as her husband to be planned to dismiss her in divorce, it brought her fear and a poor life as the wife of a humble carpenter in a foreign land. It brought her confusion and grief as she walked with her son, God’s son, through his ministry, rejection and murder on the cross.
Favor with God is a blessing but it is also a challenge to trust God that his Will will be done. That your rewards are being stored up for you in heaven, not in this life. You and I like Mary have found favor with God and Like Mary, we have been given his promises and power through the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us even when life hands us difficulties, challenges, pain and sorrow.
Why did God choose Mary? She was an unlikely candidate a poor, young, nobody. Yet, God used her because she was trusted him and was willing. If God were to tell you that the eternity of others hung in the balance of your willingness to carry Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would you? Think about it. If God were to tell you that eternity of others hung in the balance of your willingness to carry Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would you?
The question is not if God has called you? The question is now how God will use you? The question is not what will the future hold? The question is not whether you are worthy of being used by God. THE QUESTION IS ARE YOU WILLING TO SAY, Yes, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Luke 1:38 (NRSV) according to the favor I have found in you.
Amen and Amen.
WHo was Mary?
Why Mary?
Favor with God
God Choose Her
She trusted God even when she didn’t understand
What favor was not
Have you found favor with God
Mary is very much a part of the gospel story. The mother of Jesus is one of six women so named in the New Testament. Mary is the Greek form of the Hebrew, Miriam, meaning exalted. Moses’ sister bore that splendid name.
Mary of Nazareth - has any individual in Scripture suffered more at the hands of the church? Rome has elevated her to goddess - Mariolatry. It really was late in being officially established, not until December, 1854 when Pious IX promulgated the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (immunity from stain of original sin). This was followed in 1950 by the Assumption (bodily transplanted to heaven). A cultus developed with multiplication of festivals in her honor. In reaction, Protestants have ostracized her, deprived her of personality and identity - almost afraid to mention her. Some writers have - unsuccessfully - attempted to make her of questionable morals, a camp follower. Others have drenched her in pious sentimentality, swathing her in a nun’s habit. In reality, Mary is a remarkable individual. Scripture provides a brief, yet fascinating portrayal of her spiritual pilgrimage, an unfolding, a maturing in faith.
God seldom acts in a manner we expect. God works through people and events that seem strange and unrelated to us, especially at Advent. It may appear odd to us that God would use the ordinary and the common, but if you know your Bible this would not surprise you. This is how God has always done it. Our problem is that we have seen too many Cecil B. de Mille’s films with all the thunder and lighting and we have failed to read the text. Look closely at what is taking place in this birth narrative in the New Testament
Gabriel’s first surprise to Mary was "The Lord is with you, do not be afraid." You can be sure that Mary was gripped with fear. We call it the virgin birth; I don’t know what Mary called it, a mess, a dilemma, a thorny problem. It’s a problem for us even today. There are several people in the church, some of whom are ministers and even some who are bishops who do not believe in the virgin birth. And that amazes me. Most of them have no problem at all in admitting that God created all things in heaven and on earth but when it comes to Mary’s pregnancy they say, well, that’s impossible.
I will admit that we do not understand it. [
IS FAVOR WITH GOD – accepting the power of God ??? - emphasis is not primarily on Mary, but on the power of Almighty God. – The power of God is the power of his will changing and making things happen for the fulfillment of his kingdom.
Think of the fear that must have gripped Mary. Her first reaction was, “You don’t know what you are talking about. I am still a virgin.” But Gabriel assured her that it was the work of the Holy Spirit. That God was with her. Her next thought must have been, “My father will kill me.” It was hard enough to get a good girl married off but one that has lost her purity, that will never do. But the Angel reassured her in a very special way. He said, your relative Elizabeth, in her old age, is going to have a child as well. It was a miracle, unlike Mary’s but a miracle nonetheless. That’s wonderful isn’t it? God did not leave Mary alone in this miraculous event. Someone else in her family was going to experience the unexpected work of heaven in the womb. I can picture the family getting together and saying, “what Mary is telling us must be true. There are things afoot in our family that are too wonderful to ignore.”
Gabriel’s second surprise to Mary was, "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son." Can you hear the surprise in that, Mary you will conceive and have a son? What could be more astonishing than God placing his most awesome work in the hands of a 16-year-old peasant girl named Mary? I’m afraid to have a 16 year old baby-sit children, so forget entrusting the destiny of the world into such hands.
God was searching for some place in human life to leave the treasure. In God’s case, the treasure was not gold, but the gospel.
