Sermon
Advent 4
December 24, 2017
Luke 1:26-38
“Mary's Questions, Mary's Faith”
One of the main characters on the stage
of the Advent season is, of course, Mary the mother of Jesus. It is
likely the case that when St. Luke set out to write his gospel, he
sat down with Mary for an interview. Luke tells us he endeavored to
write a careful, orderly account of everything that had happened.
And at the end of these first couple of chapters, he mentions twice
that “Mary treasured these things up” and “pondered them in her
heart”. While of course, the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of
these events as he did with all of Holy Scripture, he likely worked
through the recollections of a young mother looking back years after
her son, the Messiah, had ascended into heaven.
As Lutherans we take a view of Mary
which might not sit well with Christians on either side of us. On
the one hand, we have some serious disagreements with Roman Catholics
about Mary's place and role and status. Scripture gives us no
indication that she was without sin, or was assumed, bodily, into
heaven. Neither are we told to turn to her as an intercessor. We
are careful to treat her, like all the other saints of God, not as
one justified by her own merit, but only by grace through faith like
the rest of us. However. Unlike many protestants, we still hold
Mary in high regard and can even call her by the title, “Mother of
God”, as we do in the Formula of Concord. But especially we know
of her from the pages of Scripture, like today's Gospel reading, and
those accounts show us that she was a woman of great faith, and
therefore an example to follow.
Today I'd like to focus on this
particular account, the Annunciation as it is called, and especially
on the questions that Mary asked and pondered... as the answers, of
course, are found in Christ.
What sort of greeting?
Perhaps you'll agree with me that it's
more than a little odd how Mary reacts to the appearance and greeting
of the angel Gabriel. Or at least what we are told about it. If an
angel appeared to me, I would be shocked, awed, amazed... filled with
wonder. I might fall down on my face as so many did – or be
stricken with great fear. I would certainly be concerned with the
reason for such a visit. Perhaps this is the angel of death? Is my
time up? Or is this a warning from God that I'm in big trouble? And
while the angel here says what angels always seem to say, “Do not
be afraid”, it doesn't give us any indication that she was. In
fact, the appearance of the angel itself doesn't seem to trouble
Mary. But what does trouble her is instead – his words. His
greeting. “Greetings, O favored one! The Lord is with you.”
And Mary wonders, “what kind of greeting this might be”. She was
“greatly troubled at the saying”.
Mary seems to me to be a thoughtful
kind of person. The kind of person who ponders deeply – as she did
for years the events of the nativity of Christ. She pondered the
shepherds and their stories about angels. She pondered the strange
visit with her cousin Elizabeth, and how the baby John leaped in
Elizabeth's womb. She pondered Zechariah and the angelic visit he
received. She pondered all these things, treasured them up in her
heart. She must have continued to ponder this angelic visitor and
his troubling words for some time also. But why would it be
troubling?
Perhaps Mary was also keenly aware of
her sin. For the sinner doesn't, and shouldn't expect the favor of
God. At least in the sense that one has pleased God. I get the
feeling that Mary's first question here has the sense of, “Well
gee, that's nice, but why me?” Why a young girl from Nazareth?
Like Nathanel would later say, “Can anything good come from
Nazareth?” Mary seems to be asking, “Why me?” What have I
done to deserve this? That's a paraphrase of Elizabeth's question
when Mary visited her. It's a similar idea. What have I done to
deserve such a gift? It's a confession of sorts, “I don't deserve
such a gift”. “I'm nothing special. I'm no one worthy.”
We can sympathize, can't we? Why would
God look at me with anything but disdain? I know my sin. My failure
is always before me. Sure I keep it hidden from the world, because I
don't want anyone to know what a scoundrel I really am. The things I
think. The words I say. The things I do when no one's looking, and
even when some people are. But God knows my sins – all of them –
better than I do. He's God, after all. Why would, how could I
expect to get away with anything? I deserve judgment. I deserve his
anger. I deserve punishment.
