Dec. 21, 2014
Luke 1:26-38
Story: It was the day after Christmas and Pastor Mike
was looking at the nativity scene outside when he noticed the baby Jesus was
missing.
Immediately, Pastor Mike went to call the police. But
as he was about to do so, he saw little Jimmy with a red wagon, and in the
wagon was the little baby Jesus.
Pastor Mike walked up to Jimmy and said, “Well, Jimmy,
where did you get the Baby Jesus?”
Jimmy replied, “I got him from the church.”
“And why did you take him?”
With a sheepish smile, Jimmy said, “Well, about a week
before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord Jesus. I told him if he would
bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in
it.” beliefnet.com
Prayer:
Our gospel story today can be
a really confusing story to many outside of the faith community. Heck… it can
be a confusing story for some of us in the faith community. Physically
speaking… and given the context of our story… your 15 year old daughter comes
home from school one day and says… “MOM… I’m Pregnant!”…
This can be a
jaw dropping moment… a wide-eyed pregnant moment…
And…. A huge…
loud… W…H….A…T!!!! as a response.
Luke doesn’t tell us the reaction
of Mary’s parents or for that matter Joseph’s. Mathew’s gospel records Joseph’s
reaction to some extent… as he tries to distance himself a bit… only to have an
angel correct him. So… humanly speaking we can over-lay our assumptions and
feelings on Mary as well as her parents & Joseph’s. And say… WHAT WERE YOU
THINKING!!!
No matter how you spin this
story it still going to cause quite a stir in the community. And… given the
context & Jewish culture of the time… this would have made the front pages
of the leading gossip columns for sure. So… whether or not you believe this
story… there are a couple of things going on I believe can give us reason for
hope and joy this Christmas season.
First… There is Blessings in our life.
Before Mary says yes to
anything we see from this story that she is BLESSED. The angel Gabriel greets
her saying, “You are truly Blessed.” Does Mary see herself as blessed? Probably
not so much… We tend to see Mary as a model of faith and indeed very blessed. We
tend to believe Mary believes in God’s promises. Yet… as we see in the story
Mary is confused as the angel tells her that she will have a son. She wonders
how this will happen… since she’s not married. And… she is well aware of how
and where babies come from… Yet the angel states… “God is pleased with her… and
favors her… and has great plans for her.”
Blessing is a wonderful
thing… sadly it’s a rare thing. We live in a world geared towards rewards &
punishments. Often we see blessings as a transaction…whether at work, school,
or even at home… we’ve been conditioned to expect people to give us what we
deserve. We’ve been conditioned to do or not do something in order to receive
blessings. True blessings operate differently. Blessings are never deserved…
but always a gift. Blessings have nothing to do with what we do, but just in
our being.
I saw this report about a
secret Santa in Kanas City, Mo. Let’s watch…
As you can see… blessings are
not an indicator of what we’ve done. And given where our country has been in recent weeks look at the blessings despite it all. We are both blessed and the giver of blessings.
Secondly… Trust
I think most people have a
hard time believing God favors them… and in turn… have a hard time trusting
God. Mary initially didn’t… “How can this Happen?” As Mary’s trust settles in
she opens herself to the work of the Holy Spirit.
The same can be for us as
well…
One of the hardest times for
me is when I wait for my next assignment. I have no idea by and large where I
will go. It creates quite a bit of anxiety… but more and more as I trust and I
become open to the work of the Spirit… I trust that God provides.
What’s important to see here
is that Mary is not the exception… but rather the example of what can happen
when you believe and trust that God does notice, favors, provides, and blesses.
The angel tells Mary her aunt is also going to have a child… and Mary knows she
is old… so… if Liz is trusting in God… If I’m trusting… you can as well. Then
Mary says, “Let it Happen.”
How Might We Say YES?
How might we imagine how God
is noticing us?
How in the
circumstances of our lives may God be favoring us?
How might
you be the angel of God announcing blessings to your friends, family, or
neighbors?
Can we believe
the Lord is with us and has great plans to do great things through us?
CLOSING:
P: Greetings Favored Ones…
The Lord is with you and plans to do great
things through you.
C: How Can This Happen?
P: Whether at work or
school, whether at home or in the world, the
Holy Spirit is with you and will guide you
in all you do and say,
so be a blessing to the world.
C: Let it happen as you
said.
Amen…
