Mary - The Dilemma of Saying Yes

Introduction

VIDEO: Mary: The Dilemma of Saying Yes 3:12

We continue this morning in our series entitled “Christmas Dilemma” were were are looking at the various characters involved in The Christmas Story and how they each found themselves in one sort of dilemma or another. The word “dilemma” meaning “a problem involving an unusually difficult choice” and what we have discovered is that in the midst of these various Christmas Dilemmas, God is at work.

Let me say that again...It is in the midst of these Dilemmas that we see that God is at work!

Henry Blackaby, known for his book Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God is somewhat famous for having said: “Find out where God is at work and join Him.” That is really good advice, but sometimes God chooses to invade our lives in such a way that we don’t have to look very hard to see what He is up to. Sometimes He just brings it right in front of our face.

That was the experience of this young teenage girl named Mary.

Tension

And what she found was that saying, “Yes” to God does not equate to a carefree life with no worries or problems to overcome. On the contrary, sometimes saying, “Yes” means being misunderstood, maligned, and having one’s character marred by those who may not understand the full extent of what God is up to at the moment.

And I believe that is why so many of us rarely say “Yes” anymore. Think about it. When was the last time you answered a significant question with just a simple “Yes”. No conditions. No qualifying. No hedging your bet. Just a pure, simple and committed “Yes.” . To definitively say “Yes, I am in all the way” is a rare occurrence.

We have: “That sounds good to me” or “I’ll try” or “I am aiming for it” or “That’s my plan” or every child’s personal nighmare the parental: ”Well, we’ll see”…but rarely do we let a pure, simple, un-altered “Yes” ring out from our lips.

And I get it, I am not pointing to finger only at some of you or speaking with a metaphorical “us” or “we”. Most of the time when I am faced with a decision I just figure that there are too many variables to calculate on a black and white “yes” or “no” scale…I prefer to work in the gray, where there is a lot more wiggle room to my commitment.

But each of us at some point in our lives are going to be faced with a “Dilemma of saying Yes” when it comes to what God has called us to do. God is at work in our world and He does His work through His people. As I have often said: “Jesus did not just save you from something, he saved you for something!” and that causes quite a dilemma for all of us who have forgotten how to say yes.

Will it make a difference if our all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving God is the one doing the asking? It did for Mary, and we are going to take a look at her story this morning.

So open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 1, it’s on page 855 if you want to follow along in the Bibles in the Chairs. I’ll pray and we dive into Mary’s story and Dilemma of Yes together.

Truth

Mary’s Dilemma of saying yes is found early in the Gospel of Luke, but her story is really sandwiched here between references to another miraculous birth announcement from a messenger of the Lord even earlier in the book. This earlier visit was to a man named Zechariah who was serving as a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem, so out text begins today...

Luke 1:26–27 (ESV) 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

“the six month”, as we see down in verse 36, was the sixth month of Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth’s pregnancy and these two angelic visits present many interesting contrasts. Along with the obvious age difference between Mary who had just begun to be of child bearing age and Elizabeth who was well beyond child bearing age - the angel’s visited them in very different places of very different significance. One could say that Mary was...

A “YES” FROM THE WRONG PLACE

I can just imagine the Angel Gabriel’s response to his orders to deliver these two messages.

First he was sent to the Temple in Jerusalem to deliver a message to a Priest. That makes sense as Jerusalem had the rich history packed with prominence and influence. The Temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish life, as well as a place where so many people from all over the world came and went. Jerusalem was the city that was sung about in the songs of Israel story from the days of old. And who better than a priest in Jerusalem to send such great news to. So the first important message was to be delivered to Jerusalem.

Then the second even MORE important message was to be delivered to.... a poor virgin in the podunk city of Nazareth in the war-torn area of Galilee. This was quite a contrast. Nazareth was out in the sticks. Nazareth was off the beaten path. Nazareth in the northern region of Galilee was surrounded by Gentile lands and it had a bruised and battered history of Gentile pagan invaders who came in an out through the area on they way to try and conquer the great city of Jerusalem. So poor was the reputation of Galilee that when one of the 12 disciples first heard about Jesus he asked“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46)

Mary was from the “Wrong Place” to be called to something significant like this. People would have no trouble believing that an angel met Zechariah at the Temple in Jerusalem, but who would believe that the same messenger also stopped by Mary’s little place?

God is not limited to a certain place or time for Him to do what He wills to be done. God is just as interested in working in popular, populated cities like Jerusalem as he is in working in simple, small countryside places like Nazareth. He shows up on Wall Street or Wal-Mart...both places are equally viable for Him to be at work.

And not only was the Dilemma of Mary’s yes up against the wrong kind of place, it was also up against the wrong timing in her life.

(A “YES” IN THE WRONG TIMING)

The angle was sent to Nazareth...

