Rev. George Miller
Dec 22, 2024
Luke 1:26-38
Last month, our Pre-School had a book fair
in which they sold “You’re So Brave”, featuring Biblical characters like Daneil
and Deborah
Fitting, as it’s a theme we’ve been
talking about.
On the chapter about Mary, the author
writes “One day, an angel came to Mary and said ‘God is giving you a special
job…”
“Mary didn’t say, ‘That’s crazy!” or ‘I
can’t do that!’…No, Mary was brave enough to trust God. She wanted to obey Him. Right away she said , ‘I’m ready to serve
God.’”
There’s a major error in this telling- Mary
didn’t respond right away with “I’m ready.” Mary actually did question and ponder.
The author of this kids-book creates an
image of Mary as someone who immediately acted with blind faith and said “Yes”.
But Luke tells us that Mary was perplexed,
she asked “How can this be?” and only after some time, conversation, and further
information, did Mary say “Here I am; let it be.”
Luke’s version does not make Mary any less
brave, any less a hero, any less a person of faith.
Luke’s version doesn’t change the fact
that Mary was still brave or that she answered the call. In some ways Luke’s version makes Mary
more….human.
For 2,000 years Mary has played a special
role in people’s faith. Some folk try to
portray her as so perfect, so demure, so gentle.
In the kids’ book, the image of Mary is
someone who doesn’t take a moment to think, question, or seek clarity, but
immediately says “I’m ready.”
In my opinion, how unfair this image is to
present to children, especially little girls.
This notion that faith doesn’t leave room
for wonder or involve conscious decision making.
Mary does these things, and it doesn’t
make her any less brave.
As Luke 1 tells us, Gabriel the angel comes
to Mary, saying “Greetings favored one!”
Mary is perplexed. As well as she should be. Who in a healthy mindset expects to have an
unexpected encounter with a celestial being?
Mary begins to ponder what kind of
salutation this might be. The word
“ponder” can indicate that Mary was confused.
One person at Bible Study used the word
“curiosity” and how being curious allows us to think about potential.
In many ways, if Mary pondered and was
curious, there is a good chance that part of her did say “That’s crazy!”
When the angel says “do not be afraid,” it
indicates that Mary was indeed feeling some sort of emotion and needed calming
validation.
How many of us can relate to this moment- having
an unexpected opportunity or situation come your way, in which there is a
decision to be made, one that can change the direction of your life, and how
scary this can be?
Gabriel must have sensed this, because the
angel goes on with information and the Biblical reminder that “Nothing will be
impossible with the Lord.”
Who knows how long this conversation took
place?
Do you think this sequence of events was
within minutes, as written? Could it
have taken an hour or more, with Mary really pondering and thinking hard?
Is it possible this may have taken days of
discussion, reflection and the author shortened it to speed things up?
How we view this narrative arc can shape
how we see our own faith experience.
Is our faith and relationship with God
about immediate actions that involve blind trust only?
Or does our relationship with God allow
space to take our time, to think things through, to ask, ponder, wonder, to
feel a whole sort of emotions from fear to joy to sadness to fearlessness?
I think Mary is very human; that she was someone
who was astute, aware, and very brave.
Which leads us to another part of today’s
reading, one we may not have thought about before.
Mary has an experience with Gabriel. Gabriel means “The Lord’s Strength.”
She ponders, accepts, she says “Let it
be.” Then Gabriel, or “The Lord’s
Strength” departs.
Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, staying
for 3 months. When 9 months pregnant,
she and Joseph make their way to Bethlehem.
Mary gives birth to the promised child,
wraps him in swaddling cloth and places him in a manger.
As far as we know…there is no angel present. As far as we know, Gabriel did not visit her
again; there were no additional words from the heavens.
Sure, angelic news come to shepherds, but
we’re not told angels were at the manger.
As far as we know, after the angel
departs, it is just Mary, her time with Elizabeth, with Joseph, with baby Jesus,
but no mention of an angelic advice afterwards.
Which may indicate that while Mary’s
calling began with a heavenly interlude, everything else she accomplished, she
did through her own inner strength, her own faith, and trust in God.
THAT was certainly an act of trust; an act
of belief. It is one thing to say “Let
it be” when an angel called “The Lord’s Strength” is in front of you-
it is another thing to say “Let it be
done” when it’s just you, your day-to-day existence, and life is moving around
you.
Maybe the bravery in Mary is not so much
that she said “Here am I, servant of the Lord,”
Maybe the bravery is that although Mary was perplexed, afraid, pondered,
needed reassurance, she still said “yes,” and-
even without an angelic presence afterwards,
Mary saw it through- she did it, she lived it, she faced the opportunity before
of her.
Mary showed faith even when angels were
absent. In the absence of angels, Mary
found a way to be strong.
That’s bravery- to participate in God’s
story and the Kingdom of Heaven even when we feel confused or curious.
As we move closer to Christmas, may we
continue to find ways to be inspired by the people who shaped Jesus’s life and
play a part in the Family of God.
Mary is indeed a wonderful role model for
us to glean wisdom from and learn about.
And to be reminded of what it is like to
be brave and what it is like to be present, especially when the mystery of the
season surrounds us.
Amen and amen.
