Rev. Steven S. Billings
Advent 4
Sermon
12-24-2006
St. Luke 1:39-56
39 Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." 46 And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. 51 "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; AND SENT AWAY THE RICH EMPTY_HANDED. 54 "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his offspring forever." 56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.
"Blessed is she who believed the Word of the Lord," sings Elizabeth, with reference to dear Mary, recalling her confession in response to the Archangel Gabriel: "Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord. Let it be unto me according to Your Word!", and reiterated later in the Gospel According to St. Luke (11:27–28): "Blessed is the womb that bore You, (Jesus,) and the breasts that nursed You!" Yea, rather, blessed are they (and she!) who believe(s) the Word of God and keep(s) it!
Mary's Magnificat this morning is a confession of this very faith in the Word of God – not only her faith in the general providence and gracious salvation of the Lord, but also, and especially, her faith in the particular Word and promise that God has given to her in Jesus her Lord, that is, that she would conceive and bear the Son of God.
It is, therefore, especially appropriate that we hear and receive this particular Word of the Gospel on this particular day, in which one of our own will – during the candlelight service this evening – be born again by the washing of the water with the Word in Holy Baptism.
Note the parallels between the conception and birth of Jesus by dear Mary, by the power of God through His Word and Holy Spirit, and the "conception" and "new birth" of catechesis and Holy Baptism within the Church, also by the power of the same Word and Spirit!
And note, also, the parallels between the Incarnation and gift of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the flesh, from and through the body of His Mother Mary, and the gift of His true flesh and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, by the power of His Word.
Not only for Shane this evening, but for each of you personally this morning and throughout your Christian faith and life, it is this particular Word of the Lord, which He has spoken and still speaks to you in Holy Baptism and also in Holy Communion and Holy Absolution, before which you bow and to which you cling in humble but confident faith: "Let it be unto me according to Your Word!" This beautiful confession, and that of the Magnificat, are necessarily by faith in the Word of God, and not by sight, nor by feeling, nor by human experience in this world.
Compare and contrast, for example, the confession and praise that Mary gives to God in her inspired hymn, with the harsh reality of her circumstances over the next nine months and beyond – suspected by her fiancé, and of all the townspeople, not the least of which being her own parents, of being unfaithful and sexually promiscuous – a charge that could have been punishable by being publicly stoned to death! And ultimately, witnessing the crucifixion of her own dear Son! No, the visible circumstances of the birth and life of her Son would hardly engender faith or hope of any kind!
Likewise, in your life, not only "in spite of" the fact that you are a Christian, but because you are a Christian (a disciple of Christ the Crucified), you also suffer hardship and carry the Cross. You suffer loss. Don't we all? It seems in this life we lose more than we gain. New friends comes, old friends go. A child is born, a soul succumbs to death. You finally get a raise, the government takes more and you end up with a net loss. It just seems like it's difficult, next to impossible, to get ahead in this world. And if finance isn't your bane, something else is. Your marriage and home life are constantly under attack. Getting the children to behave seems an impossible task. Siblings fight – even supposedly grown-up ones! Pettiness, jealousy, greediness, sarcasm, anger, and on and on – at home, at work . . . even at church. You begin to wonder if there's any place you can go, or anyone in this world that will give you peace. All of this causes you to be tempted severely to doubt and deny the Words and promises of God, which He has given to you in your Baptism and here at His Altar.
And yet, it is by and with and in the Cross that His Salvation is accomplished and given to you; precisely in His own humility and weakness, His innocent suffering and death by crucifixion, that He has done great things and shown strength with His arm. And, as such, it is by and from and with His Cross that He has defined, and given, and filled the Sacraments of Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and the Word of Holy Absolution, with forgiveness and life and salvation in Him.
So it is especially in, with and under the Cross that your dear Lord has not forgotten or abandoned you, but is actually nearest of all to you. So, there too, you humbly confess at all times, "Let it be unto me according to Your Word!"
Of course, being the poor, miserable sinners that we are – and this was surely true of Mary, as well – there are times when our faith wavers and flickers and gives in to doubt, perhaps even to the very brink of despair, when the Cross lies especially heavy upon us.
But the Lord does not leave us in our doubts. Instead, just as He comes to us in the first place, by and with His Word and Spirit, in His own flesh and blood, in order to call us and bring us to faith in Him, so does He continue to come in His own flesh and blood, crucified and risen – by His means of grace, His Ministry of the Gospel – Word and Sacrament – to forgive our sins by giving us Himself as our Savior, and thereby to restore our faith and confidence in Him.
Just as He was conceived as the Fruit of blessed Mary's womb, and was born of her at Christmas, so does the same, dear Lord, Jesus Christ, give Himself to you this morning. Here at this Altar, He opens up to you the holy wounds of His Cross, in order to give you His own body and pour out for you His blood, for the forgiveness of all your sins, for life and salvation in Him. Thereby is He "born in you" today, giving His flesh and blood to live and dwell within your own body and life, both now and forever. To which you and I can only say and confess: "Amen. Let it be unto us according to His Word!" In the Name † of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
