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The Power of Yes (4th Sunday of Advent 2023)

Focus Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

December 24, 2023 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Power of Yes

 

“For nothing will be impossible with God.” These are the final words of the angel Gabriel as he leaves Mary after delivering the big news and getting her “yes.” This yes turned the world upside down. What might your yes do? What might happen when we let God do a new thing in us and with us.

The annunciation of the coming Christ child to Mary by Gabriel is a fascinating interaction, both for what Mary says and for what she doesn’t. I must imagine that for most of us, our reactions would be different. Let’s do a walk through the text of Luke 1:26-38 to see what I mean.

Let us begin with the opening moments of the encounter between Gabriel and Mary, starting with Gabriel’s being and role. We see Gabriel appear four times in the Bible, twice to Daniel in the Old Testament, then twice in the new, one to announce the coming birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth and in today’s Gospel lesson, the announcement to Mary. Clearly, Gabriel is dispatched for the truly important message delivery that God has planned.

So, Gabriel shows up, appears to Mary, and says, “Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you.” What comes next is astounding. Consider where this was taking place, in Nazareth, a small town in Galilee. Archeological evidence shows that the town had but a single spring for fresh water and a population of less than 500 during Jesus’s time. It was a whopping ten acres in size. Yes, it was tiny and remote.

We can say with certainty that young Mary had never seen or experienced anything like this in her life. With the combination of her age and upbringing in a tiny village, it is surprising that she did not go running out into the streets. “I’ve seen an angel!” Either in fright or excitement, that would have been a less surprising reaction than what we read next: “But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

Understand that Luke is known for his writing. He had some literary chops, so this detail was intentional and meaningful. Mary’s maturity and stature as God’s chosen one are evident from the first moments.

Then Gabriel goes on to describe what will happen. She will give birth to the son of God, Jesus. Mary questions this, of course, because she knows how babies happen, and that hasn’t happened yet in her life. To Mary’s satisfaction, Gabriel describes the power of the Holy Spirit and the rest.

What is Mary’s reaction to the details? “I’m in!”

Actually, she said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” In a word, she said, “Yes.”

When Mary agreed, she agreed to be part of this new thing, something that turned the world upside down. God’s purposeful acts, both through Mary and in other ways, illustrate the new thing, language we find back in Isaiah 46:19. The following are some of the elements of this new thing.

First, of course, is something we know from the benefit of understanding Jesus’s ministry and action on the cross. As articulated in the Magnificat, the hungry are filled, the rich sent away empty, the lowly are lifted up, and the powerful brought low.

Second, God shows us the importance and power of humility, both in the words and actions of Mary and those of Jesus…not what the world values at all. Mary’s humility is stunning. After hearing this incredible news and knowing God’s plan, her response is a quiet, “As God wills it.”

Third, significant, and obvious is the role of women in God’s plan. In a time when women did not have the rights and legal standing of men, God used women to work out God’s will. Compare the actions of Mary and Zechariah. Mary said yes. Zechariah, when learning that Elizabeth, old and no longer fertile, would give birth, said no. So he was mute until the baby, John, was named. The teenage girl from Nazareth said yes in faith; the respected priest said no in disbelief.

This is all in keeping with a major theme in Luke’s Gospel, and why it became part of the canon of the church. Luke highlights the overlooked and marginalized, those who were outcasts, showcasing how they were central to God’s plan. God can and does use anyone to fulfill God’s plan. This brings us to…us, today, now.

What incredible things could happen when we get the nudge from God and respond with a simple yes? What act of service could we complete? What might we do to restore the earth? How could we help the least of these? How might we grow in faith?

While none of us will likely have a role like Mary or Elizabeth, we can do things that are of eternal worth. Remember just a few weeks ago when we revisited Jesus talking about separating the goats from the sheep. Jesus had a low bar set for us: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner. We all can do something, even if we cannot do everything. And each time we do, we make God smile because we are doing God’s will. We are loving like Jesus.

Ultimately, this is what the final Sunday of Advent is about. It is about love. The love within the Godhead is evident as Gabriel describes the actions and roles of our Triune God. Love is displayed by God to make Mary, the teenager from Nazareth, central to the salvation of the world. And love is demonstrated by God to execute this great rescue mission of our salvation that begins with a quiet birth in the most humble of settings, because God so loved the world.

It is no wonder that Gabriel said what he said to conclude the conversation: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

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