Mary Our Icon
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – Year B - 4th Sunday of Advent, 2020
Readings:
Psalm Psalm
89:1-4, 19-26
First Reading
2 Sam 7:1-11, 16
Second Reading Rom
16:25-27
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
What I want to say:
To explore who is Mary, and how she is
our icon, helping us
-
live love
-
be a disciple
What I want to happen:
People to reflect on the Mary’s of
today and how we honour them
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Traditionally
on of the themes for Advent 4 is a time to honour Mary
è What comes to mind when you think of Mary
o
what words or titles
ð Discuss
2. The Church – one extreme
Always struggled with how to view Mary
over centuries – whole range responses to her
Most Christians – Roman Catholic, Orthodox and
Anglo Catholic, some Lutherans (vast majority Christians world wide) –very
significant figure
Mother
of God
which
some – just under level of God
-
some in medieval
thought – elevate her to Goddess
o
quartenity –
putting her par and including her in Trinity
difference between orthodox and catholic – Mary’s
death
just outside of Jerusalem find Orthodox of
tomb of Mary
-
RC – no tomb
o
Believe she was
bodily assumed into heaven
Important prayer in these traditions Angelus
prayed by Catholics, Anglicans and Lutherans
up to 3 times a day
-
Hear again words
Angel heard today,
-
invited to
reflect on what that might mean for us
within Orthodox tradition known as theotokis
-
literally means bringing
forth of God, God bearer
-
acts as model for
us all – that we become God bearers here and now
3. The church - other extreme
other extreme
-
Protestant church
-
who in reaction
to above
o
work hard almost
write her out of story
except at Christmas – hard to ignore
4. Rest of us
Rest of us not
sure what make of all this
Because of our Protestant heritage –
-
mother of God can
make us feel very uncomfortable
5. Bible
Mary has been an enigma, even a problem, since
very beginning
see it in way NT treats her
Mark
– most memorable appearance –with Jesus’ brothers and sisters and try take him
home – think off his rocker
Matthew
not much better – although at empty tomb
John
– not mentioned by name
o
Is present at
number important events
Paul
– not mentioned at all
Luke
presented positive and important light
She
is one of heroes of story
(Matthew is Joseph)
Poor young women
plays central role
More than that for Luke
She is model of
Christian discipleship
–
i.e. one who all people, men and women should emulate
6. The real Mary
When look for image of Mary
o
Amazed so many wealthy young woman
·
Far from truth
·
Probably 14 or 15 year old peasant girl,
(peasant girl)
·
Lived in cave with family (Mary’s cave)
·
Small poor village Nazareth – not thought highly of
·
No say in her life
o
Done what mother commanded
o
Learning what meant to be wife
o
So that when father arranged marriage, (as he had) she could honour
family name being good dutiful wife
o
fulfil her duty well
To this young peasant girl Luke tell us comes
Archangel Gabriel
We often talk about Mary's being willing - assumes
choice
o
Unsure if she even has a
choice,
o
Lived without choice
o
No choice in Gabriel’s
words
o
Mary's question is not one
of choice, just confusion, how can this be
o
She does as she.
is expected
o
More than accept
o
In Luke at least – she
understands that something significant is happening here
In
Luke she becomes someone significant for those who joined the Way of Christ
-
More than just Jesus’
mother
She
was prophet
Who
teaches in her own response what it means to be a disciple?
And
live way of love.
I
wonder how Mary helps us live as disciples
How
does she into the other theme for today
-
Love
7. Magnificat
wonder
if Luke had met, even knew Mary
o
which is why he gives her
more prominence
o
where the Magnificat comes
from
o
I wonder if Mary’s Song -
the Magnificat something that she said - end of her life
o
placed in here in her
pregnancy
o
No longer just 12 year old
peasant girl betrothed to carpenter
o
obedient
o
happens to be pregnant
o
understands that through this dangerous event
o
she has become the agent of God’s liberation,
o
God's sign of hope for her people liberation now
o
In this statement she becomes a prophet in her own right
o
Gives us this radical and powerful protest song
o
Reveals the heart of her understanding of God’s love at work
o
What it means to be a disciple
o
to live the way of that love
8. The poor
World that Mary lived in
-
poor people were poor because it
was the will of God
some (those deserve it) are rich powerful, many poor
how it should be
theology at work in All Things Bright and Beautiful
Today
lazy
uneducated
needed keep businesses
going
essentially the same thing
right order of things to have rich and poor
that is how the world should be
to which Mary counters every single one of those
arguments
offers an alternative
o Magnificat - link coming of Jesus
directly into hopes
Mary and
family and village for an end roman rule and restoration of David's kingdom. restoration
of peace and wealth for all
o
Coming Christ is not just about
future, but in Luke
is about reign of God's
justice now
o
Mary is to be the sign of that
·
Luke at least, Christmas is coming of Gods hope
·
Cry poor has been heard
·
Gods reign justice and peace has begun
·
as heard last week:
good news
is brought to the poor.
release
to the captives is proclaimed
the blind
recover their sight,
the
oppressed go free,
“the year of the Lord's favour is proclaimed!”[1]
9. what then is love
- First
observations are that this love is
-
very disruptive
- Very
dangerous
- Unsettling
and upsetting
- Life
giving
- Invites
us to see the world very differently
10. So What
What does Mary teach us about the way of love
What difference does that make as we look to celebrating this Christmas
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