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Gate Pa – Year B - 4th
Sunday of Advent, 2023
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 might inspire us in our life of faith
And invites
us to reflect on who helps us be disciples and who we help
What I want
to happen:
People to
reflect on the Mary’s of today and how we honour them
The Sermon
1.
Introduction:
One of the great things about advent is we get to
spend a little time with Mary
This astonishing young woman
Last week - heard her amazing song of praise and
protest
This week the annunciation
Astounding story
Only in Luke
-
Mary not really given a lot of airtime by other gospel writers
o Or other New Testament
writers
Luke is different story
Unlike Matthew where angel goes to Joseph
In Luke it is all about Mary.
Peasant girl
Living in small village in Galilee
2.
The Story
In Nazareth people will tell you that this
conversation started at well
Now inside Orthodox church
Either continued as the walked down to her parents
house
-
Now inside Church of the Annunciation
Or Gabriel left her to think about what was said
-
And returned to finish conversation in the house
This mind blowing conversation
Echoes of great mothers of faith like Sarai and
Hannah
Titles beyond anything she could imagine
These titles did not belong to a poor girl like her
This poor peasant girl
3.
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,
· Lived in cave with family
· Small poor village Nazareth
– not thought highly of
o Dependant on the one well
o Now called Mary’s well.
· 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 response is not a question
is not one of choice,
o
just confusion,
o
how can this be
o
Bewildered by all the angel
says
o
She is favoured
o
She will bear a son
o
He will be called Son of Most
High
o
God will give him the throne of David his father.
o
He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end
to his kingdom.”
®
What can any
of this mean?
®
All beyond
her
4. Elizabeth
Usually put great store in her “yes”
-
In many ways she simply
does as she. is expected
One commentary I read noted something we often overlook
Tone of conversation changes when Gabriel says
-
“Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a
son. This woman who was labelled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing
is impossible for God.”
Maybe this is where the conversation had stopped
at the well
-
and Mary walked home bewildered
Gabriel returns to say
-
She will not be alone in
this
-
Elizabeth will be there to
help her make sense of all that is happening
-
Accompany her as her world
is reshaped
Responds just as Jesus will respond in Gethsemane
“Let it be with me just as you have said.”
And she immediately goes to be with Elizabeth
near Jerusalem
5. Elizabeth
At some point
Maybe with Elizabeth
She more than accepts
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 becomes an icon of what the incarnation is all about
And a model for what it means to be a disciple
Just as hearing about Elizabeth helped her say her yes
-
Overcome all her fear and
bewilderment
-
Accept her role to do what
was expected
-
Even though that was the
exact opposite of what had been expected as she went to draw water from that
well
Through this yes we know that we are not alone
We are invited to reflect on those who have helped us say yes
-
Our “Elizabeths”
-
Journeyed with us as we
have made sense of faith in our lives
Also invites us to reflect on those we have and continue to journey
with,
-
Acting as Elizabeth for
them
6. Love
Another commentator describes this meeting
with angel
Mary being pursued by divine, covenant hesed love
She becomes the vehicle for this hesed love
-
become embodied in Jesus.
As Mary shows in this story
As every story about this love shows in all scripture
-
Unsettling and
upsetting
-
very disruptive
-
at times
dangerous
-
also Life giving
-
seeking justice
for all
-
Invites us to see
the world very differently
7. So What
What does Mary teach us about the way of love?
-
especially as we
look to celebrating this Christmas.
who have been the Elizabeths in our lives?
who do we act as Elizabeth to?
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