Mary’s Story: Rejoicing by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Patti Lusher)

        

Do you remember where you were on the morning of Sunday, February 11, 1990? It was a morning of great rejoicing. I arrived at my church, Trinity United Methodist in downtown Atlanta. It was Sunday School time but none of us went to Sunday School class that morning. We were all glued to a television in the fellowship hall. I stood as I watched Nelson Mandela walk into freedom after being imprisoned for 27 years. He had been arrested, convicted and been put into prison in 1962, the year before I was born. And here I was at age 26 watching this man walk into freedom. They drove him from the Victor Verster Prison to Cape Town and stopped along the way so that he could get out of the car and greet the people. There were people lining the entire 40 mile route. And oh, the rejoicing.

         When he got to Cape Town he made a speech and he said their work was not done. They still had to work with President FW de Klerk to build a new South Africa. “His voice becoming extraordinarily powerful, Mandela closed by repeating his pledge from the Rivonia dock, before he was taken off to life imprisonment on Robben Island, that he was prepared to die in the struggle against white and black domination.” (source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/ 2013/dec/07/nelson-mandela-prison-release-1990).

         This week, of course, our world remembered Nelson Mandela as we laid to rest this great leader who was pivotal in bringing to an end the racist system of apartheid in South Africa.

         But I wonder if you know this about Mandela: his parents were illiterate and when he was seven years old they sent him to school, a school run by the Methodist Church. That is where he was given the English name Nelson, by the teacher on the first day he went to school. He was baptized a Methodist and went to a Methodist college at the beginning of his higher education career.

         When he was first exposed to people involved with the African National Congress, the ANC, those who would work to dismantle apartheid, he was a young student.  At first, he chose not to join them, because they were atheists and he was a Christian. Later, of course, he would join them because of their values. When he decided to become a lawyer he says: he did not have any sort of “epiphany” he just found that he could not do otherwise. (source: wikepedia. “Nelson Mandela”).

         I would say that he had a calling. When he was brought to trial and eventually sentenced to life in prison he said that he wanted to use the trial to showcase "the ANC's moral opposition to racism.” (ibid).

         Now, do you suppose there were times in Mandela’s 27 years in prison that he had doubts? Do you suppose that he ever prayed: “God, could you not have chosen someone else for this task? Why couldn’t I have been born in some other place and time and just had a simple life?” But it was not to be. He was destined to be a great leader.

         He could have chosen to say “no” to God’s call upon his life. At any point along the way, he could have just hidden in the background. When he experienced the oppression of himself and his people he could have just said, “What can I do? The system of apartheid is too great. I am only one man. These people with the ANC will never get anywhere. I am not going to get involved.”

         But, he was a follower of Jesus. And Jesus taught him the principles of justice and equality for all. Jesus taught him to have the courage to be prepared to die for the cause of racial equality. And Jesus taught him reconciliation and forgiveness. That was perhaps Mandela’s most admired gift to our world. Did you know that when he was inaugurated as President that he invited his jailer to the inauguration, and to sit in a place of privilege?  He spoke with former President Bill Clinton about this. Clinton asked him: “Tell me the truth: when you were walking down the road [out of the prison] that last time didn’t you hate them?” 

         Mandela answered: “I did. I am old enough to tell the truth ....I felt hatred and fear but I said to myself, if you hate them when you get in that car you will still be their prisoner. I wanted to be free and so I let it go.”  (source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/nelson-mandela/10501060/Mandela-looked-his-enemy-in-the-eye-and-held-him-close.html).

         His most difficult work was in those years after he got out of prison and before he was elected the first black President of South Africa, working to bring together reconciliation. He received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993. 

         But the most amazing thing was when he was elected President of South Africa. Do you remember the rejoicing? My, my, my. Who would have imagined a day when a man sent to prison for life could be elected President four years after he was released? That is some rejoicing. That is a man, chosen by God, blessed by God. 

         But do you know what made all the difference? Nelson Mandela said “yes” to God.

