IV Sunday of Advent

Readings: 2 Samuel 7v1-11&16; Psalm 89v1-8; Romans 16v25-end; Luke 1v26-38.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: Each year, I love to hear about the Angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary. I love that she is invited to be the mother of the promised Messiah, to be the mother of Almighty God made man. However, I am always so surprised by Mary’s reaction. First, instead of being terrified at the angel’s visitation, Mary wonders what the Angel’s greeting means. Then when told what God has in mind for her, Mary challenges the angel by asking how this could be?

Over the years as I have pondered and reflected on Mary’s reactions and wondered whether Mary had been visited by angels before? For why would Mary wonder what the Angel’s greeting meant, unless she had met with angels before and been greeted differently! And, why was Mary not simply afraid of the angel, unless she had learnt not to be afraid, because she had been visited before!

These reactions are in sharp contrast to what happens next, for after Gabriel explains that the child will be conceived by the power of God’s spirit and, for proof of this, that her barren cousin Elizabeth was already 6 months pregnant To which, Mary quite simply agreed to God’s plan, without any further comment and without any hesitation. For me, this confidence in God’s promises and plans is also extraordinary, but I am not so surprised by this because, like her cousin Elizabeth, Mary was probably also of the priestly line of Aaron. This means that Mary was raised in an Israelite family, a family whose calling was to study the scriptures, worship regularly, pray often and put their trust and confidence in God.

Today as we give thanks for God’s promise of the Messiah, we also give thanks for Mary’s unconditional agreement to bear the Christ-child so that God could be born into the world he made. For through Mary, we believe that God was born into the world and given the name Jesus. Jesus, the son of the most-high God, Jesus the king who reigns forever in the line of his ancestor David, Jesus the king who reigns over the House of Jacob, the House of Israel.

Let us pray: Almighty God, our Father in heaven, we thank you for choosing Mary to be the mother of the promised saviour, we thank you that Mary was ready to meet with your Angelic messenger, we thank you that Mary agreed to bring Jesus into the world. Help us to be more like Mary so that we may embrace your holy will, rejoice in your salvation and be ready to greet Jesus when he returns to make his judgement. Amen.

Thank you for joining us.