Sermon for December 19, 2021 Advent 4 C House of Prayer Lutheran Church

Luke 1:39-55; Micah 5:2-5a Rev. Karl-John N. Stone

“Can you believe it?” We’ve all uttered this phrase at one time or another, but depending on how you say it, it has different shades of meaning. It can express things like disappointment, or disbelief, fear or grief; or it can express things like encouragement, wonder, and joy.

Beth Ann and I went to see the new “West Side Story” movie the other day—maybe you’ve seen it, or the original 1961 film, or a stage production of this classic musical. And all of those shades of meaning that I just mentioned are present over the course of the story. But when the main characters, Maria and Tony, notice each other for the first time across a crowded gymnasium dance floor—all of a sudden they are filled with that sense of wonder. Like, “Can you believe it? I just met this person, and it has changed my life!” Together they sing, “Tonight, tonight, it all began tonight; I saw you and the world went away…” When you are filled with such an overwhelming experience, can you believe it?

Mary, who would become Jesus’ mother, has her own “can you believe it” experience. If we back up a few verses from where today’s gospel reading began, the angel Gabriel appears before her, to give her surprising news. Mary of all people—this simple peasant girl, from the little village of Nazareth in the middle of Galilee, the middle of nowhere—Mary has found favor with God. Maybe not with anybody else in Nazareth. But with God! Can you believe it?!?

The angel tells her that she will bear a son who will be Savior of the world. And what’s more, her older relative Elizabeth, who was never able have children—quite to her surprise Elizabeth will also give birth to a son. Mary accepts this surprising news, with courage and humility, even though for an unwed girl in her time it will be both burden and blessing. Yet because she believed, she conceived, and she answered like the prophets before her: “Here I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to thy Word.”

Then Mary “went with haste” to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. This was 90 miles away! Did she travel alone, anxious to get moving without anyone holding her back? Did she travel with others, finding safety in a group? We don’t know, but either way, most likely she walked and it probably took 4 or 5 days. Today, we couldn’t imagine doing such a thing, but back then most people walked everywhere.

But why even walk there at all? Why travel such a distance with haste? Why leave the familiar surroundings of her home town just when she becomes pregnant? Again, we don’t know—but we can guess. Maybe it was a sense of wonder and excitement—can you believe it? She would want to share her joy in person, with family. Maybe she had no one else to turn to for help and support. Maybe, except for Joseph (who would have his own doubts to overcome) and to whom she wasn’t married yet, maybe Mary was all alone in Nazareth. Maybe her parents had died, or if they were alive maybe they wouldn’t accept this surprising news. Maybe Elizabeth would be the only one who would believe her, and not get her in trouble.

Maybe Mary was afraid of how Joseph, or her neighbors, would take the news—again, we don’t know; but we shouldn’t forget about the injustices women faced. According to the customs of that time, and untimely pregnancy for an unmarried woman could have resulted in her being stoned to death. Can you believe it? The joy and wonder that filled Mary’s soul would have been mixed with very real fear and anxiety for her life and safety.

Like Mary, we all need someone we can turn to in our own fear and anxiety; who we can trust and who will encourage us at times of trouble. Elizabeth was just the person Mary needed, and Elizabeth fulfilled what we call “the priesthood of believers”—because she encouraged Mary and helped her connect with the power and presence of God in her life. We each need people like that, and we can each even be a person like that, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you when someone comes to you feeling scared, anxious, or alone—to welcome them without judgement or condemnation, but with kindness and encouragement, and help them realize that even with the problems of their current situation, that God is present. God’s grace and mercy are always there for you—and when you open your heart and mind in faith, you can begin to trust in the goodness of a God who wants to help you, and who wants to bring something good out of the bad.

Mary put her faith and trust in this God. Can you believe it? And the consolation she received moved her so much that she burst into song—like a character in a musical, or maybe even like you yourself might, when you realize something wonderful has happened.

Mary knew that in the eyes of everyone else in her world, she was simply “lowly”. Yet in the eyes of God it was a different story. God looked at her lowliness and said, “Here is someone I can work with! Here is someone with a truly humble heart, and because of that she can accomplish great things!” God didn’t choose a princess from the royal court, or the wealthy daughter of a prosperous family. That’s because God so often hides himself in what we think of as his opposite. As Martin Luther reminds us, God is most powerfully present in things that are hidden and concealed—in what the world regards as small, weak, and insignificant. Mary remained a “lowly servant” in everyone’s eyes, yet the mightiness of God was hidden in her lowliness, and that is what really mattered. Just as Christ himself was powerless on the cross, yet from the cross overcame sin, death and evil—and that is what really mattered.

Today, we will wash a child with simple water coupled with God’s Word for a baptism. We will gather around the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ as simple bread and wine for Holy Communion. And yet God is hidden in such simple lowly, yet holy, things to fill us with grace and mercy. Can you believe it?

We ourselves are just regular people, and we each have our own things that we are dealing with; things that might even make you feel lowly. We live with our own fears and anxieties, especially as we get tired of dealing with this pandemic month after month, and another variant of covid makes its way around the world. We also find our own times of joy and wonder as we look forward to another Christmas season, and hope to celebrate in person with family and friends.

Can you believe it? As different as the time when Mary lived 2,000 years ago is from the way we live our lives today, human nature and the human condition have remained remarkably consistent. So remember the promise made to our ancestors in faith long ago: the God who filled Elizabeth and Mary with the Holy Spirit, and looked upon them with favor, and provided them with each other for encouragement and strength—this same God is also with you. And God is good, and wants to help you. Can you believe it? Amen.