Sermon 19th December 2021 – 4th Sunday of Advent
Text: Luke
1:39-55 – An unconventional God
Today’s
Gospel is a little different to others in that
it features two women dialoguing with each other and we know both of
their names – Mary and Elizabeth. Usually
men are the centre focus in most of the narratives. Women were important in Jesus’ ministry. They will be part of Jesus’ traveling
community and will be faithful to Jesus to the end, as he dies on the cross
surrounded by women, including his mother Mary, even though he was abandoned by
his male disciples. At the empty tomb two angels in dazzling white garments
will tell the women who came to the tomb about Jesus’ resurrection even though
their message will be rejected as “nonsense.”
Luke tells
us that the two women in today’s Gospel trusted in the words God had spoken to
them even though their husbands had doubts. It’s interesting that both Mary and
Elizabeth represent two extremes in God’s actions to bring about his love by
sending his Son into the world. Elizabeth was well past the time of
childbearing while Mary was at the other end of the age scale, Elizabeth was
married to Zechariah while Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but not yet married.
They were
given a considerable role to play that involved great trust in God, putting
them at odds with the cultural and religious norms of the day, especially Mary.
Elizabeth was beyond the child bearing age while Mary was unwed. So what can we
learn from Mary and Elizabeth other than the importance of both of them in the
work of God.
Firstly we
see with both Mary and Elizabeth everything is possible with God. In fact those
very words were said by the angel to Mary when she asked - “How will this
happen?” How will I give birth to a child if I am not married. Notice she said
– how “will” I, not how “can” I. She wasn’t doubting the angel’s message but simply
asking what she must do.
The angel
explained to Mary about God’s work when he said:
See, your
cousin Elizabeth, as old as she is, is going to give birth to a child. She was
not able to have children before, but now she is in her sixth month. For God
can do all things.”
Elizabeth is
the barren woman who is made fruitful by God and will give birth to John the
Baptist. Just as God created the world
from nothing, God can also create life from the lifeless. This is what we need
to keep reminding ourselves of as we wonder where our world is going to find
healing.
Our world is
going exactly where God is wanting it to go even if it doesn’t seem like it –
even if we don’t fully understand it. It didn’t seem like Elizabeth would or
could give birth. Where there was barrenness, God created life. Where there
seemed to be hopelessness God creates hope. That’s why we need to keep trusting
in God for the future of the church. A church that seems to be barren. A church
that seems to be without hope.
In Elizabeth
we see a God of renewal in that he removes the disgrace she felt. Elizabeth
says: “In these days the Lord has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace
among the people.” Likewise we know that God is always acting in ways to renew
the earth, to renew the church and to renew our lives even using what we see as
evil being used to bring about good, such as this pandemic, as Joseph told his
brothers who tried to kill him – what you intended for evil God used for good.
So too our
hope is in that God will use these past 2 years of suffering and uncertainty to
renew the world. But we don’t know how long it will be for the renewal or till
we see what God will do.
Like Advent,
we are asked to wait patiently as did Elizabeth who gave birth in her old age –
well beyond the age that women gave birth. God did the same with Abraham and
Sarah giving birth to Isaac in their old age as he had promised many years
earlier. We too are asked to wait patiently in the hope that what God has
promised will be fulfilled.
God has
promised us new life and Christmas will affirm that promise when God’s love
will create Jesus’ birth. The Word of
God will become flesh and dwelt among us and he will send him again to bring us
to our eternal home. We are asked to wait patiently for the promises to be
fulfilled which doesn’t mean we do nothing while we wait. Until Jesus returns we are asked to be the
presence of Jesus in the world by loving our neighbour and being Christ’s
presence to them.
God is a God
who works in unexpected ways. In our Old Testament reading we hear that God
didn’t choose the largest of the states of Israel for the birth place but the
one of the smallest: You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little
clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel. Just
as he chose King David rather than one of his older or outwardly stronger
brothers as God said to the prophet Samuel - “Do not consider his appearance or
his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things
people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at
the heart” as he did with Mary and Elizabeth.
How often
don’t we judge the work God is doing by human or outward appearances: That
church has more young families – more children – more money – more members – we
need to do what they are doing. Does God do what others are doing? Certainly
not with Mary and Elizabeth. And that’s what Mary discovered when she wrote her
song which we call the Magnificat: My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he
has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. And again she
continues: He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in
the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their
thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
I know we
all desire to have a full church with every seat filled. But do we desire that
so we can meet our budgets and seem to be more successful so we feel a sense of
achievement?
That should
never be the aim.
The aim
should be so that more people hear the Gospel. And if that is our aim then that
will certainly motivate us. Let us never give up hope no matter how small our
congregations get – remember God chose Bethlehem in Ephrathah, who was one of
the little clans of Judah.
Let us never
give up because the demographic of our parish is getting older – God chose
Elizabeth and Sarah well beyond youthful child bearing age to bring about new
birth and a fulfilled promised. Let us never give up because it seems
impossible that anything could happen – God chose an unwed young girl to bear
his Son for everything is possible with God.
This Christmas
let us again celebrate that God is an unusual God who choses unusual ways to
bring about his plan and uses very unusual people, like lowly Mary and like you
and me to bring about his mighty deeds.
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