Faith and Disgrace

I found this writing on the internet about our struggle with being people of faith.

Let me meet you on the mountain, Lord, Just once. You wouldn't have to burn a whole bush. Just a few smoking branches And I would surely be ...your Moses.

Let me meet you on the water, Lord, Just once. It wouldn't have to be on Lake Macquarie Just on a puddle in Murray St And I would surely be...your Peter.

Let me meet you on the road, Lord, Just once. You wouldn't have to blind me on Hunter Expressway. Just a few bright Samdon St Christmas lights And I would surely be...your Paul.

Let me meet you, Lord, Just once. Anywhere. Anytime. Just meeting you in the Word is so hard sometimes Must I always be...your Thomas?

Doubts are something that all of God’s people have to deal with from time to time. But make no mistake… we should not, need not, ought not to dwell in them, share them, magnify them.

Doubts are unnecessary and life sapping and joy killing.

It was doubt that closed the Zechariah’s mouth… so he met an angel, heard good news... and went home silent… and he stayed silent until after Elizabeth gives birth.

At the baby’s circumcision everyone wants to name the baby Zechariah… but Lk 1:63-64 “He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.”

Doubt (and pride) are the two sins of human beings that will keep them from both enjoying God’s wonderful blessings and singing praises to God for them.

The Contrast - Zechariah & Mary

As I said last week, Luke has a habit of putting pairs of people and incidents together so we can compare and contrast them… and see ourselves in them… and, of course, consider and make moves to change our lives.

In the second half of Lk 1, the same angel, and a similar incident some six months later…

Well, lets see what the Bible says, Lk 1:26-29. (Read)

Same angel… and with similar news.

But this time no wise, elderly, educated priest, steeped in the law of the Lord, in the temple… but a poor, illiterate, teenage girl.

Both Zechariah and Mary have a sincere love of God, but with Mary this is not happening in the centre the temple in Jerusalem in Judea… but from an unknown, backwater village in Galilee.

Apparently it was 1962 before scholars found a reference to Nazareth that predated this angelic visit.

Nazareth is known the world over because of this visit… but it was an unknown backwater village up to this point.

The angel appeared, perhaps in her humble home and said to her… (literally) “Rejoice, be glad… highly favoured, the Lord is with you!”

Look at Mary’s reply, Lk 1:29 “29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

How would you go with an angelic visitor to your home… presumably while you’re alone?

Mary is startled… (indeed greatly troubled) but don’t miss… “and wondered… thought, considered what the greeting might mean”.

Even here we get the picture that Mary is a woman of substance. She’s startled… but she didn’t run.

Instead she thought, considered, pondered what she had heard.

So already we have a contrast. A godly but elderly priest… a man, educated, in God’s holy city, in the temple… indeed the holy place

And a poor, illiterate, young girl in a backwater village in Galilee… a place mocked because it was inhabited by so many Gentiles.

About the only thing they have in common is that they are Jews who really know and love the Lord their God.

The Contrast - the Two Babies

There is also a contrast in the way the two babies are described.

And Oh my goodness, if Zechariah and Elizabeth’s child was going to be a delight, Mary’s child is unique.

Gabriel says he will be “Great… son of the Most High… he will sit on David’s throne… he will reign over God’s people forever; his kingdom will never end!”

Son of God; sit on David’s throne; reign over God’s people forever?

That’s enough to make anyone’s head spin!

Every baby is a miracle.

But this Baby… words fail! A king… forever… from a peasant girl in nowhere town?

So here, most likely in a nondescript house in a backwater town the angel of God announces God’s central plan for the human race.

This poor, illiterate teenager, pregnant out of wedlock, will give birth without ever having known/been intimate with a man to “God become man” who comes to save the human race.

How much Mary understood of this we are not sure.

The gospel and NT writers will spend the next century understanding and explaining it for God’s people down through the centuries.

How would you go with that information if you were Mary?

How do you go now, even knowing the rest of the NT?

So many even today, even knowing things about the Man that the baby went on to become, respond with doubt.

Mate… how wet behind the ears do you think I am?

I know how babies come about…

The Response v35-45

Well, even teenage girls, even in those days, understood the biology of human reproduction.

Everyone knows women do not produce babies without having a close encounter with a man… something Mary says she has not experienced!

So she asks Gabriel, v34, a question of logistics.

“How will this be?” She asks.

To which she receives not a judgement on her disbelief but a clarification of an honest question....

V35-37 (Read)

Well, after such an introduction there could be no other explanation for the birth… could there?

Whatever some may think about what has gone on between Mary and Joseph previous to this… the angel certainly confirms that this is the conception of a baby in a person who has integrity and tells the truth.

Luke, the author and a doctor certainly believes she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Look at vv27 (virgin twice!)