In lieu of such a sign, on one day during the year - March 25th, nine months exactly before Christmas - the church highlights the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel and the conversation that took place between the two of them. It was a momentous exchange because Mary responded faithfully to Gabriel’s incredible message to her that she had been chosen by God, to be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah
God must have been extremely careful in selecting Mary to become the Mother of our Lord. He saw qualities in her which must have commended her to him as most suitable for this important role in his plan. God knew she would be frightened; he could understand that she would be mystified by the startling appearance of the angel Gabriel - and perplexed by Gabriel’s message - but he must also have expected her reply: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." God could have written the lines in the script if he wished; he knew her well - and loved and trusted her completely. Why else would he have chosen her to become the Mother of his Messiah?
ROLE OF FREE WILL IN MARY BECOMING MOTHER OF GOD – what if Mary had said no. Who among us would be so willing to carry the Christ to the world? Who among us is tryly willing to face the embarrassment, humiliation, etc. for the sharing of Christ with the world.
Someone once said: "A saint is simply a person to whom God has given strength to take his basic commandment (to love God and humanity with heart, mind, soul, and strength) with utter seriousness, to understand it profoundly, and to bend every effort to carry it out." Who could doubt that Mary loved God? She certainly took his Word seriously, didn’t she? Why else would she have consented to Gabriel’s request from God? She must have received an abundant measure of grace to have offered herself to God for his purposes in the light of what she must have perceived to be at best a mixed blessing. She was sharp enough to ask Gabriel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" Isn’t that a loaded question? Nevertheless, she could say, "I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
her example of living by grace and faith in God and obediently giving her life and fate into the hands of God makes us pause and give thanks to God. And it ought also to prompt us to pray for his grace in sufficient measure that we might perceive his will for our lives in his holy Word, and cheerfully attempt to follow his course for our lives in love and wonder.
There is an old theory that Mary - a descendant of David was of the priestly tribe of Levi. Tradition has given the names of her parents as Anna and Joachim. We first see Mary as the young maiden of childlike innocence, visited by Gabriel, "Hail, the Lord is with thee ..." The scene is completely natural, "... she was troubled at his saying ..." We recognize a naive peasant girl of humble piety, abashed at the news, "... thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son ..." In complete candor and modesty, she insists this cannot be, "... seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:28-34) Much in life lies beyond comprehension. There are many mysteries.
Martin Luther makes a special point regarding Mary. He stressed the element of faith. "The Virgin Birth is a sheer trifle for God; that God should become man is a superior miracle." Luther continues, "... the most astonishing of all is that the maiden [Mary] would believe the announcement."2 For Luther the point is very clear: it was the virgin’s faith rather than the virgin birth that is complete miracle.
You see, Mary was betrothed. She was kind of married, but not really married. It was kind of an engagement, but more than an engagement. She and Joseph were not living together yet, but if Joseph would have died, Mary would have been considered a widow. It was a firm and honorable commitment.
By the way, did I mention that these are kids we are talking about here? That’s right. Joseph is probably 17 or 18 and Mary is closer to 11 or 12. You need to change the picture of those two riding the donkey. Take some of the maturity out of the face we have painted for her and take some of the hair off of his. At that time, Mary was the right age for betrothal and marriage, but today she would be cramming for a chapter test in her sixth grade Social Studies class.
Before I say what I want to say next, please understand that I am not a Catholic-basher. I care deeply for those who are Catholic. However, it must be clearly taught ¬ Mary has no place in our redemption. It is only by the shed blood of Jesus that you and I can have forgiveness of sin and open access to God the Father. Mary is not a co-redemptorist or a mediator. She needed to have her sins forgiven, just like we do. Don’t give to Mary that which belongs only to Jesus.
The Underestimated Mary
Now, let me be quick to add that while many Catholics overestimate Mary’s importance and attribute things to her that are not taught in the Bible, most Protestants underestimate her importance. Many of us allow her a cameo appearance in Christmas cards, carols, and nativity scenes during this time of the year, but then we tuck her away like a Christmas ornament, out of sight, out of mind, until her reappearance next December. Mary is often the victim of simple neglect, having been abandoned to a kind of evangelical limbo. Some of us have consigned her to virtual oblivion.
As we will see this morning, Mary did play a crucial role in God’s plan, and we will be spiritually impoverished if we ignore her.
Gone are the happy dreams of a beautiful wedding; gone are the days of sweet anticipation; gone are the carefully thought out plans for the wedding feast. She will be married, but not before rumors spread through the countryside. There will be a wedding feast, but not the way she planned. It will all happen, but not the way she expected.
she has no idea what is about to happen. Mary is completely in the dark, without a clue that her life is about to be changed forever.
This greeting is both beautiful and powerful. The angel recognizes Mary’s God-developed character as a young teenager who has accepted God’s grace and has been living it out in quietness, peace, and purity. This greeting does not mean that Mary is so full of grace that she can forever bestow grace on others. The context here is that because the Lord is with her, she is favored. That’s what grace is all about.
