Confused and Disturbed

CONFUSED AND DISTURBED Luke 1:26-38 November 29, 2020 Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, the first words an angel speaks are usually 'Fear Not', or 'be not afraid'. It's what the angel says to Zechariah, John the Baptist's father; it's what the angel says to Joseph, Mary's fiancée; and it's what the angel says to Mary. Don't be afraid. Because, apparently, angels in person are terrifying. If you figure the average man in Israel looked like the guy on the left, and an angel looks something like the Cherubim on the right, I can see why there might be some discomfort or apprehension. If I saw the thing on the right I would wonder who slipped LSD into my Wheaties. It looks like something that might eat you, and then drag your carcass off to the underworld. When the angel Gabriel first approaches Mary, he issues the standard warning - don't be afraid. As you read through the text, there is no indication Mary is afraid. Nothing in her demeanor, or in her speech indicates she is the least bit frightened. What she is - and the text is very clear on this - is confused and disturbed. And yet, neither of those emotions has anything to do with the angel per se. Mary is completely focused on Gabriel's message, and not on his appearance. What is wrong with Mary that she isn't frightened out of her socks? Not that anyone at that time wore socks. Sandals and socks looks foolish. Let's talk about Biblical Mary. Most likely she was much younger than we are comfortable portraying in art. We love to paint Mary somewhere between 20 and 25. In Jesus' Israel, the minimum age to engage a girl for marriage was 10.1 Does that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up? The oldest age was 12 and 1/2. That's a very small window; 10 - 12 1/2. Mary has been engaged to Joseph for a while. So, even if we put her at the top of the range, and say they are well into the engagement, at best she is 13. Engagement was a serious business. Even though the bride and groom to be were not living together, it took a divorce to end the engagement.2 The groom spent the year of the engagement building a home for his new family. The bride's parents spent the year building up a financial dowry. But, as far as everyone was concerned this couple was as good as married. Mary does not have the option of cold feet. She is not going to show up on her wedding day and say, 'I don't think so'. Maybe that's why they married them so young, too young to have an opinion. Keep your mouth shut and just do what you're told. Perhaps Mary isn't afraid because she isn't old enough to know any better. The other thing we know about Mary, is that she is a nobody. She is lowly and ordinary. Mary isn't chosen to be the mother of Jesus because she is the most spectacular young woman in Israel. She didn't score perfect on her SAT's. She didn't win 'Miss Israel' of 4BC. (They didn't know it was 4 BC.) She is just a girl. God doesn't bless us because we are special, or deserving, or worthy. God blesses us because, he does. That should make us very, very happy. I have received some absolutely fantastic blessings in my life. I didn't deserve a single one of them. I don't deserve the wonderful life I am living. God just blessed me, because he does. When you look at your life, can you pick out a blessing God has given to you? Gabriel says to Mary, 'boy do I have good news for you! You're going to be pregnant'! You are going to conceive, and give birth to a son! Woohoo! And, Mary's response is - yay? No! Mary's response is to be confused and disturbed. She asks Gabriel, 'how can this happen? I'm a virgin'! Which tells us several things. First, it tells us Mary - even at her very young age - understands sex.3 She knows where babies come from. Have you had that talk with your 10-year-old? Apparently, Mary's mother was very progressive. And, Mary knows, she's been a good girl. She has honored all the conditions of her engagement. This should not be happening. Still, she rolls with it. She wasn't frightened by the appearance of the angel - like we would expect. And, she isn't angry about his prophecy - like we would expect. Instead, Mary is confused. The language in the Greek tells us she is confused because she is expecting this to happen right now.4 Mary expects to leave the conversation with Gabriel - pregnant. But, Joseph isn't there. Her betrothed is not present. Mary understands how sex works, so she is confused. Which leads to the disturbing part. If it's not Joseph, and if Gabriel is the only one present, and if he is a Cherubim with four faces and wings and hooves. That's disturbing. Gabriel says - whoa! Don't go there. The Holy Spirit of God is going to overpower and overwhelm you. That's how this works. If I were a 13-year-old girl, I'm not sure that would be any comfort. Just what exactly does it mean