Forth Sunday in Advent

Luke 1:26-38

December 22, 2002

“Favored by God”

Introduction:  Children and children of all ages…Christmas is just three days away.  Most schools are taking a break.  For most children that means no homework and no memory work.  It’s time to relax and have some fun.  That is great.  As I was thinking about school I remembered when I was young and went to school.  I remember times when I found my teachers favor and times when I did not, times when they were happy with me and times when they were not so happy with me.  I was pretty good at art.  I remember the time I drew a picture and it found favor in the eyes of my teacher.  She showed it to all the other children and then she placed it in a special cabinet for the whole school to see.  I had found favor in the eyes of my teacher.  I also remember a time when I did not receive such favor.  One winter day, after a fresh snowfall, I was outside playing in the snow with other students.  We started throwing snowballs, first at each other and then at the school.  As I formed a snowball with my hands I noticed that it was unusually heavy.  Nonetheless I threw it at the door of the school.  As it hit the window of the door I heard a loud crash as the window broke.  There was a rock in my snowball.  I did not find much favor from my teachers that day as I sat in the principles office.

            When I read today’s Bible lesson about Mary, I thought about what it means be favored.  The Bible tells us that Mary was chosen by God to be Jesus’ mother.   The Bible tells us that Mary had found favor with God.  That means that God was happy with her.  The favor that Mary had with God was not the result of anything that she had done.  He simply chose her.  Through her he promised to bless her and all the people of the world by giving birth to the Savior – Jesus. 

            Because of sin, people lost the favor of God.  His favor was lost because people have not obeyed God.  They have done bad things.  We have too.  We have deserved the consequences of our actions – like sitting in the principles office.  God did not give us what we deserve.  Instead He gave us His own Son Jesus Christ who would please God for us in His life.  Through His death on the cross we are forgiven.  Because of Jesus we are favored by God, chosen by Him to receive His love and blessing, just like the Virgin Mary.  Just like the Mary God is using us to bless the world through our faith in Jesus.

Favored by God to Be A Blessing

           What does it mean to be favored by God?  Indeed, this was the first question that popped into Mary’s mind as the angel Gabriel announced to her that she should “rejoice as the highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women.”  She responded by asking, “what do you mean by that?”  The angel Gabriel tells her.

            In that small town of Nazareth, off the beaten path, the angel visits young Mary.  At the time of his visit she had already been betrothed, that is engaged to be married, to Joseph a descendant of king David.  The angel had a wonderful message for this simple young girl.  He told her that God had selected her, of all the woman of the earth, to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of the Highest and the Savior of the world.

            God had promised Eve in the Garden of Eden that the Savior would come from the seed of the women.  He would crush the serpent’s head.  God promised the first women that the Savior would be born of a woman.  Even as woman was instrumental in bringing sin into the world, being deceived by the Satan.  God would use woman as His instrument in saving the world and defeating Satan.  This was the glorious promise that God was fulfilling in Mary.

            Of course this announcement startled Mary.  She could not help but wonder how this could be.  After all, she had not been with a man like a wife is with her husband.  Gabriel explained that through a miracle of God’s power she would become a mother and God Himself would be the Father.  Her baby would truly be the Son of God and her Son.  He would be both divine and human, God and man.

The Lord Was With Mary

It’s hard to imagine what other people are thinking, but a person can’t help but wonder what Mary thought as a result of her conversation with Gabriel.  What was the hardest thing for her to comprehend?  Was it hard for her to comprehend that God favored her.  Certainly she knew that she was a sinner in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.  Of all the women of the world there must have been somebody else more deserving then her.  God nonetheless chose her to be the mother of the Savior.  Perhaps it was hard for Mary to comprehend getting pregnant as a virgin.  Virgin birth, after all defies logic.  That is why many people have denied it, even in churches that call themselves Christian.  But, to deny the virgin birth is to deny that Christ is God’s Son or that Jesus is God.  If He was not God then He could not be the Savior.  Perhaps it was hard for Mary to comprehend who her child was going to be.  The music group Living Waters presented us with a cantata called Mary Did You Know?  How could she comprehend raising a sinless child who would then be crucified for her own sins as well as the sins of the world?  Finally, in a practical sense how did she feel about explaining her pregnancy to other people and especially Joseph and her family?  You would expect Mary to have some misgivings.  What would she tell her parents, “Mom and dad, I have something to tell you.  Mom and dad I’m pregnant, but it’s ok.  I talked to an angel and he told me that I was going to get pregnant, but that’s ok, God is the Father.  By the way, my baby is going to be the long awaited Savior.  His name is going to be Jesus.  These are not the thoughts of Mary though.  In an astounding confession of faith Mary speaks these words, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word.”  Mary’s words are a sweet expression of the faith that she has in her Lord.  She doesn’t look at her circumstances or the troubles that might come as a result.  She doesn’t trust her own reason or logic.  She trusts in God’s Word to her and His favor toward her.  She trusted that the Lord was with her.

The Lord is With Us

When a pastor visits shut-ins and the sick, when he attends those people in the throws of death and meets with those who are mourning the death of their loved ones, when he meets with people caught in conflict and trouble, he often speaks these words, “The peace of the Lord be with you.”  They are simple words with a powerful message very similar to Gabriel’s words to Mary.  With these words the pastor reminds God’s people “The Lord is with them”.  They do not have to be afraid, they are the objects of God’s favor.  They have been chosen by Him to receive His blessing.  His blessing isn’t determined by the circumstance that they find themselves in.

            As I have had the occasion to speak these words of promise and hope I have been amazed.  These words of peace are an amazing contrast to the situations of chaos that they address.  After all, by what reason can we speak of peace to persons who find themselves isolated and alone?  Where is God’s favor as a person waits for the doctors test results to determine the nature of an illness?  Where is God’s favor when we experience loss of life or livelihood?  What is even more amazing, though, is how these words are received.  Over and over again I have seen these words received with the simplest and most astounding expressions of faith.  Mary said it this way, “Let it be to me according to your word.”  After saying, “The peace of the Lord be with you” often the response is a simple expression of faith, expressed in a faithful nod or a simple word like yes.  In it we find a faith as beautiful as Mary’s, and just as powerful.  It is faith that trusts that the Lord is with us  because He has promised to be in His word.  Despite the circumstances of life God’s people express their faith, trusting in God and His good favor and trusting in His Word.

            This faith is attested to here in church also.  Here we must trust our ears instead of our eyes.  We trust the Word of God to us.  Our eyes see a splash of water, a preacher, a little bread and a little wine.  But God’s Word speaks to what we cannot see.  That splash of water is Baptism, a life giving water full of grace, a water of rebirth and renewal.  That preacher speaks real forgiveness.  That bread is the body of Jesus, conceived and born of Mary, given into death on the cross.  That wine is His blood poured out for you.  These are the miracles of God that stand before our eyes.  We believe them to be not by reason but because God has told us what they are.  By faith we say let them be to your servants as you say in your word. 

Conclusion: As we prepare for Christmas we are invited to believe as Mary did.  The Virgin did conceive and she gave birth to a baby boy, God with us, lying in an animal’s feed box.  He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He was born to die a sinner’s death, disfavored by God.  For His sake we have received God’s kindness.  For His sake the words of the angel apply to us.  “Do not fear.  The Lord is with you.”  In Jesus Christ God has found favor with you.  Blessed are you among all people.  Amen