And honestly… how else does anyone explain how this Baby would grow to be a man that healed people born blind, walked on water and raised dead people?

What explanation can they give… but that the angel spoke reality.

God the Holy Spirit will overshadow Mary and conceive the child so the “holy one to be born” will be called the Son of God.

And the angel confirms his announcement with a sign: Elizabeth is also with child… for nothing is impossible with God.

It is surprising just how much this is doubted.

Can God control the rain or the pandemic?

What about bodily resurrection? Jesus after 3 days? Maybe. Maybe. But after 3000 years buried at sea? I doubt it!

Well, listen again to the angel. Nothing is impossible with God.

Mary’s response must be the most glorious response to such revelation anywhere.

Behold… the handmaid of the Lord!

So here’s the next contrast.

When Elizabeth conceived, we read in v25 she was so excited that God had removed her disgrace.

Mary however could technically be stoned for conceiving a baby out of wedlock… as was stipulated in the law of Moses; although that was unknown at this time.

But she will be known as an unwed mother… and she will hear the scorn of people, even 30 years later, about this rabbi called Jesus... “we don’t even know who his father is”.

So Mary receives wonderful grace… but she will also have disgrace follow her for the rest of her life.

Grace AND disgrace… must be accepted…

This was the thing that kept me away from God for almost 20 years.

I wanted his grace; I knew he was real; I never doubted he cared for me; but I was ashamed to own him, to speak about him to others.

I would prefer that no one know that I was a Christian.

Coming to Christ is attractive to many people.

Identifying with church stops some people from coming to Christ… or at least it’s a ready excuse to hesitated.

But once a person goes to church a few times perhaps they come to the realisation that church is OK. It’s lovely to sing wonderful songs and enjoy a cuppa and chat each week. It’s a good routine to break up the weeks and months.

But speaking about your faith, praying for people… everyone knows that not everyone is going to be so excited about hearing that.

“You’re not one of those born agains are you?”

“Go to church if you want to… but don’t shove your religion down my throat!”

Like Mary received great grace… and disgrace; those who take the commands of Jesus seriously will also enjoy wonderful marvellous grace… and some disgrace.

It comes with the territory!

Mary’s Joy and Praise!

Nevertheless… Zechariah’s doubts left him mute for perhaps a year.

But Mary’s will acceptance of the awesome responsibility and disgrace left her and those around her singing God’s praises and jumping for joy.

There are few passages in Scripture that surpass the exuberant joy that Luke relates to us following Mary’s faith in God’s plan for her life.

v39-45.

When Mary journeyed to see Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby leaped in the womb at the sound of Mary’s voice. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit… and in A LOUD VOICE said, “Blessed… blessed… blessed… favoured and Lk 1:45 “45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!””

If there was previously any doubt as to why all this excitement and running and leaping and praising God, Elizabeth puts it into words for us: Blessed is she who believed what the Lord has said.”

And then Mary burst into a song that has been admired and sung and spoken of for centuries.

v46-49

What has the Lord done for her at this stage?

Nothing.

Given her the sign that Elizabeth was pregnant… which proved true.

And Mary believes that all the amazing, out of this world, unbelievable things that the angel said is as good as done… because God said so!

Heb 11:1 “1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

I trust and hope that some of the privilege of reading afresh the story of Mary’s trust in God and worship of the Mighty One has spurred you on in your spirit this morning.

The Spirit’s conceiving new life in Mary… and Us!

If you’ve been stirred in your spirit about the depth and life in Mary, if you’re like John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb leaping for joy at the news that Mary believed the angel that God is going to become Man and sit on the throne of David and rule over God’s people for ever… for all eternity; if you can’t wait to jump to your feet and praise the God who has done marvellous things…in our next song… God be praised for your faith!

You know nothing is impossible for God. And I hope your faith has been strengthened and God’s blessings released into your life the way it was for these two amazing women.

But if you’ve been counting the minutes; wondering how long until this is all over and you can have a cuppa and a chat; thinking it’s all a bit over the top and really… how naive are some people.

Then I think you have a couple of choices to make.

You could pause and ask God why does this story not stir you the way it stirs others?

Perhaps you could ask God to give you your Mary moment?

What has happened to Mary has to happen to every person if they are to rejoice in this news.

The Holy Spirit must overshadow you and bring new life into your life.

True… You won’t have a baby…

but you might, by God’s grace, become a new born believer and enter into this magnificent world of faith directed by the Word of God and empowered by the Spirit of God to the glory of God.

From time to time all God’s people have doubts.

But we act on our faith.

But if you’re not simply having a few doubts but unmoved by these momentous events of angels and God coming to share our humanity; all you desire is to sing a few lovely songs and have a chat with some good people… don’t kill it for everyone else.

Find another church. Let the Spirit of God kindle some wonder, excitement, anticipation and sheer joy in the hearts of his people.