to be overpowered and overwhelmed?5 The only other place in the Bible where that phrase appears is in Exodus 40:35, "Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord (overpowered or overwhelmed) the Tabernacle." Moses and the Israelites are traveling in the wilderness for 40 years. Each time they stop moving and set up camp, this powerful cloud of God's presence settles over the tent where the Ark of the Covenant stays. At night it is a burning pillar of fire. And, both the fire and the cloud completely fill the room where the Ark is. It is such a powerful presence that even Moses - who has spent a lot of time with God - cannot enter the holy of holies. It's just too much God. Gabriel tells Mary, that presence of God; that powerful fire/cloud is going to rest on you like it rested on the Ark of the Covenant. That's how you will become pregnant. If I were Mary, I'm not sure that would be comforting. I believe that would still qualify as disturbing. In all of your interactions with God, have you ever been confused and disturbed? It takes too long to tell the story, but from 1999 to 2008 I worked as an Assistant Chaplain at the Denton County Prison. I did not want that job, and I did not go looking for that job. In fact, I was very vocal with God that I found the concept confusing and disturbing. I was pretty sure God wasn't paying enough attention to his work. Of course, it ended up being tremendously rewarding. I'm not sure if the prisoners got anything out of it, but I sure did. I now look back fondly on those 9 years. Like Mary, good things happen when we trust God, and move beyond our initial reaction. Mary wants to know, why is this happening? Not an unreasonable question. Gabriel says - to fulfill prophecy. Years from now the first Sunday of Advent will focus on prophecy so this needs to happen. No. Gabriel says, this is a fulfillment of prophecy. Prophetic promises were made, and it's time for them to come true. Nathan the prophet approaches King David and says (2 Samuel 7:12-14), "When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house-a temple-for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son." God promises David, through the prophet Nathan, that the Messiah will come from his lineage. The prophet Isaiah approaches King Ahaz out by the Jerusalem water supply and says (Isaiah 7:14), "All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us')." Gabriel says to Mary, prophecy never fails. God always keeps his promises. Even when it takes so long that most people don't believe any more, God still keeps his promises. It is the perfect time for a Messiah, a true Son of God, born of a virgin. That's why this is happening to you. Do you believe in prophecy? Do you believe God keeps all his promises? Do you believe Jesus is God, and Jesus keeps all his promises? Jesus said to the Apostles (John 14:1-3), "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." That is both a prophecy, and a promise. Yet, more and more people have decided it is not true. If you believe in Mary, and the virgin birth, you should believe in the return of Jesus, and eternal life in Heaven as well. Mary hears everything Gabriel has to say, and she responds. She doesn't respond with fear - which I think would be reasonable. And, she doesn't respond with joy - which I think (under the circumstances) would be unreasonable. Instead, she responds with obedience.6 Mary says - all of this is over my head. I'm a 13-year-old girl, with a fiancée. He's going to be unhappy. My parents are going to be unhappy. I am confronted by an angel who wants me to do cartwheels because I am going to be overpowered and overwhelmed and become pregnant. I don't see a single upside. But, I will obey. I will do what God asks of me. Mary is confused, and disturbed, but obedient. Sometimes God asks so much. Sometimes it seems like more than we can carry. Sometimes it seems unfair. And, when that happens - it is okay to be confused and disturbed. Those are valid emotions and you are certainly entitled to them. You are allowed to shout out loud, I am confused and disturbed. But, if you want to be blessed, be obedient. That's where all the good stuff happens. 1 Joel B. Green, New Interpreter's Study Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003), 1853. 2 R. C. Sproul, general editor. New Geneva Study Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1602. 3 Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 118. 4 David T. Landry, "Narrative Logic in the Annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)," The Journal of Biblical Literature, 114 no. 1 (Spring 1995), 65-79. 5 NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 214. 6 Lillian Daniel, "Born in Perplexity: Luke 1:26-38," Journal for Preachers, 29 no. 1 (Advent 2005), 26-28. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 2