WHAT MARY KNEW

A sermon by George R. Pasley

Luke 1:26-38; Luke 1:39-56

I’m firmly convinced we have seen way too many Christmas pageants, and way too many grade school girls who are oh so happy to play the part of Mary, and way too many happy grownups watching from the pews.

I’m convinced because Mary was troubled when she heard the news.

Now, I have to admit, the translators do not all agree. In fact, the NRSV translation, which I often consider the best, says only that Mary was “perplexed.”

But THAT has to be an understatement. An angel enters the room of a teenaged girl and delivers a direct, private and personal message from God- and she was “perplexed”?

Nope. I agree with the New Living translation, which says, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “

And that’s before she heard the details!

Just imagine it was you, and you were left all alone to explain the situation to your parents, or to your fiancé.

Nope, I think she was perplexed when the angel appeared, troubled when she heard his greeting, and then down right stupefied after he delivered his news and left. In fact, even if his name wasn’t Gabriel I’d still think the angel was a “he”, after that little disappearing act.

Now of course, we know it was good news, great news, the Gospel. But what did Mary know?

Mary knew that life was hard, and she knew that long before the angel made his show. Nazareth was a poor town, and Galilee was an occupied country, and anybody who wanted to survive had to work hard, so I believe that Mary had not played any games in quite some time.

There was nothing romantic about their life in Nazareth. Mary was engaged- probably by an arranged marriage- to an older man. That was the custom of her time, and we know that Mary was a widow by the time Jesus was a young man.

So there she was, working, trying to get by, trying to grow up way sooner than most of us do, and an angel appeared and said, “God has a favor to give you.”

Mary knew she had enough work to do; she didn’t need any favors from God.

Mary probably knew that most of the people who did favors for God got in trouble big time with the less-favored people.

Mary knew that we don’t have too many stories about women who were called on by God, and most of those stories aren’t very…delightful.

So Mary knew that life might be getting harder for her than it was already.

But give the girl credit- she thought about those things, but kept her silence and waited to hear what Gabriel was going to say. I think I know the reason why.

I think Mary knew that life is hard, and that God sometimes sends us into difficult circumstances. But I think Mary knew one more thing.

I think she knew that God is on our side.

I know Mary knew the history of her people.

I know Mary knew how God rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

I know Mary knew how God punished the nation for its sin, and sent the people into exile in Babylon.

But I know Mary knew that God brought them out AGAIN.

I know Mary knew that god gave the gift of the Ten Commandments to her people.

I know Mary knew how the people broke them over and over, that she knew how people are always breaking them, but I know she also knew that God keeps trying and trying and trying to bring us back into the light of love.

I know Mary knew the power of sin.

But I know Mary trusted in the power of God.

So she waited, to hear the news.

It was good news, great news, the gospel, and we’re going to hear it, too.

But I want to stop before we do.

Stop, because we too know what Mary knew.

Chances are that you know life is hard, and maybe it’s getting harder.

Maybe you’re not expecting God to do you any favors.

Maybe you don’t want God doing any favors for you, especially not the kind of favor Mary got.

Maybe you’ve forgotten that God is on our side.

Or maybe you’re not convinced.

Maybe you too are “greatly troubled”.

Maybe you are confused and disturbed.

Or maybe you’re just perplexed.

Whatever perplexes you,

Whatever troubles you,

Whatever makes your life hard,

Whatever your trepidation,

Take it from Mary.

She trusted God, and waited for the news.

She waited, but she hardly could have expected what came.

So I don’t know how she took it.

She could have been so excited as to be speechless.

She could have been terrified.

She could have remained perplexed.

However she took the news, she was speechless.

Speechless, but she knew where to go.

She knew someone who would understand.

Elizabeth was also favored by God.

Old and childless, Elizabeth was pregnant with a child who would become known as John, the baptizer.

So Mary ran to Elizabeth,

The young woman ran to the old,

One woman ran to another

Because in a time of uncertainty, even good uncertainty,

People need each other, and being together the perplexity vanished

And the wonder remained,

Their tongues were loosened,

They praised the Lord,

And Mary sang.

Oh, hardship remained.

Hardship waited to happen where it could and when it could.

Mary yet had to tell Joseph and be vulnerable to his doubts.

They yet had to make a hard trip to Bethlehem.

They yet had to flee from Herod’s soldiers in the middle of the night.

They yet had to live in exile in Egypt.

They yet had to raise the son of God.

Mary yet had to watch that same son die on a cross.

All of that was yet to happen, and Mary could hardly have had more than an inkling.

But on this day she sang.

She sang a song in present tense about what God had done,

Even though the baby was not born,

Had never preached a word,

Had not yet healed a soul,

Had not yet forgiven one sinner,

Had not yet suffered or died

Had not yet been buried

And he had certainly not been raised from the dead.

Yet she sang a song we call The Magnificat, in present tense, because she trusted the promises of God.

So let me ask you, what do you know?

Do you know that you are significant to God?

Do you know that God did great things for you?

Do you know that the mercy of God has been poured out for you?

Do you know that there is nothing in this entire world better than the love of God, and that God’s love is waiting for you?

I hope you do. but if it seems too good to be true, If it seems impossible, If it seems troubling, If it seems perplexing, then consider this:

Nothing is impossible with God.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.