Verse 29 tells us “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”
Mary was troubled because she did not think of herself as one who was highly favored. She, more than anyone, knew all about her shortcomings.
This time he tells her again that she has found favor with God and adds that she does not need to be afraid. This phrase does not so much describe her character as it describes how God’s grace is going to affect her and work through her to impact all of human history. The preposition with, literally means that she has found grace by the side of God, in the fellowship of God.
It’s interesting to note that Mary does not doubt the angel’s word, even though it must have sounded incredible. She believed what the angel said. Her only question had to do with how it would happen. In essence she says to Gabriel, “All right. I’m willing to do my part, but you need to explain how we’ll handle this one little problem.” That’s real faith. That’s believing the impossible. That’s trusting God even when the facts argue against it.
In the history of the church Mary has often been portrayed as a kind of misty, otherworldly figure. If you look at some of the great paintings of Mary, they make her look so peaceful that you almost forget she was a real person. That’s a shame because the Bible makes it clear that she was very real, with very real doubts, very real questions and very real faith. Nowhere is this seen with more clarity than in verse 38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Did her heart skip a beat when she said YES? You bet it did -- but she said it. It is not the experience of seeing an angel that gripped Mary. There was no spiritual rush, no emotional ecstasy because she was in the presence of an angel. Her response is a thoughtful, obedient response to God’s revelation. Mary believed God, with a single-minded, unwavering commitment. She was Available. With her head tilted high, her hands trembling just a bit, wide-eyed, nervous, open-mouthed, questioning but not afraid, wondering but not terrified, unsure but not uncertain...when the angel said, “Nothing is impossible with God,” Mary took a deep breath and said, “May it be to me as you have said.” And with those words Christmas came to the world.
Friend, are you available to God this Christmas? Are you ready to say “yes” to Him? Or, are you holding back? Don’t be afraid to make yourself available to Him -- your life will never be the same!
have no doubt that Mary asked, “Why me?” Why would God choose an obscure peasant girl in some out-of-the-way village as the chosen vehicle to bring his son into the world? There are many answers that have nothing to do with Mary, but there is one answer that has everything to do with her. God chose her because he trusted her. He knew she was willing to believe the impossible. He also knew she was willing to pay the price for that belief. He knew she was willing to bear a child out of wedlock in order to bring God’s Son into the world.
Quite frankly, it comes down to a question of faith,
A question of faith first answered by a scared fifteen year old girl.
Try having this one put on your shoulders.
2000 years later, scholars are still debating this…
Try it as an uneducated 15 year old girl betrothed to another man,
Knowing full well that the consequences of agreeing to this is
Almost certain death.
Now there is a dose of reality.
How would you answer?
Would you find yourself questioning if this was possible?
Would you find yourself asking why God would choose you to be
The instrument of salvation for the world?
If God were to tell you that the eternity of others hung in the balance
Of your willingness to carry Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
And share him with others, how would you answer?
(pause)
Folks, this is the question that God is asking you.
It was just asked of a fifteen year old Hebrew girl first,
And her task was much more difficult than any of us are likely to
Experience.
But the question he asks remains the same.
Think about it…
God has been asking people to share his Son for 2000 years now.
It started with Mary.
And yes, the consequences for her were far more extreme
Than anything you or I could ever suffer.
But the question is still the same…
Are you willing to share Jesus with the world?
That hope rests today on us - will we be like her?
will we give birth to Christ in our actions and thoughts, and deeds?
Will we obey the Lord,
and walk in his ways?
Will we share Christ with the world?
A survey was taken that asked the question,
"What is your greatest hindrance to sharing your faith?"
The largest group were the 51 percent whose
biggest problem was the fear of how others would react! Why?Because no one likes to be rejected, ridiculed, or regarded as an oddball. Sure there is some risk…But, the stakes we gamble in sharing our faith, our hope,
our salvation is nothing compared to what God asked of Mary.In sharing Christ,Mary risked being shunned, beaten, and a public stoning. In sharing Christ,We risk upsetting someone or being embarrassed.
So what?
“No one will ever believe this story”. I am sure that is one of the first things that pop up in Mary’s mind. It doesn’t take a brain scientist to figure out that a virgin cannot get pregnant. I can imagine Mary at that moment thinking, “What is Joseph going to say? What is going to happen to me? They will probably stone me to death.” Mary had every reason to think these things because Jewish Law said that the punishment for adultery was death.
Not plena gratia but gratia cumlata ? You have been much graced by God
C. God chose Mary not by any merit of her own but by the grace of the Sovereign Lord.
D. Thomas Watson (C. 1557-1592) ? God did not choose us because we were worthy, but by choosing us he makes us worthy
E. John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you...."
