“Uncertain? Hope!”

Luke 1:26-38 (1:37) – December 1, 2024

This week, we read one of the most familiar of the narratives in the New Testament, perhaps even of the whole Bible. From the first chapter of Luke, here is the first part of the reading:  ^“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

            Let’s take a closer look at this situation. Imagine yourself as Mary, a teenaged girl. Perhaps doing housework, cooking in the kitchen, or folding laundry. When, out of nowhere, an angel appears. My goodness! Out of the clear blue sky, something completely supernatural happens! And not only that, but to be greeted by the angel with such words?

            Mary’s response is one of puzzlement: “Mary was greatly troubled at the angel’s words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” Let’s face it—Mary is perplexed! She is wondering at the angel’s words: “the Lord is with you.” What kind of a greeting is this, anyway?

            We can be fairly sure that Mary (or, as was probably her name, for a young Jewish woman, Miriam) Mary knew her Hebrew scriptures. The phrase “The Lord is with you” is repeated several times in the Hebrew scriptures, primarily expressing the Lord’s help or assistance. This would puzzle Mary even further—why on earth did she need the Lord’s help?

            We see Mary, probably in the middle of an ordinary day, with the angel Gabriel paying a surprise visit to her! What gives? What is going on?

           I know this is not exactly the same, but I would like to compare Mary’s surprise situation to ours, today. Specifically, to my friend Anita, some time ago now. Out of the clear blue sky, she found out that she needed surgery. Before the beginning of October, she was traveling along, blithely, no serious cares or concerns. After the first week in October? Her life was turned upside down, with a serious medical situation, quickly followed by major surgery.

            How often does something like that happen? Perhaps not a medical emergency in your life, or a loved one’s life, but some other serious situation out of a clear blue sky.

            But, let’s return to Mary. Or, more directly, to the angel Gabriel and what the next words out of the angel’s mouth are: “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”

            I suspect, if I had the opportunity to see an angel, I probably would be afraid, too! Practically every time an angel visits someone in the Bible, “Do not be afraid!” is one of the first things out of their mouths! Gabriel continues: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

            Understandably, Mary is even more puzzled, hearing this! Her response—quite sensible, under the circumstances—“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?”

            I can see Mary’s point. The word from the angel? Surprise! Truth to tell, it’s hard to top a virgin birth! We can look at other places in the Scriptures, and see other miracles. We can look at the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus when He was an adult, and acknowledge the fact that He did miracles, regularly. But—here we have Mary, herself, wondering how on earth this miracle is going to happen to her?

            The angel has an answer for Mary, sure enough. “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” In brief, here we have the angel describing the divine plan for a miraculous conception. Mary expresses doubt and uncertainty, Gabriel explains God’s plan in greater detail, Mary consents, and the angel departs.

This whole narrative makes me want to ask Mary so many questions.

How soon did you tell your parents you were pregnant? Did you tell Joseph about the pregnancy yourself, or did the gossipmongers of Nazareth take care of that for you? Was there anyone in the village who believed your story? For that matter, after the angel Gabriel left, did you doubt his visitation to you? Did you think it was a dream? Question your sanity? And what about the townspeople’s response—did you fear for your life, since people probably thought you committed adultery?

The Gospel of Luke is silent on this matter. It leaves us with so many unanswered questions! All we know is what Mary said to the angel. “I am the Lord’s servant,” she answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled,” was her response.

I feel deeply for Mary. An unmarried girl who happened to be pregnant was not just looked down on but actively persecuted. Sure, she knows that she takes the risk of being rejected as a slut, as a tramp, as unworthy of polite company, as a result of this new openness to God’s surprise activity in her life.  I would not blame her one bit for being uncertain!

            Yet, we can see that Mary exemplifies the kind of response to God’s surprises that I would like in my own life. We can see from the Gospel that Mary afterwards goes to see her older cousin Elizabeth, who also is pregnant, miraculously. (I bet they have a good deal to say to each other, too!)

Though—out of a clear blue sky—God completely spun Mary’s life around, though Mary knew that her life would never be what she expected it to be before, she nevertheless said “yes” to God in faith. Yes, she worshiped God (especially in her prayer, which comes after our Scripture reading for today.) She models the heart of worship, the giving of ourselves to the one who has given everything to us.

Mary’s example challenges and encourages us to have the courage to say to the Lord: “Be it to me according to Your word!” This is blessed hope in God’s word!

Remember, Mary may have had thoughts about how this would affect the life she had planned out. However, she realizes there is something special about to happen, that God’s plan must take precedence over her own. She accepts the challenge with hope and faith as she realizes she will be carrying the Messiah her people have longed for.

            I’d like to remind all of us today that Mary—an ordinary Jewish teenager—was visited by an angel out of a clear blue sky. Mary was an ordinary person who was willing to say “yes” to God, to respond to God’s call willingly and with courage, and go forward in faith.

            It doesn’t matter what our situations are, today. God can come into any of our lives, seemingly out of nowhere. God can rush right in, abruptly, with no warning. We all—each one of us—are encouraged to respond to God in the same way as Mary did. To agree with God, to say “yes” to God, willingly, with hope, and go forward in faith.    

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!