The Birth of Jesus Foretold
Luke 1:26-38 (NRSVUE)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[d] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
The way that we understand and live out our faith makes all the difference in the world! When we look at and listen to words, and the world around us, through the lens of God’s unconditional love and grace, our understanding deepens. We see new possibilities, hope, fresh new starts, and opportunities that may have seemed far beyond our reach in the past. Because our faith allows us to let go of the control that we think we need to have in our lives and in the world around us, to hand off the weight of worry, fear, and concern, and to allow God to lead us in new and exciting ways!
Friends, I have to say, today’s scripture reading has been playing games with me all week. Actually, there is one word in particular that grabbed hold of me and opened my eyes to new and unexpected understandings. Now when we look up a word in the dictionary, there can be multiple definitions, and the same words can often be used as various parts of speech: as a noun, a verb, an adverb, and/or an adjective. But recently I have been wondering. Do words change when we look at them through the lens of faith?
Last week we heard the story of an angel appearing to Zechariah and telling him that his wife Elizabeth–who was barren and as scripture says, beyond her years–would conceive and bear a son. Though this was something that Zechariah had prayed for years and years, when Zechariah saw the angel, scripture says he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. And after listening to the angel, Zechariah’s fear and doubt cast a heavy cloud over him as he replied, “How can I know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.”
But in today’s story, when the angel appeared to Mary, scripture says that she was simply “perplexed.” In the dictionary, perplexed is defined as “completely baffled, very puzzled, or confused.” Because of Mary’s faith, though she was perplexed, she kept her heart and mind open. After all, she knew that God was always doing new things. So, she didn’t doubt the angel or the message. She simply wondered, “Why would such an incredible message come to such an ordinary girl?” And then her reply was so simple, “Let it be so,” or “Let it be with me according to your word.”
Friends, have you ever struggled with finding your purpose and being at peace with it? Or do you long for more peace in your life and relationships? The truth is you find peace in the world when you first find peace within yourself.
Mary had no control over what was happening in her life. She hadn’t called on the angel or asked to be part of God’s plan. But because she lived a life of true faith, because she trusted in God and remembered that God was always doing new things, she knew that God would not lead her astray.
Folks, sometimes the hardest part of having faith is letting go. The world teaches us to be in control of our lives, to always have a plan, and to fight for what we want. But that is also how we block out the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That’s how we hold God at arm’s length, and that is how we live lives of fear rather than faith.
Last Wednesday, I attended our Attleboro Area clergy lunch, as I try to do each month. Sitting around the table with fifteen other religious leaders can be inspiring, but it can also be frustrating. Let’s just say that this week, I found myself perplexed. Because rather than being a group that was working to spread the message of love, hospitality, grace, and hope, it felt as though I was sitting at a table of scribes and Pharisees who were trying to make community changes from on high to better fit their plans. The issue being discussed was “Sunday youth sports and activities,” because they believe that is why families are not regularly attending Sunday school and worship at our area churches. And the group was planning to address the Attleboro and North Attleboro school superintendents and Parks and Recreation departments to request that no activities begin until after noon on Sundays so families can attend church.
Now I hear their concern, and I know that years ago when the “Blue Laws” were in place, we did have more people worship. But sitting at the table, I found myself perplexed because the group had lost sight of the fact that God is always making things new and that, as communities of faith, we need to as well. Now don’t worry, I am not suggesting that we change our Sunday morning schedule. But perhaps as churches, rather than worrying about families not coming to us, we need to worry a little more about how to meet families where they are, offering them what they need rather than expecting them to fit into our schedules and our traditions.
Mary taught us such an important lesson that day when the angel visited her, and that is to be open and flexible to new possibilities and opportunities because God is always working in and around us. And because of that, we need to keep the door open, allowing the holy spirit in. And yes, that can be scary sometimes–very scary–because we are used to getting what we want and doing things our way. But learning to let go of our fear and worry and trusting in God opens the door to so many more possibilities. And most importantly, it opens our hearts to receiving true peace.
So brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, spend some time being like Mary. Take some time to be perplexed as you look at the world around you not through the lens of fear or worry or judgment but through the lens of love and hospitality, grace, and utter peace. Let God guide you. Take time to first find peace within yourself, then go out into the world, knowing deep in your heart that nothing is impossible with God!
My friends may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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