Mary Said Yes

During these weeks of Advent, a group of twenty or more people have gathered here at Holy Trinity on Wednesday evenings to share supper and conversation together. It’s been a rather wonderful time of talking and laughing and sharing joys and concerns and eating and reflecting on God’s Word and God’s presence among us.

The mix of people at the table has been different each week. A core group of people came to all 3 suppers and some people came for 1 or 2 of them.

Some of the people have known each other for decades and some are meeting each other for the first time. Most worship here at Holy Trinity and others are connected to Holy Trinity in various ways. Most consider themselves Lutherans, though not all of them were raised Lutherans, and on some nights we were joined by people of other faith traditions.

Who ever showed up on any particular night was warmly greeted and invited to eat at the table. Loving relationships can grow and develop when all who enter into the shared space are welcomed and all who gather together feel like they belong there. That’s what it means to be community.

Each week, as we moved through the Advent season, we were invited to pause, prepare, and ponder as we waited for the coming of the Christ child.

The first week we considered the call to pause from the constant busyness of our lives and to enter into spiritual introspection and prayerful waiting.

The second week we considered the call to prepare the way of the Lord; to wake up, to rise in action, and to join in God’s continued creative work of reconciliation, seeking justice, and peacemaking.

The third week we considered the call to ponder the beginning and end of all things; to ponder the coming of the baby Jesus, recalling that the creator of the universe was formed in a woman’s womb, full of hope and potential, fragility and vulnerability, and to ponder his coming again at the end of time, when the new heaven and new earth are revealed and all things will be made new.

I love the call to ponder. To me, pondering is the spiritual practice of paying attention to a thought or idea or feeling; it’s considering something with focused deliberation; to go deep into myself – into my heart and mind and soul – listening for and wondering about what is the truth of the situation. Pondering in this sense leads me to a deeper relationship with God.

I have long thought that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was someone who knew how to ponder. Mary seemed to have a deep relationship with God from a very young age and that deep relationship continued throughout the life of her son, Jesus, and beyond his death, resurrection, and ascension.

Mary was a teenager, perhaps only 13, when God sent the angel Gabriel to visit her in Nazareth. Gabriel said to her “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” The gospel of Luke, where this story is found, tells us that Mary was “perplexed” by these words – well, of course she was! – and she pondered what they might mean. Perhaps Mary took a moment to go deep inside herself; to listen attentively and deliberately; to wonder about the meaning of the angel’s words.

Gabriel speaks again and tells Mary that she has found favor with God, saying “And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.” Mary needs a little more information from Gabriel about how this will all work – that is, how she is to conceive when, after all, she is not even married yet – and Gabriel lets her know that God has it all figured out. Then Mary responds, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” With these strong words of trust and faith, Mary gives her consent to God’s extraordinary plan.

Now we come to the story in today’s gospel reading. We’re told that Mary set out with haste to a town in the hill country to visit her elder cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. Notice that Mary took action – she left her small village and traveled for several days – most likely in the company of other people but still on her own, with time to ponder and consider all that God was asking of her in the days and and weeks and years ahead. She had listened to the angel and said yes to God; still, perhaps, she had questions that only an elder kinswoman could understand. So Mary went to the place where she knew she would be welcome and where she belonged.

Mary greets Elizabeth upon her arrival to Elizabeth’s house and the sound of Mary’s voice causes the baby Elizabeth is carrying (that is, John the Baptizer) to leap with joy. This is an electrifying moment, filled with grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, as Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the mother of her Lord and calls her blessed among women.

In response, Mary begins to sing – a gospel song – a song of good news – a song of love and hope and freedom – the Magnificat – the Song of Mary.

The song begins with these words that describe Mary’s personal feelings of joy and gratitude:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

Then the tone of the song changes – and Mary offers these prophetic words:

⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Ponder these words carefully; go deep inside yourself and listen attentively; wonder about the meaning of these words. Notice that Mary is proclaiming that God is working through her and the God baby she is carrying to change the world; God intends to turn the world upside down; God will have mercy on those who love God in every generation; God will scatter the proud and bring down the powerful; God will feed the hungry and send the rich away empty. God – and God’s son Jesus – stand with the poor and the meek; the humble and downtrodden and those who live on the margins of society.

Mary, the Mother of God, the God Bearer, boldly and fiercely gives witness to God’s promise of love and mercy in the world by her willingness to say yes to God and God’s plan of salvation for all creation.

The good news for today is Jesus is coming because Mary said yes to God.

The good news for today is that Jesus is coming and Jesus is here now…in the waters of our baptism; in the Word proclaimed in scripture and song and prayer; in the meal that we share at the table; in the community we are becoming, where all are welcome and all belong and loving relationships are growing.

As you ponder the good news that Jesus, son of Mary and Son of God, is coming and is here now to bring justice and peace into the gloom of this world, may you grow deeper in your relationship with the God who loves you with an everlasting love and may you stand where God stands – with the poor and the meek; the humble and the downtrodden, and those who live on the margins of society.

May you say yes to God and God’s plan for salvation for all creation.

Jesus is coming…with love for all people.