God’s
grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My focus is Luke. … Let us pray. Heavenly
Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go
to the house of the Lord.’”[1] Now that our feet are
within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit
enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we
pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Culture.
“Culture … allows us to identify and
isolate an idea, issue or group with seriousness. … It's an efficient word: we
talk about the 'culture' of a group rather than saying 'the typical habits,
attitudes, and behaviors' of that group. … This newer sense of the word is
catching people's attention and driving the volume of lookups.”[2]
That
was what Merriam-Webster said about culture, a recent Word of the Year. The
newer understanding of culture drives research. Through research, we learn the
definition of words, our family history or how to change headlights in a Buick
LeSabre.[3] Researching our Gospel, we
learn what Luke said about Jesus and Mary, and what the passage might mean to
us.
First,
what Luke said about Jesus had to do with culture. People in our culture are
satisfied letting producers of shows on the History or Biography channels to present
their research of Jesus. As a result, our secular culture accepts Jesus’ human
nature, but questions his divine nature.
Conversely,
people of Luke’s culture, Roman citizens who deified Caesars into gods, had an
easier time accepting Jesus’ divinity than they did his humanity.[4] This is why Luke narrated
the human origins and birth of Jesus Christ.
During
the first centuries, the church defended itself against heresies that denied
Jesus’ true humanity (Gnostic Docetism, Nestorianism and Monophysitism). Nearly
a millennium later, Martin Luther succinctly explained that Christ became man
in order to redeem us from sin and death. The devil came close to us, but he
did not come so close as to assume our nature.[5]
Luther
confessed the Second Person of the Trinity was conceived by the Holy Spirit
without means of a man, and was born of the pure, holy Virgin Mary as of a
real, natural mother.[6]
In
addition to combating heresies, Luke illustrated how the birth of Christ fulfilled
Old Testament prophecies. Mary received God’s promise of a child, which was
similar to, but greater than, previous promises to women of God. These included
Hagar and Manoah’s wife[7], but most pertinent was
God’s announcement through Isaiah of the sign given to Israel consisting of a
virgin who would conceive. This showed the promised birth was not a private
matter for the parents, but one of national concern.
In
Jesus, God came to Israel, was favorable toward her, claimed her as his very
own, and was wedded to his people. Jesus and the New Testament authors often employed
marriage imagery to imply the church is Christ’s bride.
The
parallels between God’s promises to His people and His promise to Mary suggest
that we can see her as representing the new Israel, the virgin bride of Christ,
the church. In other words, without putting Mary on the same level as Christ, Luke
showed that Christians have her as an example to consider.[8] The unmerited grace poured
forth into Mary is available to all.
The
new era of salvation came through the baby conceived by the gracious action of
God upon Mary, who found favor with God, not due to any superiority over other
women or any merit in God’s estimation, but simply because of God’s grace.
Mary’s
response was unlike Zechariah’s skepticism. Her pondering led to a simple,
honest question, which Gabriel met with an explanation, a promise and
reassurance. As the Holy Spirit came upon her, she conceived Jesus as holy, the
Son of God. This was the moment of the Incarnation of our Lord.
Luther
compared the conception of Jesus through the Word spoken to Mary with the real
presence of Christ’s body in the Lord’s Supper, effected through the Words of
Institution. In other words, as the first catechumen – members of the early
church who heard the Word – she believed as we believe.
Luke
used the infancy narratives to instruct Christians on the virgin birth, on the
Son of God, and on the work of the Holy Spirit. We confess those teachings in the
Nicene Creed.
The
infancy narratives also give us a glimpse into how the early church
incorporated new members. As its first member, Mary received her catechesis
from Gabriel. The Holy Spirit came upon her, and she received the flesh of
Christ. As the first catechumen, she set the pattern for the apostles and all
who followed her. We hear the Word, the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and we
receive Christ’s Body and Blood. Like Mary, each of us is a servant of the
Lord, humbly submitting to the will of God and his miraculous presence in and
among us. That is what Luke said about Jesus and Mary. What might the passage
mean to us?
First,
we must be careful to notice that none of Mary’s qualities is offered as the
reason God chose her; that reason is tucked away in the purposes of God.[9] Luther taught that
although we recognize Mary as Mother of God, we should not make too much of
her, but ponder “in the heart what it
means to be the Mother of God. … Her sole worthiness to become the Mother of
God lay in her being fit and appointed for it, so that it might be pure grace
and not a reward.”[10]
It is
hers to ponder in her heart, but ours to ponder as well. As church and
individuals, what does it mean to hear the Word? To have the Holy Spirit comes
upon us? To receive Christ’s Body and Blood? To be a servant of the Lord? To
humbly submit to God’s will and his miraculous presence in and among us?
