Can you tell when someone is in a good mood? What’s the “give-away”? Maybe you see the person smiling, or perhaps they have a little extra “spring” in their step. I can tell when Ken is in a good mood because he starts singing; whatever is in his head is what comes out of his mouth. It doesn’t even matter if he doesn’t know the whole song, he’ll just sing the one or two lines he does know over and over and over again. It can verge on annoying, but it really never bothers me too much because I know he’s feeling good.
Certainly, we have our little behaviors that reflect our good moods. But what about when it’s more than just a good mood? What about those times when you receive what seems like the best news of your whole life? What causes you to toss aside all inhibitions and celebrate wildly? Though it far too often seems as if such moments are few and far between, we do all have occasional moments of pure joy in our lives; times when all social graces are tossed aside so that the moment can be fully enjoyed and completely celebrated.
Maybe it comes with the news that someone close to you who’d been very sick was getting better and would soon be home. Or perhaps you would rejoice over the news that the flood which had threatened your home was finally receding. Or maybe it is the news that all your money worries, or business worries, had been sorted out and you could relax. Perhaps it would be the telephone call to say that you had been promoted to the job you’d always longed for. Whatever the news may be, when we are on the receiving end of such announcements, we tend to do things we normally wouldn’t.
We might break out in a jig, click our heels, or dance round, and round, and round with a friend. Or perhaps we shout and throw a cap into the air. Or maybe we just collapse in total, utter surprise. We might pick up the phone to call everybody we can think of to share the news, or even to invite them to a big celebratory party. We might sing a song, perhaps even making one up that specifically expresses the joy we feel on this marvelous occasion. We might be so full of happiness that we clap our hands and stomp our feet in rhythm as we sing. That’s the kind of thing we do when we feel pure, complete, unadulterated happiness.
Now, with that picture in your mind, consider this passage we heard a few moments ago from Luke’s gospel. It is the story of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Mary has just learned that she is pregnant with the child of God, and by way of confirmation, the angel has also shared with her that her long barren cousin, Elizabeth, is pregnant as well. So Mary sets out to confirm this news and to share her own good tidings. When Mary greets Elizabeth, there can be no question that these are two happy women. They are experiencing complete delight, and their responses reveal that. Elizabeth is so excited that the baby within her “leaps” with joy, we are told. And Mary breaks out into this spontaneous song, what we call “Mary’s Magnificat.” It’s a made-up song, but it’s the kind of spontaneous reaction that occurs in the most joyful moments of our lives. But as Mary sings, what she expresses is far more than just a passing happiness at the good news of a pregnancy. Instead, Mary is expressing some of the greatest hopes and dreams of her people, the Israelite people, which will now be fulfilled through the baby growing inside her. Can you imagine? Something that you have been waiting for and longing for your whole lifetime, and your ancestors before that, is about to happen! How can you help but be excited! And Mary was.
But this is more than just excitement; it’s more even than just simple happiness. Because happpiness is often fleeting. The healed relative returns home, life settles back into its usual routine and new challenges emerge. The flood waters recede only to be replaced by a burned-out engine in the car. We get a few months into that brand new dream job, only to discover that the new boss is a “slave-driver” and we have less and less time to spend with family. Just like that, the feelings of happiness that were once so prevalent are now gone completely. Probably more often than we would like to think, we are reminded that happiness can sometimes be empty and fleeting. But joy is something greater. Joy is more than just a good feeling, it's more lasting. Joy is the fulfillment of our greatest dreams, and a knowledge of peace that sustains us at all times and in every place; even in the midst of life’s ups and downs, joy is still present. I have heard it said that, "Happiness is an outside job, but joy is an inside job." And I think the reason that is the case is because real joy is only come through faith in God. Real joy is only possible because of God’s work in the world; which is precisely why when we encounter Mary and Elizabeth in this passage from Luke’s gospel, they are so completely joyful.
I suppose it seems rather odd that we could call Mary and Elizabeth’s celebration completely joyful when Mary is getting all excited about people being pulled away from their thrones or being sent away without any food. Quite honestly, it sounds like complete anarchy. But this is all about how God is at work in the world, turning oppressive power structures upside down and establishing his reign of peace and justice, just as God has always promised. And that is why this women are so excited, that is why they are full of joy. This is a celebration of God. God is at work beating down the bullies and blessing the outcasts. God has taken the initiative to turn the fortunes of the poor, hungry, enslaved, and miserable. If that’s not a reason to celebrate, I don’t know what is! If that’s not a source of pure joy, then there is none!
In fact, Mary and Elizabeth’s celebration was so pure and complete that it became the inspiration for church festivals and celebrations for years to come. I want to share with you all a scene from one of my favorite Disney animated movies Let’s watch.
As we can see here, in the medieval church, there was an annual festival celebrated widely called the “Feast of Fools.” As you heard, Clopin describes the “Feast of Fools” as a “topsy-turvy” day when “weeds are a bouquet” and “every man’s a king and every king’s a clown.” In these ancient festival celebrations, the people would hold fake elections and they would “elect” bogus officials, who would wear inside-out costumes, carry upside down books, and recite inarticulate gibberish, all in jest. They were mocking the powerful elite. And the reason they did this? The reason the “Feast of Fools” even began? It was a literal acting out of Mary’s Magnificat. The powerful were mocked as the “low lifes” (so to speak) became the “favored” for a day. At it’s core, the “Feast of Fools” was an odd witness to the God who topples human power structures, turns the world “topsy-turvy,” and raises the downtrodden to a position of honor and feasting.
If we take Mary’s Magnificat too seriously, it is nothing more than a sour and angry rant from a girl who is harboring a whole lot of bitterness. But Mary wasn’t angry or bitter when she visited Elizabeth, far from it. She is watching God’s plans and promises unfold right before her eyes. And even though Jesus, the Savior, hasn’t been born yet, she already knows how he is going to turn the world upside down. It’s the most wonderful, exciting news of her life. She was full of joy like she had never experienced before—the kind of joy that can only be expressed completely with singing, and dancing, and laughing, and celebrating in the streets just as people do on the “Feast of Fools.”
This morning, we take one little peak into a brief moment in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth. It just happens to be the moment when they are realizing that the God they have so faithfully loved and followed is really beginning to start changing the world for the better as he has always promised he would. They can’t contain their joy. And theirs is a celebration which should continue even today, especially today, now that God’s work in Christ has already begun. As we watch God’s work unfold in this world, we should be celebrating in the same way that Mary and Elizabeth did so many years ago. God’s gift of joy is offered to each of us. As Jesus Christ is busy making this world a better place, it should be a constant source of joy for each of us. And we should never stop celebrating the God who makes all things right!
