Sermon 12.19.21 – Intervention: Part I

St. John’s Lutheran Church, Toluca, IL – 4th Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-55

Gospel

³⁹In 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.”

NRSV

Intervention, Part I

When I was on internship, one of the congregational members of my supervising committee decided to give me a lesson on broccoli one day. She said Mauricio, here is the thing with broccoli. Everybody knows it is good for you, but nobody likes it. You gotta hide it under the cheese. No, she was not giving me a culinary lesson. She was giving me advice about my sermons. 

She thought, out of the goodness of her heart, that I was wasting very good and interesting material with the Hebrew word says this, the Greek says that. What this could really have meant was this and not that, and so on and so forth. Use it, she said, but hide it over the cheese.

I heard her, for the most part. The thing is, I love broccoli, and I have hidden it for such a long time! Today’s broccoli on the first verse of the gospel is so fresh, so colorful that I couldn’t resist. It makes the whole dish so much more flavorful. I promise you will not be disappointed.  

Mary set out and went with haste. That is so awesome that it makes it majestic! 

What do you mean pastor, there is so much more stuff here: the joy of the encounter between the two women, Elizabeth miraculous pregnancy, the beatitude of Mary, the presence of the Holy Spirit embracing and sanctifying this moment, and wow, Mary’s response and song of praise!

Sure, all true, but nothing happens here if Mary does not set out and go. And what a bold, inspired, and courageous young woman Mary is. 

Following tradition, Mary is expected to be secluded in her home until the marriage is consummated in the bridal chamber. Make no mistake, it is in her family’s best interest to keep her protected, so they can receive the due financial compensation. Marriage was a transaction and Mary a valuable piece of property. It is very unlikely that the family is allowing her to go on a trip. This is all Mary’s doing. 

This is also not just a silly inconsequential trip where the young lady decided to go on a youthful journey to see the world before becoming Joseph’s wife. Here it comes the broccoli. The original Greek word here does not mean that Mary just set out and went. Mary rose up. Mary rose up and went full of excitement, empowered by the Spirit, to fulfill her holy purpose, prophesy to the world alongside her once barren cousin that the Lord does indeed great things and salvation was coming to God’s beloved people. 

Wow! Indeed, God makes all things new!

God intervenes. 

God intervenes in our failed worldly ways.

God intervened in Elizabeth’s life to give her new hope.

God intervened in Mary’s life to make her the mother of the Light and a prophetess for the ages. 

God intervenes.

God plucks us from the shadows of bondage and hopelessness, from inconsequent or foolish existences, and transforms us into prophets, heralds of the good news that proclaims that he never, ever, gives up on us. 

Do you believe this? I do, with every fiber of my being. 

He is coming, and he is here. Prepare his way. Thanks be to God. Amen.