Luke 1:27 (ESV) to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

The word for “virgin” literally translates as a young girl, which in that day and age assumed other thing as well, but it also said that she was already betrothed to a man named Joseph.

“Betrothal” in biblical days is not quite the same as “engagement” today. Mary was already legally married to Joseph. We do it the other way around, but for them something like the “Marriage License” has already been signed and sent in to the courthouse. Now that this was done, the whole family including Joseph are preparing for the wedding ceremony, the feast, and then the honeymoon and then children will come after that.

So this seems like very poor timing. She has already made her plans with Joseph and they were good and godly plans, but now God has sent this messenger to say - I have an even better plan. It doesn’t seem like good timing at all, but God’s plans are always perfect in their timing even, and maybe especially, when we have a hard time seeing it. Because that is how our faith and trust in God is grown.

So the Dilemma of Mary’s “Yes” is up against the seeming “wrong place” and “wrong timing” and because of all of those things and more she could have concluded that she was the...

A “YES” FROM THE WRONG PERSON

Gabriel’s greeting of Mary sounds pretty ordinary in English, but this was first time Mary had ever heard someone greet her like this:

Luke 1:28–30 (ESV) 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

The first word Gabriel used is the word “Charo” which was a common greeting of the day that just meant “Grace to you”, but the next phrase “O favored one” is the Greek word Κεχαριτωμένη (kay-chari-toe-mene), and Mary didn’t know what to make of that or the declaration that God was with her.

Now if you have a Catholic background then you may recognize this word as it has been used to bring a lot of significance to this young teenage girl, but Mary clearly did not know why she would be refereed to in this way.

She knew that she did not find favor by her own efforts. Looking at her own efforts she would certainly have seen herself to be unworthy of this kind of greeting, just as she expressed later in verse 46...

Luke 1:46–48 (ESV) 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

Mary is a “favored one” because she is the recipient of the gift of God’s grace, not because she earned it. Biblical scholars note how the only other place in the New Testament where this language is used is in Ephesians where the Apostle Paul speaks of the “glorious grace” that is freely given to those found in Jesus Christ. He says:

Ephesians 1:6 (ESV) 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

The only reason Mary is favored and full of grace is because God chose to give it to her. The same is true for those who are found to be followers of Jesus who have been adopted as sons of God through His salvation. Favor and grace only come freely as a gift from God. Neither Mary nor any follower of Jesus is full of grace on her or his own. Rather, it is only because of the freely received gift of God.

So Mary wasn’t sinless, sitting there saying something like, “Yeah, this makes sense considering what a good girl I’ve been”. No she was “troubled” and “wondered” what this greeting was all about.

The word “wondered” there is an accounting term meaning she was trying to add it all up and “troubled” helps us to see that at first count this message was not adding up for Mary. This didn’t seem to be the right time or place and she did not feel like the right person to answer this calling...

Luke 1:30–33 (ESV) 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Now we read this part of the Christmas story and see all kinds of deep theological significance in what Gabriel told Mary in this moment, but Mary’s response shows us that she was focused on just one question…

Luke 1:34 (ESV) 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

When Mary said “Yes” it was not something she passively or flippantly laid on the table. She was actively trying to understand what this invitation into the work of God was all about. How was she to do this? What did this mean? She wasn’t caught up in some kind of trance that superseded her natural questions and will. She wanted to understand as much as she could about what God was doing.

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:35-37 (ESV)

I believe that it was this last part of Gabriel’s message that Mary was clinging so desperately to. She may not have felt like she was the right person, from the right place or that this was the right timing but she trusted her God who could do the impossible. So she offered:

A “YES” TO THE RIGHT LORD!

Luke 1:38 (ESV)

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Gospel Application

There is much for us to learn from Mary’s example here. She was not blind to the challenges and troubles that this news would bring her. She knew she would face criticism, ridicule, character assassination, and perhaps even worse. The law of her day stated that Joseph could divorce her and even submit her to death by stoning for becoming pregnant. But what God calls us to, God sees us through.

Mary had been told that whatever dilemma she faced, she would not face it alone. Gabriel made that clear from the start of his greeting to her. “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28

She would indeed answer her “Dilemma of saying Yes” with her whole life.

And what of our “Dilemma’s of saying Yes”. How have you come to discern what the Lord is leading you to do. He may not send you a Gabriel to ask and answer your questions, but that doesn’t mean that each one of us is not equipped to respond along with Mary…I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

What would it take for you to declare this?

Gabriel was there as a messenger of the Lord, carrying the Word of God to Mary, but you and I have access to the Word of God in another way. If we would seek to “find out where God is at work and join Him int it” then a great place to start is to try and find out

1. Seek what God has already said

So many people get stalled out in saying “Yes” because they are “waiting for a Word from the Lord” instead of immersing themselves in what God has already said about who He is and who we are in light of who He is. Since God will never tell a person to do something that is contrary to what already He has said in the Bible, we can rule out a lot of decisions here. And of course, the Bible may not have specific words about every dilemma that we face in life, but there are general principles and broad truths that will help us to see how God may be directing us.

