bearing

the annunciation

"Let it be to me according to your Word."  This is Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s message.  She will bear the news and the physical reality of it.  It reveals her character and the ideal way in which all people are invited to respond to the presence and power of God, as it fills our lives with promise and hope.  But Luke the evangelist knew that Mary's response was different. She was more open than most of us to the possibility that God might approach us and speak to us.  As such, she becomes the bearer of God.  

Most of us, most of the time, doubt that God speaks.  And angels? We speak of them whenever we manage to avoid an accident; as in "my guardian angel was watching out for me".  But angels do not confront us.  Not even in church! We maintain distance between us and God.  Our story is more like Zechariah the priest;  Here's his story, also from the first chapter of Luke's gospel:  

 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’

"Mary" from the film "The Nativity Story"

The contrast between Mary and Zechariah is dramatic.  Though the messages are very similar; pregnancy  announcements by an angel that have divine implications, because both pregnancies are considered humanly impossible;  Of course, Zechariah’s vision is in the temple, where one might expect to experience the presence and power of God; Mary’s is in a backwater village in the north country.  Zechariah is a priest, of high status, whose wife is a descendant of Aaron the high priest.  Someone God might bless.  He is a righteous man, an elder of the people, respected.  Mary has no status, no ancestral pedigree.  She is a Jewish girl from Nazareth with no credentials, no husband and therefore no means of support-- physical or spiritual.  The differences don’t stop there.  Both Zechariah and Mary ponder aloud how this could be, but the difference is important.  Mary’s pregnancy is not by human conception, but by spiritual empowerment.  This is unprecedented in the biblical history world view.  She ought not to have any prior knowledge of such an experience taking place.  She can only trust that it is somehow possible with God.  Elizabeth’s pregnany occurs the old fashioned way.  And although they are beyond the age of child bearing, there is biblical precedence for such an occurrence:  Abraham and Sarah!  Duh.  Zechariah should know that this pregnancy is possible, miraculous but possible.  As a result of Zechariah’s lack of understanding and inability to receive the message, he is struck dumb.  He cannot say a word.  Zechariah cannot believe what seems impossible, though it comes from a reliable source.  Mary believes God’s Word, receives it, and  is blessed by it. When she visits Elizabeth and her pregnancy is confirmed, Mary cannot be silent--in fact, She sings a song of praise and triumph for God's might power at work to save the lowly, the poor, and the powerless.  

Mary is always depicted as this delicate little flower in a blue and white dress, kneeling with eyes closed, and heart clenched.  She is gentle, and often beautiful.   But she is also taking on a huge burden; bearing a child out of wedlock in Nazareth, was dangerous, potentially deadly.  If the men don’t stone her to death, the childbirth could kill her.  She is no flower. She is strong, bold, a teenage girl with hope and courage facing social stigma, isolation, possibly death.   God chooses the insignificant one, the unsuspected one, the impossible to enact His powerful Word of salvation.  Mary receives this Word of God for her life with humility.  She is ready and willing to serve.  The one who believes that nothing is impossible for God  becomes the bearer of God’s Son and the promised redeemer of the world. Her greatest strength is her unwavering faith in God. Her gift to the world is that she alone bore the Christ child.  

Are we more like Zechariah in our relationship with God?  We come to the "temple" to perform our religious duty, we pray to God, we serve God as we are able.  But we are reluctant to believe what God can do, reluctant to believe that God might do a new thing, a new work in our lives?  Do we give God excuses as to why God can’t use us?  We are too old.  We are too inexperienced.  We are not good enough, holy enough, faithful enough. We are too small a congregation.  We don't have enough ________.  

Mary teaches us the attitude of one who receives and bears God’s Word; graciously, humbly, willingly.  As Christmas draws near, let us not forget that there was a young, unmarried, poor girl in the little village of Nazareth who first received the news and became the one through him the savior and king of the world, Jesus Christ, would be born. Let us also not forget that we are also being summoned, called, inspired to bear the good news of God's saving love for the world.  We are invited to receive God's powerful presence in our lives.  We are invited to embody the love of Christ.  Will we bear the news in silent disbelief like Zechariah?  Or will we bear the news with joyful expectancy and songs of praise, ready for God to come and save us from our sins?