Reverend Ref +

SERMON
ADVENT 4B
LUKE 1:26-38

I don't normally start out writing a sermon thinking, "How can I challenge the ideas of my parishioners today?" but this time is different. I intentionally set out to make you think and maybe challenge your understanding of this passage.

As I was reading over today's text, I kept hearing a familar ring. It wasn't the familiarity of hearing the story of the Annunciation for the umpteenth time in my life, but it was a familiarity that was new. It finally occurred to me that I was hearing echoes of Eve and the serpent.

Now before you get all worked up and go call the bishop, consider some things about the story of the Annunciation and the story of the deception. First, the primary character in both stories is a woman. Second, that woman is approached by a being that was created by God. Third, the woman engages the creature in a discussion. Fourth, the woman's partner (Adam and Joseph respectively) has nothing to say during this part of the story. Fifth, both women are supposedly virgins; remember, Eve hadn't yet "known" her husband. Finally, Luke traces the lineage of Jesus all the way back to Adam, signifying (as Paul writes) how sin and death came into the world through one man, Adam, and how grace and life came into the world through another man, Jesus.

Alot of what is written about this passage focuses on the virginity of Mary. But, and here's where I may challenge you, was that really the case? Matthew's gospel quotes Isaiah 7:14 when he writes, "The virgin shall conceive and bear a son." The problem with that, however, is that Isaiah 7:14 reads, "The young woman . . ." In today's passage from Luke, Mary is identified as a young, unmarried woman -- in short, a virgin.

So Gabriel comes to this young woman and says that she will conceive a child and that child will become great. Notice that the message here isn't, "You have conceived . . ." but that, "You will conceive." And since Luke also recognizes that Joseph is of Davidic descent, it's entirely possible that this conception was handled in the normal way that we all know how children are conceived.

Mary wants to know how this will happen since she is a virgin. Gabriel tells her that the power of God will overshadow her and the child will be holy. Again, our assumptions tell us that it is God who impregnates Mary. But "overshadowing" signifies God's presence and power. It happened during the Transfiguration when Jesus, Moses & Elijah were overshadowed, and there is a reference over in Acts to the shadow of Peter "overshadowing" people and healing them. If you've ever wondered how Jesus could be wholly human and wholly divine, this could explain it: conceived by Mary & Joseph and wholly overshadowed by God.

Giving birth today seems relatively easy, what with all of our technology, nurses, doctors, medicines and what have you, but giving birth is still considered a miracle. And when you consider all of the factors -- a young woman (girl, really), a long journey to Bethlehem while pregnant, the inability to locate a hotel room and being forced to give birth outside -- is this birth any less miraculous if Jesus was in fact conceived in the normal way?

But all of that aside -- the angel, the virgin, the conception -- all of that isn't the main point of this passage. The real point of this passage is this: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

I've been reading a daily devotional this Advent, and I came across something last week that I thought was applicable to today's gospel. The author said, "God often speaks through the least likely of people, we need to remember not to limit what God does with us, we need to have faith to step out into the unknown and frightening."

A first century, oppressed Jewish girl was the least likely of people to bring the Savior into the world. A girl who didn't place limits on what God could or couldn't do. A girl who was willing to step into the unknown and frightening. This was Mary.

Mary and Eve. Similar stories, different results. The sin of Eve was that she decided she could handle things without God. The salvation of Mary was that she decided she couldn't handle things without God. This passage today isn't about the miracle of a virgin conception or virgin birth, because all births are miraculous. This passage is about a person's willingness to be active in the life of God.

May the example of Mary give us all the strength to say, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."