It has been said that, “The people who hear God’s voice the most are the ones who know His Word the best.”

In most Bibles, depending on how many helps you have at the back, the longest chapter can be found by opening up right to the center. It is Psalm 119 and the entire 176 verses of this chapter center on how various authors cherish, love and desire to follow God’s Word. One of the most memorable verses is 105 that says: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

If you are caught in a Dilemma of Yes when it comes to following God, then find out what He already has said about the path you are currently on. Spend time prayerfully and humbly immersing yourself in the Bible and God will meet you there.

Another step to find you way to what God is doing and getting on board is to...

2. Pray and ask God to speak to you.

Did you know that God’s phone number is 3-3-3. Don’t dial that it is not actually his phone number, but when someone says that they are trying to get you to remember Jeremiah 33:3 that is an invitation from God to call on Him in prayer. It says ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

While the context here is a message for the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, the nature and character of God as One who has created people for an intimate relationship is consistent.

God repeatedly describes Himself as our Father in Heaven who longs for a relationship with His children whom He created in His image. He wants to speak to us and show the plans He has for us and our future. He wants us to come to Him as a child comes to his or her father. He wants us to seek Him and to know Him and to be known by Him. God never gets offended when we desire to call on Him and desire to hear from Him.

Thirdly, when we desire to know if a directive is from God or not, we need to...

3. Seek wise counsel from trusted advisors.

Proverbs 15:22 states, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

It’s easy to find people to tell you what you want to hear or to affirm what you already want to do. However, the person who has wise counsel and trusted advisers in his or her life is one who positions his or herself to succeed in what God is leading them towards.

When we seek no wise counsel or perspective from trusted advisers regarding the dilemmas of our lives, we are mirroring the actions of a fool that the book of Proverbs references over and over. Because the kind of “Wise counselors” that God desires for his people are not just wise because they understand how things work in this world. Wise counselors are wise because they understand how God is working in this world, and they see how to direct people toward Kingdom of God decisions.

Fourth...

4. Consider the current circumstances?

Oftentimes God speaks to us and guides us in our lives towards the work He wants us to join Him in by nature of the circumstances that surround us. The big idea is to look for the doors that are opening rather than trying to kick down the ones that are closed.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

This counsel from Jesus does not necessarily mean just follow the path of least resistance. Rather, it means to be proactive in trying to discern what the circumstances around your life may be leading you towards. Is there a path that God seems to be opening? If so then follow it.

Are there hurdles and difficulties that continue to close options? Perhaps these circumstances are what God is using to direct your path. As long as your circumstances lead you not into temptation or contradict what the Word of God already has said about a situation, move forward with humble confidence.

Lastly,

5. What do you want to do?

David gave some great instruction when it comes to discerning what God may be leading a person to do when he wrote these words of wisdom in Psalm 37:4 (ESV) 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Of course this is not about treating God like a vending machine, trying to do something for God so that God will do something for you. God created us to worship Him, to be in relationship with Him, to love Him, to pray to Him, to enjoy Him, to live for Him in complete surrender. A person who does this is someone who is delighting himself or herself in the Lord.

As we live in this manner, recognize that God created us with different desires and passions and dreams. As long as they do not contradict what God has said in His word, as long as trusted advisors affirm what you desire to do, as long as circumstances allow for them, and as long as God is not telling you something to the contrary through prayer…GO FOR IT!

Take the leap of faith and enjoy every step of the ride confident in the one who has called you on the journey.

These five ways are how we can “try to discern” what God is inviting us into so that we can say along with Mary:

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 (ESV)

Landing

Those words of Mary bring to mind the words of Jesus when He was facing his greatest Dilemma of Yes. The night before He went to the cross, like Mary Jesus knew that saying “Yes” to the Father would bring ridicule, shame, misunderstanding and for Him even and excruciating death...42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 22:42 (ESV)

But Jesus too was not willing to forsake the commands of the Father for the comforts of earth. He would follow in the rescue plan for you and for me.

The beautiful truth of Christmas is that it was the beginning, the advent of Jesus into our world. And since Jesus said so many “Yes’” to the Father his life death and resurrection has bought our way back to the Father. And now in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit we can know God’s will for our life and answer our Dilemma’s with His “Yes”.

As we move forward toward Christmas, what might God be calling you to towards. What dilemma that requires a “Yes” is He asking you to truth Him with in faith?

May we respond to any dilemma in our life with “YES” as we seek to join God in what He is doing and give him honor, glory, and worship each step of the way.

I invite the Worship Team forward as I pray.