Here am I, the Servant of the Lord
Luke 1:26-38
How do we take an ancient story and let it sink deeply into our lives? Even at Christmas, when we’re all a little softer and more susceptible, we still can let these ancient words skip off the hard exterior of our lives without ever penetrating deeply enough to make a difference.
Author Carol Gregg suggests that we can make things more current. Perhaps, it would have more punch if we imagined the story in contemporary settings. For instance, “In the days of President Bush (or any other recent President you care to mention here), there was a Mexican migrant worker by the name of José. With José was his pregnant girlfriend Maria. They did not have two nickels to scrape together, but they had come to town together to apply for green cards. The Lord chose them to bring salvation into the world.” Or maybe set the context in Asia. “In the days of the rise of China to international economic prominence, there was a Tibetan farmer who came to Beijing with his pregnant fiancée to find work in a television factory. Through their faithfulness, God would save the world.”[1] For some of us, this approach may work.
Another approach is simply to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to do seemingly impossible things. And for some of us, hearing this story with freshness is close to impossible. But turning impossibility into possibility is what the Christmas story is all about.
Our text begins today with a connection.[2] The Christmas story is not just about the birth of Jesus, but Luke includes John’s birth as well. Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her that she will be the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth and Mary are two very unlikely mothers. They are at opposite ends of the spectrum – one’s too old, one’s too young. And interestingly enough, neither woman seems to expect motherhood, or even be hoping for it! But then, that’s how God’s grace often explodes onto the scene – where we least expect it! One way this story will sink deeply into your life is when you have your own unexpected encounter with grace. You may feel life has passed you by and that you’re too old, or you feel there will be time later for the things of God; right now, you’re too young. Be careful if you’ve come close to these thoughts! You may be on the brink of a grace explosion from God!
The focus of the story today is on Mary and her visit from Gabriel. Before we get to Mary, think about poor Gabriel. You’ve gotta feel for this messenger of God. First he had to go tell an old woman, Elizabeth, she was going to have a baby. Then, he draws another hum-dinger of an assignment in breaking the same news to Mary. Gabriel was either in God’s doghouse and got stuck with the tough assignments or was blessed with the opportunity to experience profound women of faith.
When Gabriel tells Mary the news that she’s going to give birth, Mary’s response is: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” Would this have been your response, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord”? Mary had to be scared to death. This calling on her life meant her reputation was in danger and her life would enter into a whole new level of hardness. Yet, she responds with gracious acceptance and believes in the promises of God. Instead of losing her voice in life, she finds it! When you are faced with challenges, is your response like Mary’s? Do you say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord”?
Most of us tend to see the obstacles rather than the possibilities. We see the bumps in the road, rather than the smooth places between the bumps. We hear the criticisms, rather than the small gracious words of encouragement. So we could learn a lot from Mary.
Mary proceeds – as we must do in life – making her commitment without knowing much about what it will entail or where it will lead. Author Kathleen Norris writes, “I treasure [this] story because it forces me to ask: ‘When the mystery of God’s love breaks through into my consciousness, do I run from it? Do I ask of it what I cannot answer? Or am I virgin enough to respond from my deepest, truest self, and say something new, a ‘yes’ that will change me forever?”[3]
As I’ve thought about Mary’s response to Gabriels’ message over the past week, I wondered how many times Mary would repeat this mantra over the next thirty years of her life? It’s not hard for me to imagine her often saying, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” When Jesus is smothered with expectations that are exhausting him and she’s helpless to do anything about them, I imagine her saying, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” When Mary sees the anger in the religious leader’s eyes and she senses things are headed for a violent conclusion, do you think she prayed, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord”? As she watched her son writhing in pain at his execution, would she once again say so faithfully, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord”?
Perhaps practicing this response, and making it one of her core values, carried her all the way through life. And maybe, our own practice of this response will graft this attitude into our lives. Say it with me, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” If you stop and think of the huge amount of faith these simple words require, I believe we’d all be deeply affected and changed.
Maybe we should make this simple phrase a litany![4]
The next few days are going to be ones of celebration. They are also going to be filled with stress. What a great time to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
How about when you are traveling to visit relatives, and the kids…or grownups…are in the back seat bickering with each other over who has the most room? What a great time to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
Very late on Christmas Eve, when the presents aren’t yet wrapped, and the “some assembly required” gifts arrive by UPS, as you stare at the 200-plus pieces on the floor, what a great time to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
When you’re back at work, and the pressure mounts to behave unethically so that the bottom line looks better, what a great time to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
Back at school, when you’re pushed to do something you don’t believe in, what a great time to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
Out in our community, when all the Christmas spirit is packed away like the rest of the decorations, and disregard for the homeless, other races, and those of other faiths creeps back into life, what a great time to say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
When the news you’d hoped wouldn’t come, comes anyway, will you say it? Say it with me, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!”
You can say it out of habit. You can say it for comfort. You can say it as a prayer. Anytime is a great time to practice…and live out this core value. “Here am I, the servant of the Lord!” When we say this, we are making a commitment to being open, receptive, and faithful to the promises and priorities of God. We are saying, “Yes, God! Let your son Jesus be born in me again today!”
Here am I, the servant of the Lord!
Amen.
[1] Carol Gregg, “Celebrating the Good News,” The Presbyterian Outlook, November 7, 2005, p. 25.
[2] Brian K. Peterson mentions this connection in “Exegesis: Luke 1:26-38,” Lectionary Homiletics, Volume XVII, Number 1, December 2005-January 2006, p. 23.
[3] Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), pp. 76-77.
[4] See “Baby Boom,” Homiletics, Volume 17, Number 6, November-December 2005, pp. 58-59.