Scripture/Sermon of the Day.  December 25, 2022

Luke 1:26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection/Sermon:

I.      The Bible is a story of unlikely or even impossible occurrences that happen again and again.

Abraham and Sarah were childless into their old age and God told them they would have children.  Abraham was about 76 and Sarah was in her sixties.  Even when he was almost a hundred, Abraham was still waiting for God’s promise that he and Sarah would have a child.  Sarah thought the idea was funny and she laughed.  When the child finally was born, he was named Isaac, which means “he laughs” or “laughter.”

II.     Often, God’s miraculous interventions into our lives are not so funny.  Moses did not laugh when he heard a burning bush talking to him.  And when the bush identified itself as God, and then told Moses what he had to do — Moses was shocked and couldn’t believe it.  God wanted Moses, who was a shepherd now, to go back to Egypt, where he was a man wanted for murder, and rescue the whole nation of Israel that was being enslaved and held captive by Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the world.  Moses tried to get out of that arrangement, but God wouldn’t accept no as an answer.

Which raises another issue in the Bible, which is also not so funny.  People are supposed to be free.  We’re supposed to have been born with this freedom to choose God — or not to choose God.  But people like Moses were chosen by God and not given a choice.  Moses tried, but could not refuse.

Same with prophets like Jeremiah, and Elijah.  Jeremiah wanted to retire.  God said no.  Elijah too — he said, “Enough!  I quit!”  God said, “You’re not done yet.  Take a little break, then get back to work.”

III.    Another “impossible” story is David and the warrior Goliath.  Goliath is described as being nine feet tall, and just his armor weighed more than David.  Notice all of the details the Bible give in the description of Goliath — his height, how long he had been a warrior, even the weight of the tip of his spear, how much metal was used in its construction.  He even had someone carrying his sword!

It’s another story that seems more like comedy — the contrast between this superhero-undefeated-warrior and David who’s so young, I think we’re told he can’t grow a beard yet, and King Saul’s armor is so big and heavy, it doesn’t fit him.  So David goes against this giant wearing just his shepherd’s robe and a sling shot.  The ammunition he uses to fight this Conan the Barbarian/Superman are a few smooth stones he picked up in a creek.

And, this being the impossible world of the Bible, David wins.

IV.     So the story we hear this morning, the two women giving birth in impossible circumstances, shouldn’t surprise us as it comes towards the end of the Bible story — because we’ve already heard many stories just like this.  Something that could never happen — happens.

But this is the message for us:  as remarkable as it seems for a virgin to give birth, or a woman in her 90’s, or a boy to kill a superman-giant with a small stone, or a shepherd to defeat the most powerful nation in the world — none of his is as impossible or amazing as what God is doing in our lives right now — changing our hearts day by day and using us to bless others with love and kindness and compassion.

That’s the most incredible part of the Christmas story — not that Jesus was born of a virgin — but that he is still being born right here and now in our hearts, hidden,  as we live what appears to be routine and ordinary lives.