Christ Lutheran Church

1701 Arroyo Chamiso

Santa Fe, NM 87505-4775

(505) 983-9461

church@clcsantafe.com

  

December 20, 2009

Fourth Sunday of Advent

 

Gospel: Luke 1.39-55

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

 

46And Mary said,

            "My soul magnifies the Lord,

                        47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

            48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

                        Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

            49for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

                        and holy is his name.

            50His mercy is for those who fear him

                        from generation to generation.

            51He has shown strength with his arm;

                        he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

            52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

                        and lifted up the lowly;

            53he has filled the hungry with good things,

                        and sent the rich away empty.

            54He has helped his servant Israel,

                        in remembrance of his mercy,

            55according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

                        to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Magnificat

 

+ In nomine Domini.  Amen.

It is a story against being marginalized.  It is a story about what would and sometimes always is placed into the margin of the story now brought into the center of the page, and in CAPITAL LETTERS, and in bold print.

It is a story about what is always pushed to the outside, being brought now into the middle. 

It is a story that comes from a legend two thousand years ago, and yet speaks two thousand years later as if it were brand new and full of the moment.

It is a story not about armies with massive weapons of destruction …

not about wealth taking over the world and depressing the lives of poor people …

not about rich food being undigested while hungry bellies of children growl …

not about servitude …

not about degradation …

not about pride and arrogance and hubris and self-importance…

except

except that this story from this legend attacks those very things and turns them upside down …

For, this is the story of Elizabeth and Mary, two women who in a time of male domination find their way into history, into humanity’s story, and just so into the lives of the very ones who need a story of promise and hope and most of all … living.

We meet them in the 1^st chapter of Luke’s Gospel this morning.

Two pregnant women meet with all the stigmas thereunto … one quite elderly – that would be Elizabeth – and mocked by the neighbors “you are much too old to have a child … think about it!”  and the jokes that came on the heels of that inappropriate and putting-down remarks.  Things like “I didn’t know Zechariah was still around … are you sure he’s the father?”

And then there is the very young woman, a kinswoman, a relation – that would be Mary – and oh what a time she was having, her husband was elderly as well, quite old in fact, inappropriate we would say today … too old and this young thing in his house, why they’re not even married!? Joseph, O Joseph, hard of hearing are you … and what is this, the girl is telling us this is not your baby?  An angel came to her and explained everything? 

Right.

Sure.

Certainly.

You just go back to making wooden chairs.

 

So the story goes on, they meet in the hill country of Judea.  Mary goes to see Elizabeth.  Two pregnant women, one too old, one too young.

 

If I had my way, I would place these two pregnant women center stage in the Crèche.  I would take away everything but the two of them until Christmas Eve.  I would place them there at the beginning of Advent and let them there to speak to each other and to us, for it is their story that is the center part of the Gospel.

All the romance about the Baby, all the legends of the Star and the Shepherds and the Wise Men and the animals and the manger … all that is not at all what the Gospel of Christmas is really about …

… for the Gospel of Christmas is about two women, pregnant, meeting and speaking and singing, and blessing and telling us the Gospel … which is a Gospel about Society, Humanity, what it really is to look like …

a challenge if you will, to see if we who listen to them can find a way to believe in a God who wants … now listen closely:

lowly servants to be blessed

all humanity to respect

pride to be scattered

power to be brought down

hungry to be filled up

rich to be sent away

everyone to remember what mercy of God is like

and everyone to remember what promise of God is about ...

For that is the Christmas Gospel, it is the reason why we gather, why we sing, why we celebrate … that the world is always pregnant with hope needing salvation from itself, from its vicious ways, from its wanton greed and wasting wars … the world is always pregnant with hope of finding another way, a way of love and peace and justice that rolls down from the Judean hillsides like living streams and bringing life along the way to everyone who is washed by the water of grace and mercy and the fullness of God.

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.
Let us pray.
O come, O Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Amen.

  +Deo Gratia

The Rev. Benjamin Larzelere III

Pastor