IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME: MARY AND THE ANGEL GABRIEL

 








To watch a video that includes this message, prayers and the reading for the Advent Candle, click on the following link.  The video will be released on Sunday, December 6, 2020, at 9:00 am EST:  https://youtu.be/bk0_3xEHbVw


Luke 1:26-38

What does peace look like for you? 

I find that I’m most at peace late at night or very early in the morning.  That’s when it’s quiet, and I can think and pray and just … be.  Two of my favorite winter activities are shoveling snow or cross country skiing at night for the same reason.

For my mother, peace was having no conflict in the household, particularly when my little sister and I got along.  I think our teen years when we were both at home the hardest on her.  Sometimes, we took our frustration with each other out in battles of the bands – Bruce Springsteen versus the 1812 overture complete with real cannon fire.

Dave Ramsey’s program, Financial Peace University, is named that for a reason.  What peace of mind it is when there’s no credit card debt and no loan payments to worry about!

Fear robs a lot of us of our peace.  Right now, we’re afraid for our physical well-being and the health of our family and friends.  An unknown and uncertain future doesn’t give us a sense of peace nor does unemployment or possible job loss.  Between natural disaster, violence, abuse and wars, there’s a lot of people in our world who fear for their physical and emotional safety.

Mary was afraid.  It’s not like the Angel Gabriel dropped by on a regular basis just to chat.  Even with Gabriel’s assurance that she had God’s favor, her fears weren’t quieted.  The God-sized task she was given, to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God seemed not only impossible, but carried with it some frightening consequences:

  • ·      Her family could disown her and throw her out into the streets where her community would reject her.
  • ·      Joseph’s family would never accept her.  Joseph might nullify the marriage contract.  He could even have her charged with adultery, which would result in her being publicly stoned to death.

When we’re faced with a God-sized task, fear is a pretty natural reaction.  Read about Moses and the burning bush, and you’ll see that there’s fear behind Moses’ excuses.  He was afraid of being rejected by his own people, afraid of failing and afraid of facing the Pharaoh.

Fear was at the root of all my excuses for not going to seminary – fear of taking on such a big financial burden at my age which was a fear I knew my husband would share; afraid of failing, academically, afraid of not having what it takes to be a pastor.  My husband was afraid that he would have give up his career to take on the traditional role of the “pastor’s wife” that we both grew up with.

In the end, Mary surrendered to the will of God because she knew it was the right thing to do.  I don’t think she had any real peace with her decision until she went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth, the wife of the priest, Zachariah.

In the fullness of time, Mary was obedient to God because it was time for the child promised in the prophesies of Isaiah to be born.  It was the right thing to do for the sake of humanity and the world.

Peace and justice go hand in hand.  Without justice, without wrongs being righted, without exploited and oppressed people sent free, without humanity being released from the hold of fear and sin, there can be no peace.

As faithful Christians, there are times when we will have to push through our fears and surrender our will to God’s will because it is the right thing to do.  Especially with being agents of God’s justice and peace, the challenges may seem impossible, and there are always consequences for challenging injustice and the systems that are unjust. 

Nothing is impossible for God.  God is on our side, and as the walls of Jericho fell before the people of God, the forces of evil, injustice and sin cannot forever stand against the redemptive power of Christ.

Pray for peace and justice for those who experience neither peace nor justice in their lives.  Pray for those who work for justice and peace, who are advocates for those whose voices are ignored.   Then in that time of holy dialogue with the Lord, listen, for God may be calling you.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 


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