The Gift of Kingdom Vision Dec. 15, 2019
Luke 1: 46-55
Well, today we continue our journey through Advent by unwrapping some of the unique gifts of Christmas. We’ve opened the gift of reconciliation, which celebrates our redeemed relationship with God made possible through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We’ve experienced the gift of being set free, which is both an eternal promise and a freedom we can experience here and now. Today we’re going to explore the gift of Kingdom Vision, because Jesus helps us see our world, as broken and messy as it is, in a new way. If you have your Bibles…
One of the things I most love about the Christmas story is that everyone in the story matters. Everyone has a role to play, and every person contributes something meaningful to the narrative God is authoring by sending his Son into the world. I think that’s by design, by the way. There are certainly moments when God raises up unique individuals for unique purposes, but more often than not, God typically works through a community of people to accomplish his will. And that’s certainly true of the Christmas story. As much as we’d love to jump straight into the joy of Christmas Day, there are other stories we first need to tell. For instance, there’s the story of the old priest Zechariah, and his wife Elizabeth. There’s no Christmas without their story, which is one of hope and longing, of a dream they pray will one day be fulfilled. And that’s an important theme, because it resonates with many of our stories! Likewise, Christmas doesn’t happen without John the Baptist, as strange as it sounds. He calls us to prepare and to repent, because the coming of the Savior is no run-of-the-mill matter. And there’s no Christmas without the angels, the shepherds, the magi, even all of creation. Each member a vital role in the birthing of this eternity-changing, eternity-shaping God so loved the world story. And the same can be said of a young girl named Mary.
I’ve always found Mary to be a mysterious part of this story. Some of the best Biblical scholars suggest that Mary was no older than a young teenager when she first appears on the scene. Doesn’t that make you raise an eyebrow or two? A teenager fulfills one of the more prominent roles in the Christmas story. Now, I don’t about you, but when I was a young teenager, the things of God were not usually the first thoughts to cross my mind. I was concerned with things like homework and baseball and avoiding my chores. If I could get out of bed and make it to 8:00 church, that was a win! But all joking aside, I think the real reason I didn’t think much about God was because I wasn’t sure God could or would use teenagers. Maybe it’s because I only ever saw adults preaching and teaching and sitting on boards and councils- you know, the places where the real ministry action happens. And I guess I started down a path that suggested you had to be a certain age with certain life experiences to be play a part in what God is doing. But Mary has since changed my perspective.
There are lots of theories as to why God chose Mary to be the theotokos, a Greek word meaning the “God-carrier” or vessel of the Savior of the world. Some have suggested that it was Mary’s innocent nature that attracted God’s attention, or maybe it was the way she lived out a fervent devotion to God. Others have suggested it was her sexual purity. And some have even thought that Mary’s life had a certain quality of holiness that just wasn’t typical for the average person. But there’s a part of me that wonders if God chose Mary for a different sort of reason. Now, I know I could get in trouble for saying this in some circles, but what if God’s reason for choosing Mary was less about Mary and more about God. In no way am I trying to downplay Mary’s attributes and character. I’m sure she was a wonderful, God-fearing human being. But what if Mary’s role in the story says more about God? What if God, in choosing Mary, is showing the world that all things are possible with Him? What if God is letting us in on a divine secret? Because let’s face it. The last person we expect to carry the Son of God into this world is an unwed teenage girl. That’s not how we would’ve written the story, and we come to find out that even Mary was a bit perplexed by the idea.
The way we usually tell the story, you’d think that Mary automatically jumps in with both feet and says, “Here I am, God, I’ll do whatever you want!” But that’s not how the story goes. God certainly has a plan, but Mary has questions and concerns. And so, she asks the question that most of us would’ve asked in that situation: How can this be? Out of perplexity, and maybe out of curiosity, Mary responds to God’s plan by entering into a conversation with God’s messenger. I think that’s a wonderful gift God offers to Mary, because it signals that Mary has a choice in this. God won’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do, and God is willing to entertain Mary’s fears, concerns, and questions. I appreciate how one pastor describes this moment: “…Not only has God chosen Mary, God gives Mary the space and time to choose as well.” [1]
God has chosen us to play a part in His story, but it’s not a one-sided choice. Even though God understands that his plans for us our good, He always gives us the opportunity to choose Him. In those moments between God’s invitation to Mary and Mary’s eventual “yes,” there was a pause. I don’t know how long the pause lasted, but it was at least long enough for Mary to mull everything over. I can’t even begin to imagine what went through Mary’s mind when God’s plan was revealed, but I know what usually happens in my mind. I begin to think of all the ways my life will change and the various apple carts that could be upset. I think of the people who will “get it” and jump on board, but also those who might walk away. I think of the dreams that could be crushed…or discovered; the opportunities that could be lost…or gained; I think of the work it will take and the blessings it could offer; but mostly, I think of this: how is it that I’m the right person for the job? And the answer is always the same: the Holy Spirit will do this. That’s what makes the impossible things of the world possible for God. God’s Spirit will do in and through us what we can’t do on our own! And that was enough for Mary to sign on the dotted line!
It might be crazy for a teenager to carry the Son of God into the world, but Mary chooses to believe. in spite of all her fears, worries and trepidations, she believes that God can do this. And this belief doesn’t stop there. Mary had no idea what the next 30 years of her life would look like, but one thing was certain: the Holy Spirit was up to something new…and nothing about her new way of life would resemble the old. Mary’s view of the world would be challenged and changed by the One in her womb; she would be invited to see her life, and all life, in a new light. She would come to find out that Jesus marches to the beat of a different drum, and she could join his side if she wanted. In Jesus, Mary would glimpse the fullness of God touching the fullness of earth, and it would be beautiful. Years later, Mary would learn to pray with others, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” And she would watch her Son offer his life on a cross to make this Kingdom vision a Kingdom reality. It would feel like defeat, but it was victory. It would feel like darkness, but it was light. It would feel like death, but it was love. It would feel like the end, but it was actually the birth of a new beginning. In her womb was the One who would one day usher in a new heaven and a new earth. In her womb was the One who would dry every tear and make the old order of things pass away. In her womb was the joy of the nations!
Maybe that’s what Mary sees when she sings her beautiful song in Luke, a song that invites us to ponder believe what is sometimes hard for us to see: to believe that God sees us, even in our difficult conditions; to believe that God will do great things for us; to believe that God offers us mercy and strength; to believe that God will correct the wrongs of the world, putting the abusers and powerful in their place, and lifting up the lowly, the forgotten, and the sad; to believe that God will fill us, help us and finally, God will remember us. No matter who we are, where we are and what we’ve done, God will remember us. That’s the vision God sets in motion with the Incarnate Word of God.
You might not feel as if you’re a big part of God’s story, but God does. This Christmas, I invite you to believe again in the wonderful news that God is sharing in His Son Jesus. But I also want to invite you into thisstory: To step into this Kingdom and believe that things really can be on earth as they are in heaven. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can be like Mary- as a vessel of this holy work- of tearing down strongholds, caring for the forgotten, blessing the nobodies of the world, healing the sick, filling the hungry with good things and so much more. And all this is possible because the Holy Spirit, who allows us to see that things can be different, to believe that things can be different, and to live as if it’s already happening. This Christmas, may we find the same faith that Mary found, a faith that chooses to believe that all things are possible through this One named Jesus born in Bethlehem. Amen.
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