God's Servants: Mary - by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Patti Lusher)

The story in today’s reading is a hard one for any logical person to believe. First, an angel appears. I don’t know about you, but I have never seen an angel. Oh sure, I talk about someone being my angel when they help me when I have a flat tire on the side of the road. But this is a real angel, a messenger from God, presumably with a golden harp and wings to fly back to heaven. Angel Gabriel appears out of nowhere to give Mary a message. Mary is nothing special. She lives in a backwater little town in Galilee. Nothing special ever happens in Galilee. Jerusalem in Judea is the seat of the Jewish religion. That is where the action is. But the angel Gabriel is sent to little old Nazareth in Galilee. Mary is scared half to death when the angel appears. And why not? Wouldn’t you be? We call this scene the Annunciation because the angel announces something to Mary. Gabriel says to Mary: 

God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

He will be great,
    be called ‘Son of the Highest.’ The Lord God will give him
    the throne of his father David; He will rule Jacob’s house forever—
    no end, ever, to his kingdom.”

Mary finds this quite a surprise because she has never had relations with a man. She may be young but she is not stupid. It’s impossible that she could get pregnant. Then the angel says some really crazy stuff:

The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
    the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth
    will be called Holy, Son of God.

Mary is stunned. And why not? “I’m going to have a baby and the Holy Spirit is the father. What kind of drugs are you on, Gabriel?”

Gabriel goes on to say that Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, who was well beyond child bearing years, is now six months pregnant. The angel proclaims: “Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”

That is the key phrase for the day, my friends, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

Now, Mary takes a moment to let this soak in. Again, I don’t know about you, but I would have told the angel to take a hike. But somehow Mary knows. She has a deep sense. She is sure. This is all true. This crazy miracle is going to happen. She says to the angel:

 Yes, I see it all now:
    I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me
    just as you say.

And we know the rest of the story. Mary gives birth to the baby Jesus. Joseph is the adopted father but the Holy Spirit is the father. 

Now, truth be told, people have debated the truth of the virgin birth of Jesus since the first century. As essayist Ron Hansen writes: “Some note that miraculous circumstances surrounding the births of illustrious people were a convention of Hellenistic literature, with which Luke was familiar.” So it was a common literary technique to surround a famous person with a miraculous story of birth. Hanson continues: “Some read the gospel passage from Luke as merely metaphorical: that the infant Jesus was the product of natural [relations] between Joseph and Mary, and that act of love was exquisitely and uniquely blessed by the Holy Spirit.” (source: http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20111212JJ.shtml). I suppose this could be one way of looking at it, as a metaphor. Lots of faithful Christians don’t believe in the virgin birth. But I have to tell you that I do. I believe in miracles. Nothing, you see, is impossible with God. I believe the supernatural can happen when God is in the mix. So I am willing to believe, on faith, that Jesus was born of a virgin. Why not? He was Jesus Christ! The Son of God. A once for all time God-man who would change the course of human history. 

So what does this story mean for us? Let’s look a little more closely at Mary and her story. We don’t know much about Mary’s background except to know that she probably came from a humble family. She was young, probably around 14 when she became engaged to the older Joseph. He could have been in his 30’s. When the angel comes to her, she is justifiably scared. But in a matter of minutes, she becomes calm and confident. “YES!” She says. I will answer God’s call to be the mother of the Son of God. “Let it bejust as you say.” 

You see, Mary understands that nothing is impossible with God. Her people have been waiting for a long time for the Messiah, the Holy One who will come and make things right. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that she would be used as an instrument to bring the Messiah into the world. But here she is, right in the center of this drama. You just never know what God will do. 

This is the lesson for us. Nothing is impossible for God in our lives, too. We just never know what God might be planning for us. God chose Mary for the most important task. But God chooses us every day. God chooses us to represent God to one another. 

When have you been chosen? Maybe not by God, but just chosen for something? What did it feel like? I remember years ago, I was chosen as a Rotary Foundation Scholar. It meant I would get to study abroad in England for a year, all expenses paid. I would be an ambassador of good will on behalf of Rotary International. I was so nervous when I went through my interviews. I did not think I would be chosen. I thought surely there would be another student who was smarter or more articulate or with more extra-curricular activities. Something would cause me NOT to be chosen. I can still remember the moment that I got the phone call telling me I was chosen. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. The experience of living in another country for a year was amazing. I grew in self-confidence. I met interesting people, some of whom are still my friends today. I got to see the world. I carry those experiences with me today. I believe I was blessed by God to be chosen for that experience. It was easy for me to say “YES” to that experience. 

But there are times when we are chosen and it’s hard to say “yes.” Sometimes God chooses us to do something and it’s scary. When I was chosen to be the pastor of Christ Church Findlay I said “yes” but not without reservation. I knew not one soul in Findlay. I considered myself an urban person and this was a big town. I consider myself a progressive person and this was a conservative town. But I went. And I was blessed by the experience. My ministry thrived in Findlay. I met Kurt while I was there and we got married there. God turned something that seemed to me like it might not be a good situation, into a blessing. Nothing is impossible for God.

So, what opportunity is God putting before you? For what are you being chosen? I don’t know what it is. Only you know. God might send you and angel, but more likely you will hear God’s call in the quiet as you pray. God will nudge you, and say, “Why don’t you consider this?”

This is how to pay attention to God’s call.

1)     Be open. Be willing to listen to God. This happens when we take time to sit in the silence and pray. We stop and we listen to God. We ask God, what do you have in mind for me?

2)    Listen to friends. Sometimes God speaks to us through friends. You have to be careful with this one because not all friends are speaking for God. But if a friend who seems to be in tune with God says, “I see you doing this with your life” then it’s time to pay attention.

3)    Be willing to take risks. Mary certainly took a big risk. I took what I felt like was a big risk by moving to Findlay. We both left an old life behind and stepped into a new life that God had prepared for us. 

Remember that nothing is impossible for God. Perhaps there is a dream you have for your own life but you think it is too bold or too crazy. Turn that dream over to God. Give it to God in prayer and see what God does with it. You never know what will happen until you try. 

Most of all, trust that God is going to choose you for something. God has dreams and desires for each one of us. Our job is to get ourselves onto the path God has laid out for us. Just as God had a dream for Mary, God has a dream for you. 

So listen for God. Listen for God’s call upon your life. And when you hear it, don’t be afraid. Say “yes” to God the way Mary did. Say “God, Let it be, just as you say.” Amen.