So what kind of greeting is this? “You
who are highly favored”. Well like I said, the answer is really
only found in Christ.
Favor – the greek word is “Charis” which we sometimes translate “grace”. If you've ever heard the Roman Catholic “hail Mary” prayer, it begins, “Hail Mary, full of Grace”. Well she's not full of grace on her own, but like every true believer in God – she has his favor and grace, his undeserved love... only through Christ. You have God's favor and grace, his undeserved love... only through Christ. Though you are, in your sins, a scoundrel. Though you couldn't expect a just God to do you any favors, yet the merciful and kind God has done you the greatest of favors in Christ, the child of Mary.
That Mary had such faith is also
evidenced by her next question. “How will this be, since I am a
virgin?” Now, if you've been reading Luke's Gospel from the
beginning, you might also find this a bit strange. Because Mary
isn't the first one to see an angel, nor the first one to hear tell
of a miraculous conception and birth. Zechariah, one of the priests,
married to Elizabeth, a relative of Mary – he saw the same angel.
And he heard a similar word – “your wife, though she is old, will
have a son”. And Zechariah had a question of his own - “How
shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in
years?” A very similar question to Mary's, “How will this be?
For I am a virgin...”
But Zecharaiah's question was not asked
in faith, but in doubt. He was struck mute – unable to speak until
this word of God was fulfilled. Only when he confessed his faith by
same-saying that the name of the child was John (scrawling that name
on a tablet). Only then could Zechariah speak. And his first words
after that were a Spirit-inspired song of praise.
Mary, for her part, believed from the
get-go. Her, “How will this be..?” wasn't out of doubt. It was
a simple request for information. She knew the normal way things
worked, and that this wasn't normal. It didn't make sense. But her
trust wasn't in her senses, it was in the Lord. This was an honest
question of faith, how will this unfold? What will happen? Unlike
Zechariah's question tinged with doubt.
But like Zechariah, she also responded
to the news with a song, full of the Spirit. Only Zechariah had to
wait to see the fulfillment of the promise. Mary took it on faith
from word one. We sing both these songs in the church to this day –
the Benedictus of Zechariah and Mary's Magnificat.
Some of us hear the word of God and
believe it right away. Some of us have more struggles and doubts.
Some of us may have even rejected it entirely. But the word still
stands. The Law still convicts. And the Gospel still calls us to
faith. And like both Mary and Zecharaiah, we too sing our faith in
joyful response to God's promises. Because no matter the odds, or
the appearance to our reason and senses, we trust in the words and
promises of God in Jesus Christ. We are thankful when we see them
fulfilled. And we are just as thankful while we wait for the
fulfillment.
Where the doubters and the scoffers say
it's impossible, the Angel Gabriel reminds us, “With God, all
nothing is impossible”. Not a virgin conceiving and bearing a
child. Not that God himself would become a human being. Not that
this child to be born would save his people. Is it impossible that
God would die for man, so that man could live for God? Is it
impossible that a man who died would rise, that all die in him would
also be raised with him? Is it impossible that he will come again in
glory, and take us to our eternal home? Faith believes the
promises, even when it seems impossible.
Mary believed. And her faith took on
words – as she responded to the angel confirming that what he said
would be, would be:
“I am the Lord's servant. May it be
to me according to your word.”
What an example for us. May your faith
say the same:
I am the servant of God. I'm not here
to set the agenda, God, but to serve at your good pleasure. I am the
Lord's servant – not his master, nor my own master. In humble
faith I will receive your direction and follow it. May it be to me
according to your word. What you say to me, Lord, is true. What you
promise me, is certain.
As it was to Mary, may it be to you
according to God's word: that your salvation is assured in Christ.
That you, too, are highly favored, and full of grace. Find all of
the answers to faith's questions in him, and know that with Jesus,
nothing is impossible. In Christ, Amen.
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