What Did Mary Really Know?

by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  Romans 16:25-27 
16:25  Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
16:26  but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith --
16:27  to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever!  Amen.

          Have you noticed that right after Thanksgiving it seems like Christmas is never going to get here.  There are Christmas parties to go to, social gatherings, gift lists to be made up, Christmas card lists, all sorts of Christmas sales, and it just seems like Christmas will never arrive.  Then, suddenly, it sneaks up on you.  Here we are just a week away.  This time next week we'll be going to Christmas services, opening presents, wondering if we gave that special person was at least equal to what they gave us and, oh no, some friend or neighbor or distant relative gave us a gift and we didn't send them one.

          Christmas has gotten a lot more complicated than when I was a kid.  Now everyone is concerned about the number of Christmas trees in the White House.  One story I read said there were 32, another story said there were 27 and they were all from North Carolina.

          Then there's the battle over whether to say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas."  Do you think Christ really cares?  If you read the book of James, looks to me like He cares more about what we do about our neighbor than how we greet our neighbor.

          You can't help but notice that Christmas seems to bring out the best and worst in people, too.  There's this big controversy about a Denver Bronco football player named Tim Tebow who goes down on one knee to pray before every game.  Some say he's doing it for publicity, others say it's an ego trip.  The air waves and Internet are alive with judgments about this young man.  One radio commentator, Bill Press, also a former CNN network host, was so worked up about Tebow's praying in public he sprayed his listeners with foul language while relieving his worked up anger.  A group of high school athletes, seniors, were sent home for kneeling on one knee, Tebow-style, to pray.

          For what it's worth, not everyone knows that quarterback Tim Tebow gave away his entire $2.5 million signing bonus to charities and the needy overseas.

          And while all these folks are arguing about who is really praying and who isn't, a group of atheists in California from the Freedom From Religion Foundation managed to block the presentation of a series of nativity scenes in Santa Monica that has been a tradition there for nearly 60 years, drawing crowds of appreciative viewers.  In fairness, I think it may have been a toss-up whether residents were more upset about being ambushed just before Christmas, or the loss of business from visiting tourists who came to see the 13 lots of Christmas displays.

          Newspaper headlines are calling it a "war on Christianity."  Is there such a war?  TV commentators and newspaper reporters seem to think so, because they're spending a lot of time discussing it.  Sneak attacks, frontal assaults, whispering campaigns, or a war, call it what you will, it's been going on since before the death of Christ.  Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 22:9, in part, "you will be hated by all nations on account of My name."

          Yet in spite of the rancor that accompanies the celebration of the Christ Child, Christmas continues.  It is more than customary this time of year to turn to Luke, chapter 1, verses 26-38, where the angel Gabriel announced to the betrothed virgin Mary, "Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you."  He went on to tell her not to be afraid, that the Son of the Most High would be conceived in her womb, be born, and was to be named Jesus.  Mary, for her part, ended their conversation with, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."  And it was.

          Should we have foreseen the anger and the controversy concerning Jesus in these days?  After all, Jesus said it would happen. In today's gospel we read about the "proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith -- to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever!  Amen. "

          What He said would happen did happen.  He spoke it into action just as He created the stars, and moon, and planets of the universe, and in coming as the Christ Child He changed the world forever.

          We can argue about the propriety of putting worshipful displays on property that belongs to all the people, we can question who prays sincerely and who doesn't, we can continue to allow the precious golden patina of that first gift of love to wear away under the rubbing away of faith, but none of that will change what happened.  None of that will change who God is, nor the Son of the Most High.  Not all the legal actions in the world, nor all the self-righteousness of being offended, nor even fear of legal action and giving offense, not whether we say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas," not even all the demands to undo faith in the Living God.  And none of it should change our relationship with the God who loved us first, either.  It remains a reality that when Caesar believed he ruled the known world, the creator of the galaxies of the universe lay helpless in a crib, known to most of us by the French "creche" or "manger" in Bethlehem, surrounded by animals, and straw, and strangers.

          Looking at what we know about Christmas, and the celebration thereof, let us look quickly at what Mary knew.  I dearly love that precious song written by Mark Lowery and Buddy Greene, "Mary, Did You Know?"  What did Mary know?

          She undoubtedly knew what every young Jewish girl knew at that time of her life, that God was good, that He could be trusted, that He knew best.  Mary was a child of her upbringing.  Knowing, loving, reverencing God was second nature to her.

          It was when the angel Gabriel came to her that she learned she had been chosen of God to bear His Son into the human race, Emmanuel, God with us.  Mary must also have known that she had just been given the answer to "the mystery that was kept secret for long ages."  She also knew that she had been and would be blessed, and that her son's name would be Jesus.    What more do we really need to know, than what Mary knew?

          His name is Jesus, He is good, He can be trusted, He is our Savior.

          Jesus loves me.  What more do I need to know?  Amen.

Week of Worship

December 18-25, 2011

Invocation:  My God, what joy it is when You come to us in daily visitation; what peace is ours when by your coming we find life anew.  Come, O come to live with us and reign within, now and forever.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 65

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                James 5:7-18

Tuesday               Matthew 1:18-25

Wednesday         Isaiah 40:1-11
Thursday              Ezekiel 34: 17-31

Friday                   Isaiah 9:1-7 

Saturday              Philippians 4:4-9

Sunday                 2nd Samuel 7:8-16; Romans 16:25-27; Psalm 89:1-4, 19-24; Luke 1:26-38

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Tell Out, My Soul"

Benediction:  My Lord, let me go to my appointed place -- there to live and work in the unity of Your Holy Spirit, now and forever.  Amen.