“Mary’s Song”
Luke 1:39-56
20091220


A Sunday School teacher challenged the children to take some time on Sunday afternoon to write a letter to God and bring them back the next Sunday. One little boy wrote: “Dear God, we had a good time at church today. Wish you could have been there.”

I think it was the same little fellow who turned to a classmate and asked, “Who was Round John Virgin?” The little girl next to her said, “I think he was one of those twelve opossums.”

The Christmas Story is such a magnificent one – so full of tenderness and love – that we might wish that God had been there………………..

The young bride-to-be of Joseph had no such thought. She knew that God was at work in her life. Her cousin Elizabeth knew, too. When she greeted Mary, she spoke out with a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Mary answered Elizabeth with a song, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For God has regarded the low estate of this hand maiden; for, behold, from hence forth all generations shall call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done to me great things; and holy is God’s name…..” (Pause)

We would do well this morning to spend a few moments with this charming maiden named Mary, so wise beyond her years. HER experience of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection was the most intimate one of all. I mean, after all, she was his mother. (Pause)

I have wondered what Mary might say to us this morning about the Christmas Story were she to be here with us.

The first thing I believe Mary would want us to know is that Life is Hard! The story of the pilgrimage to Bethlehem is an enchanting one. We pass over it so quickly in tell the Christmas Story. “As it came to pass in those days a decree went out that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed everyone to their own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem to be taxed with Mary his wife, being GREAT with child….”

Mary should have known then that her life would be no picnic. There are mothers here this morning who could tell you some very harrowing stories surrounding the birth of a child. Even with all our modern advances in medical technology, there is that element of surprise and concern and sometimes grief at the actual time of the arrival. But few mothers today have had to spend the last few days of their pregnancy on the back of a donkey. Surely, most here have not given birth with the noise and smells of a stable!!

Mary should have had an omen at Jesus’ birth that life would not always be easy. Even more difficult moments awaited her

Matthew’s account of the first Christmas Story has Mary and Joseph and the baby fleeing to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod.

Martin Luther, in commenting on this flight to Egypt remarked: “The artists give her a donkey. The gospels do not.” Probably she had to trudge over hills in winter on foot, nursing her precious child along the way and leaning on the strong shoulder of Joseph for support. It was not until after Herod’s death that the young family was able to return to their home in Nazareth. In our world filled with refugees it is important to remember that the Holy Family was once refugees themselves.

It seems that the next dozen or so years were good ones. She and Joseph were never prosperous, but he was an able provider, and her son Jesus was turning into a fine young man, growing in stature and in a favor with God and others.

But then something happened to Joseph. We don’t know what it was but he fell off the pages in the Gospels. In the harsh way life deals with many people…more than likely Mary found herself left as a widowed, single mom! Little doubt that Jesus stepped up to fill the shoes of his father until his 30th Birthday.

Joseph’s loss would not be the last one for Mary. She endured the most grievous blow a parent can endure -- she watched her beloved oldest son die on a common criminal’s cross at Calvary.

Even there, Jesus was thinking of her. John writes in his gospel, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman behold your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your Mother……..’” (John 19:26-27) Doubtless Mary would have gladly taken her son’s place on the cross of Calvary just as he took ours.

Yes, Mary would want to tell us that life is hard. But we know that is true, especially at this time of the year when pressures abounds to fill the stockings and our children’s minds with visions of sugarplums. Life is hard at this time of the year as people try to endure the joy of the season as their hearts ache at the thought of moving through it without a loved one. Life is hard but the truth is that if it were easy we would never learn to cope. Out of Mary’s struggles a Savior was born.

Consider the story of a young man. Sick and puny as a baby, he remained frail and delicate all his life. Later, as a pastor, his maladies were so severe that he could no longer serve his growing congregation. Instead he wrote letters filled with hope and good cheer. Even though his body was frail his spirit soared. One day he complained about the harsh and dour hymn texts of his day. So someone challenged him to write a better one. And so he did. In fact he wrote over 600 hymns --- mostly hymns of praise. His health finally broke and he died in 1748. His name was Isaac Watts. His contribution to our Christmas Season……Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come!!!!!!!

Mary knew that those who struggle through life often have souls with both depth and height. That is the first thing Mary might say to us: Life is hard!

But the second thing I suspect that Mary would say to us is: God is Good!

Mary is overwhelmed that the God of all creation could have chosen her for this high honor. In her words, “He hath regarded the low estate of this handmaiden.” In Mary’s mind only a kind and good God would bypass the wealthy and powerful of this world to have a peasant girl bear The Messiah!
While you and I do not fall into God’s plan in the same way as Mary, each of us knows God’s concern for us. God’s grace is freely given to us. We do not deserve such providential care. Like Mary, we too, should be blown away with humility when we entertain the thought that the God of galaxies and mega-galaxies should be aware of us. God is Great! God is Good!

Yes, God is Good. Not only because he chose a lowly handmaiden from Nazareth, not only because God is concerned for us…but also because God keeps her promises.

You see the coming of the Messiah was a fulfillment of a long awaited promise. The people of Israel lived in anticipation of the fulfillment of that promise. Today is a Good Day to invite our Good God to reside within us. Like Mary….let us give birth to the Christ Child within us all.

Yes, Mary would want us to know that Life is Hard but God is Good!

And there might be one more thing Mary might say to us: Life and Love are stronger than Fear and Death!

Mary’s story is the oldest and most intimate story of all. It is a story that has been duplicated millions of times throughout history. It is a story of a mother’s love for her child. Even when he was a grown man, with a ministry she could only barely understand, he was still first and foremost her son. As great as Mary’s love was for her child, it is but a pale reflection of God’s love for all of us. That is why the star shines above the Christmas tree. It is the star of hope, it is a star of peace, but above all else it is a star of love.

I close with another Christmas story that appeared several years ago in the Denver Post. It seems that a week or so before Christmas the pastor of a small church shared with his congregation the plight of a family that was not going to be able to have any Christmas. One young father in the congregation decided to do something about that. So he and his son set out in their pickup to cut down a fresh evergreen tree and deliver it to the destitute family. On their way they ran into a rock slide with a rather large boulder struck the truck and deposited it into the ditch.

The father was okay but the son had severe cuts from the shattered windshield and he was bleeding profusely. The father frantically tried to flag down passing cars to give him a hand. As he tells the story over two hundred vehicles passed by until finally one stopped. The couple in the car helped the lad and took them both back their home where a nervous and anxious wife and mother greeted them.

In a week’s time the truck was repaired and the boy’s cuts were healing. On Christmas Eve the pastor asked the man if he and his son would deliver a basket of food and toys to a family they had tried to see before the accident. When they knocked on the door, who should answer, but the same couple that befriended them on the road a week earlier? Bruce Larson, My Creator, My Friend

Life does not always work out that neatly, of course. But LOVE works! LIFE works!

I don’t know what kind of Advent Season this has been for you thus far. I hope it has been the best one ever!

But whatever your circumstance, I believe we can learn invaluable lessons from Mary’s Song: Life is hard! God is Good! And LOVE and LIFE are stronger than FEAR and DEATH!

To each of you...A Blessed Christmas and a Glorious New Year!!!!