Title: “I am the Lord’s Servant.” Mary. Advent Three

Date: 2007-12-16

Reference: Luke 1: 26-38

Two boys were walking down 5th Ave. In NYC at Christmas Time. One was heading to the Synagogue and the other to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. With a measure of Kosher pride the first boy said: “You know of course, that Jesus was Jewish.” The other boy replied: “I know. But his mother Mary was a Catholic.”

The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches have traditionally emphasized Mary more than we Protestants have. Even though we don’t talk about her often we too appreciate Mary as the Mother of Jesus.

Sometimes Mary is seen as an otherworldly figure very removed from us. The Doctrine of Immaculate Conception actually teaches that Mary herself was conceived without sin. By contrast the book of Luke describes Mary as an ordinary young woman who was chosen by God and who chose to be obedient to the Spirit of God. Mary was a frightened teen aged Jewish girl who was asked to do her part in the Christmas Story.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to speak with a young woman who was engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph. The girl’s name was Mary. I don’t believe Mary was chosen because she had been immaculately conceived or because she was the most attractive, intelligent, or religious girl in Israel. Mary was a common peasant girl. She didn’t earn a visit from the angel. She certainly didn’t ask for it nor was she expecting it. The Angel was sent by God.

Gabriel said what angels usually say: “Don’t be afraid. God has a plan and it includes you.” Mary was a practical, down to earth, no non sense girl. Her response was “I have never been with a man. How can this be?” Mary knew from a human perspective this birth was impossible.

Gabriel responded: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the child will be the Son of God.” He continued saying “Your elderly relative Elizabeth is also expecting a son. Because with God nothing is impossible.”

The story of God’s involvement is one of a God who makes impossible things happen by demonstrating His power in the lives of ordinary human beings. God intersects with our human limitations with His unlimited Grace. The key verse to understanding Christmas is.”With God nothing is impossible.”

Mary went to see her cousin Elizabeth. The old woman cried out: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you carry.” In response Mary rejoiced in the hope that future generations would call her blessed.

The thing that set Mary apart is her strong belief that nothing is impossible with God. She believed so strongly she was willing to offer her life to God. She was willing ready, and able to do her part. Mary’s story is that of an ordinary young woman who in a very extraordinary way allowed her body to become a channel through which God could make His presence a reality in the world. Mary shows how the lowly can be lifted up and how God can use each of us.

Mary’s situation was far different than most. And we are forever blessed because Mary allowed God to work through her.

The question for each of us to answer is: “How will the world be blessed because of you and me? Because we said yes to God.?” God’s plan is to work through each of us. Whether it was Sarah claiming she was too old to be used by God or Jeremiah claiming he was too young, God rejected their excuses. “Don’t say that” replied the Lord. “For you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” God doesn’t want to use just some of his people God wants to use all of his people. The Christmas Story unfolded because of very ordinary people responding to God’s Call. Whenever and wherever God begins to move he looks for one of his people who is willing and available to help.

To make the most of our time on earth we must maintain an eternal perspective. Paul said: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.” So much of what we waste our energy on won’t matter even a year fro now much less in eternity. We should never trade life for temporary things. Mary certainly didn’t understand all that was happening in her life but she developed an eternal perspective.

The Bible says Mary was with child and no human father was involved. The church has never made belief in the Virgin Birth a requisite for membership. Many cannot make this leap of faith. Some very devout people have never been able to intellectually accept the idea of a Virgin Birth. As for me it’s not something I worry about. Frederick Strauss was the Ward Churchill of his day. He was the only German Theologian to lose his job in 300 years. He wrote a book entitled “life of Jesus.” In that book he said Jesus was the off spring of a Jewish teenager and a Roman Soldier. All of Christendom shook but we survived this and every other attack on orthodoxy.

If you believe the idea of the Virgin Birth is absolutely impossible I would question your view of God. We can never, ever, for any reason, limit God. We Christians believe in a God big enough to deal with our most pressing personal problems. Bit enough to deal with the problems of our nation and world. Our God is the God of the impossible.

The angel said to Mary: “You are truly blessed and the Lord is with you. Don’t be afraid, the Lord is pleased with you. You will have a son and you will name him Jesus.” Mary had a choice. The angel was announcing God’s plan and purpose to Mary. It would not have been carried out without Mary’s willing consent. She said: I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen as you have said.” Again what will your response be when God calls?

When I think of Mary I think of a simple girl who loved God. Over the years we’ve attempted to make her something she is not. A few years ago a water stain 60' high and 20' across appeared on a plate glass window at an office in Florida. Many believed they were able to see the image of the Virgin Mary in the water stain. People came from all across the country to pray and light candles. The city created a miracle management task force to deal with all the visitors. It was estimated that 400k people visited the site during the holiday season. Visitations continued for five years until an emotionally disturbed young man shattered the window with a slingshot and ball bearings. I can’t think of any good reason Mary would show up on a window. A university professor gave a scientific explanation saying: “moisture on the outside of the window combined with the AC blowing on the inside caused the glass to be discolored.”

We human beings have always had a deep desire, a spiritual hunger for things that are possible only with God. We love hearing about miracles. As persons of faith we know God works through our human experience in ways that go beyond our ability to understand. There clearly are things in life we cannot understand or explain.

The poet has called Christmas “The Irrational Season.” He said: “Had Mary been filled with reason only there would have been no room for the child.” The same is true for us. If we are filled with reason only there is no room for the child to be born again in our hearts this holiday season. Impossible things continue to happen in this world when obedient people say yes to God.

All generations have honored Mary not because of what she had but because of what she was given and because of her obedience to God. Following the example of Mary we are called to live lives that become a blessing to others. We are called to allow our lives to be a tangible expression of God’s love. We are called to say yes. Our Christmas prayer could be: “O God who made the impossible probable through the obedience of Mary give us grave to live in active obedience to your will. Allow us to live lives that will be a blessing to others.

God makes impossible things possible by demonstrating his extraordinary power in the lives of ordinary people. We must learn to be attentive to the creator’s desire for our lives. We must learn to listen in the deep places for the voice of the one who loves us beyond measure.

Obedience requires courage.


A wise man pointed out: “Of every other child born into the world friends can say ‘the child resembles his mother.’ Christmas was the first instance when anyone could say the mother resembles the child. This was also the first time in the history of the world that anyone could ever think of heaven being anywhere else than somewhere up there. When the child was in her arms, Mary now looked down into heaven.”