         Mary’s story is also the story of someone who said “yes” to God. Ah, Mary. She could not have been more than 13 or 14 years old when the angel came and told her, “You have been chosen to be the mother of God.” She must have been terrified. But she was a good girl, from a good family. Her parents must have taken her to the synagogue every week. They raised her well. When her call came, somehow, she was ready. And she said to the angel: “I’m ready. Let it be with me as God wishes.” 

         Shortly after that, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was also pregnant. These two cousins, both pregnant in miraculous ways, with children chosen by God for greatness, one John the Baptist and the other Jesus, these two women needed some time together. 

         After Elizabeth claimed the blessing in Mary’s life, as we heard about last week, Mary broke out into song. That is the reading we heard today.

         Mary sings for joy. She rejoices like no rejoicing that had ever been seen before. Mary is bursting at the seams with joy. Because somehow she understands at her very core, just what it means that God is coming to earth in human form. 

         She says, this Jesus, when he comes, he is going to turn the world upside down. He is going to scatter the bullies; and unseat the tyrants; the poor will sit down to banquets while the rich sit out in the cold. Finally, she says her people will know that they are chosen and they will know God’s mercy as they have been promised. 

         She can feel it in her bones, in her body – because she is carrying this baby. Things are going to be different for her people. Her people have been suffering under the rule of the Romans, but it is going to be different. And she is so full of joy she is beside herself. 

         But here is the one thing we have to remember about Mary. She allowed herself to be used by God. She had a choice. She could have said “no.” She could have refused the angel. I don’t think she would have. I don’t think God would have chosen someone who would have refused. But we all have free will. We have the ability to choose. God would not have forced Mary to be the mother of Jesus. It’s not in God’s nature.

         Mary said “yes.”

         And she did not even resist. Not like Moses. When God called Moses, to lead the people out of Egypt, he came up with all sorts of excuses as to why he was not the right guy for the job. He had to be convinced. And what about Jonah? When God called Jonah he ran in the opposite direction.

         Mary? She said: Yes! Let it be according to God’s purposes.  What a brave young girl.

         Nelson Mandela and Mary the Mother of Jesus – they both said “Yes.” And they both endured suffering. But it was for something greater than themselves. 

         Nelson Mandela went to prison for 27 years, but ultimately he brought an end to racial apartheid in South Africa. Mary had to watch her son die by execution, but ultimately, the power of Jesus’ love has brought transformation to countless human beings. They both said “yes” to God and because they did we experience much rejoicing.

         So our challenge for today is this: when God calls us to give our lives, will we say “yes.” Because we are all called to serve in some way. We are all called to make a difference. Each one of us has a purpose. Each one of us can change the world, at least some small piece of it. Our task is to figure out what piece of the world God is putting in front of us to change. It actually took Nelson Mandela awhile to find the ANC and to discover that it was the place where he was supposed to focus his energy. 

         Some of us will live out our call in our jobs. Others of us will live out our call in our spare time. But we all have a call. Every one of us, as a follower of Jesus, has a call, and when we find it, and live it out, there is rejoicing. There is joy in knowing that we are living the life that God put us on this earth to live. For example, Jodi used her gifts this past year to lead our project to rehab Rock and Beth’s home. There were days that she, like Nelson Mandela, got discouraged. What have I gotten myself into? But every work day when she got to see progress on the house, when she saw other people pitching in, and when she saw the look on Rock and Beth’s face that their house was becoming a cozy, and warmer home, there was great rejoicing. Jodi has been living out her call. She is using her gifts to change the world.

         Mary, the Mother of Jesus, said that Jesus is coming to change us. He is coming to help us see how we can change the world. There is poverty in our world – material poverty, emotional poverty, and poverty of the soul. When we say “Yes” to the call to serve, then we experience great joy. So be courageous. Listen deeply for the angel speaking to you. And when you hear the call, say “yes.” The yes will bring you great joy.