I
asked several people what this passage means to them. My friend, Wendell, a
lifelong Lutheran who teaches Old Testament Sunday School, responded with these
words.
“I
view Mary as an excellent example of a faithful servant. At her tender age,
having undoubtedly endured horrible ridicule for a pregnancy out of wedlock,
she was able to say the magnificat. Truly a great example of humility, faith
and servanthood. She is truly a great Christian.
Also,
what a great story of how something that appears awful at the time (an unwed
pregnancy), ended up being a great blessing and miracle. We should all look for
the blessings in our “curses” like she did.
She
also teaches me that God’s methods may very often be seen as ‘unorthodox’, but
we must have the faith to believe that he knows what he is doing.”
Our
culture is not prone to agree with Wendell, but we must have the faith to
believe that God knows what He is doing. Even when we do not know what God’s
plan is for us, we must have faith. And we must ponder things in our hearts.
I
close with a story of my own mother. She would have turned 90 this month. … Let
me tell you how my mother taught me how to be a Christian – a humble servant of
the Lord – by showing me how to grow tomatoes. I realize how God’s grace worked
through her after many moments of pondering these things in my heart.
Every
spring our family planted more than 100 tomato plants, which sufficiently fed
our family of five. When the weather broke, we tilled the garden for tomatoes
and many other vegetables.
We dug
holes, and planted, fertilized and watered our plants. Through the summer, we
weeded and watered; checked for bugs and blight and discarded rotten tomatoes.
We
harvested tomatoes for salad, sauce and juice. We buried the discarded skin and
seeds, which produced a later crop. Since we were 4-H members, we entered our
prize tomatoes in exhibits at local fairs.
Growing
tomatoes taught me three practical necessities about Christianity: nourish,
reserve and share. Parents, pastors, teachers, elders and all members need to
nourish, reserve and share their faith.
First,
nourish. By exercising our faith – by attending worship, reading God’s Word,
taking Communion, seeking forgiveness and attending Sunday school – we nourish
ourselves.
Second,
reserve. 32 years of ministry taught me there are times when we cannot nourish
ourselves adequately. There will be times when troubles and temptations attack
us. … We need a reserve. There will be times when caring for sick children or
frail parents exhaust us. There will be times when completing projects,
cramming for exams or meeting deadlines consume us. There will be times when we
do not have the luxury to bathe ourselves in God’s Word or enjoy the feast of His
banquet. We can only birdbath and eat on the run. During difficult times, we
need that reserved Mason jar of tomatoes in the pantry. That is why my mother
taught us how to can tomatoes. That is why she taught us to memorize Scripture
passages and prayers because she knew we would someday need a reserve – of
spiritual food that God provides to nourish our bodies and our souls.
Third,
share. When God blessed us with plentiful tomatoes, we shared them with others.
We shared tomatoes with friends, neighbors, pastors and the less fortunate. Mom
taught me to practice charity by sharing God’s abundant blessing with others.
How do we share God’s abundant blessings with others?
By
teaching me how to grow tomatoes, mom taught me how to be a Christian, a
servant of the Lord. She taught me to nourish, reserve and share. I am sure
your mother taught you the same. As we close out another Season of Advent, ponder
in your heart what it might mean for Mary to be the Mother of God, and honor
your own mother by sharing the Gospel with others. Share with others how God
blessed you today and ask them the same. When you listen to their blessed
answer, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.[11],[12]
[1] Psalm 122
[2] http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/2014-word-of-the-year.htm
[3] http://cwynar.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-change-low-beam-bulb-in-2005.html
[4]
Rev. Albert B. Collver, Ph.D., Sermon “St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord, 15 August
2011 Galatians 4:4 – 7.” International Center Chapel, Saint Louis. “One of the
most scandalous things the Christians confessed about Jesus is that he is truly
human, with real human flesh and blood. The Ancient people did not have too
hard of a time imagining that Jesus was some kind of a god, but they had a very
difficult time imagining that this Jesus was truly a man. In the ancient world
some people said that Jesus was born through Mary, as light passes through
glass untouched. You see, there was a concern about tarnishing “divine” things
with physical matter such as human flesh.” See http://wmltblog.org/2011/08/st-mary-mother-of-our-lord/
[5]
What Luther Says, 153.
[6]
What Luther Says, 1376
[7]
Genesis 16:11; Judges 13
[8]
Arthur A. Just, Luke 1:1-9:50. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House (1996),
pp. 65ff. Much of my material for this sermon comes from Just’s commentary.
[9]
Fred Craddock, Luke. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press (2009), 28.
[10]
What Luther Says, 1256.
[11]
Philippians 4:7
[12]
For Lutheran teaching on Mary, see: http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=m&word=MARIOLOGY;
and references at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther%27s_Marian_theology
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