Mary’s Song is our song!

Sermon for Advent 4C-RCL

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

[And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.

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;

he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."]

Today we hear one of the greatest songs in the bible. The Magnificat. The song of Mary. I love this song. And I love the story of Mary. A story that turns societal expectations upside down. Unfortunately many times we don’t listen to the words all that closely in this interaction in Luke. A song and an interaction that certainly sets the stage for much that is to come in the ministry of Jesus and in our calling to be Jesus people.

Both of the main characters – Mary and Elizabeth would not be people who their kin looked up to. Elizabeth is old and has been barren – unable to conceive a child. She would be shamed by her kinfolk as well as the larger society. And even her husband Zachariah did initially not believe that God could take away her shame.

Mary was a young woman engaged to the local carpenter. And now she is an unwed mother. Society expects her to be shamed. Society expects her to hide – since the penalty for being an unwed mother could include death. Mary and Elizabeth would both be shamed. But that is not what happens. God’s grace enters into the story. The Holy Spirit enters into the story and the shame is turned to Joy. The shame is turned into song. The shame is turned into blessing.

But that is not how it is supposed to work. Our society frequently teaches us that some people and some actions are beyond forgiveness. Our kinfolk too can shun us for actions that we take or things that happen to us. In some places not having children is still seen as unnatural – a disgrace – although most people use code words instead of direct shaming. How many times have you heard someone ask a young married couple – “when are you going to have a baby?” It is such a societal norm for married people to produce children that mere acquaintances feel empowered to ask when children are going to be brought into the world. And heaven help the couple that says they are not planning on having children.

This time of year can also be a time of shame and shaming for people. Like in Mary’s day we still look to our kinship group for praise and validation. We still try to conform to societal expectations. And during the holidays any self-perceived shortcomings are magnified.

What if Grandma doesn’t like the new boyfriend or girlfriend? How do we tell mom and dad that college isn’t working? How do we tell people that – for what ever reason – we are not feeling joy during this season of expected Joy? And many people do not feel joy. The pain of the loss of loved ones can be especially poignant during this season. And sometimes we even think that our stories are too big not only for our families – biological or chosen – but also for God.

Not that much has really changed in 2000 plus years!

Another preacher I follow said, “Advent holds many themes, but the witness of Mary reminds us that Advent is about God’s promise of mercy.

I need that right now. Remembrance of God’s mercy. Can we even recall what it feels like know mercy? To feel mercy toward others? To extend mercy? Well, even if we can’t, God does. There’s the promise. Thank you, Mary.[1]

Something different happens when the Holy Spirit enters into the picture. Expectations are turned on their heads. Shame is turned into Joy. A joy so strong that Mary erupts into song. This song was likely not completely original to Mary. It was likely, at least in part, a song that she knew. A song that was part of her very fabric. And her joy at both her pregnancy and her kinwoman Elizabeth’s pregnancy is to proclaim, “"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.”

This work of the Holy Spirit doesn’t make sense. Why would God work through people as lowly as Mary and Elizabeth? Why?

Listen to Mary’s song. It is revolutionary. God:

· Scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

· Brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;

· Filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.

When we stop romanticizing Mary and listen to her song we hear the stuff of Jesus. We frankly hear the stuff of God. It is upside down from our expectations. And we need to listen to it!

God is bigger than any of our imaginations and Mary and Elizabeth get it. God’s Love is bigger than we can imagine and lowly Mary and Elizabeth get it. Society then, and unfortunately now – does not get it. Our imaginations need to expand. The work of the Holy Spirit is bigger than either of these two women – and they both acknowledge it.

This is good news! God is bigger than any of our imaginations. We heard in our reading last week John the Baptist saying that God could create a whole new people from the very rocks. We hear today that God can make the barren able to become pregnant. We hear today that God can make a virgin pregnant. We hear today the Joy in God’s promise to come to earth in flesh and blood as a small baby. We hear today the Joy in Mary for saying yes to God.

Saying yes to God. Opening ourselves up to a God larger than our imaginations. That is what today is about. Ever since the Exodus we all have been trying to put God in a box. We have been trying to tame God. But God will not be tamed. God continues to turn societal expectations upside down. We as followers of Jesus are called to see the Love that came down on Christmas not only in those society would call holy but in all people. We are called to see that Love reflected in the person sitting next to us in the pew. We are called to see that Love in the person who is hungry and homeless. We are called to recognize that Love in ourselves!

On this fourth Sunday in Advent we are asked to make Mary’s song our song. Mary’s song is our song. Listen to it again: