REMEMBERING MARY: HER OBEDIENCE
Luke 1:26-38
Dr. Wm. J. Maxwell
First Presbyterian Church, Newport, RI
December 3, 2006
“From one extreme to another.” We often hear or speak such a phrase as this, and I suppose that there are many illustrations of this statement that could be used. For example, we could speak of “going from feast to famine;” or “it was the best of times and it was the worst of times”. One such illustration, however, is particularly considered at this time of year and this has to do with the subject of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Debate on the subject of Mary has occurred over centuries of time between Roman Catholics and Protestants. In spite of many areas of common theological agreement, we believe as Protestants that Roman Catholics have taken the subject of Mary to the extreme, affirming what we cannot help but reject. This includes the immaculate conception of Mary (the belief that Mary was preserved from any existence of personal sin at the time of her conception); Mary’s perpetual virginity (that she had no other children but Jesus); her bodily assumption into heaven (similar to the case of Elijah in the Old Testament); her role, with Jesus, as a mediator; the veneration and worship of Mary; and prayers being offered to Mary.
For most Protestants, if not all, such views of Mary are extreme and are yet to be convincingly proven from Scripture. However, we could also say that many Protestants have gone to the other extreme. Some pay very little attention to Mary at all – it’s almost as if she never existed. That is most unfortunate, and it’s an extreme point of view that we should quite frankly abandon.
Mary, in fact, has a prominent place in the New Testament. She should be revered and respected as the earthly mother of our Lord. There is also much from her life which is highly commendable and is in fact worthy of being called exemplary; in many ways, Mary could be considered as a role model for us in the living out of our own journey of faith.
So, for this season of Advent, we’re going to take a closer look at Mary and consider ways in which she can teach us how to live a life of faith and faithfulness today.
In our passage for this morning, we are introduced to Mary for the first time. This is the passage, apart from that found in Matthew’s Gospel, in which we read of the background to the virgin birth, one of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. This doctrine was universally accepted for centuries until the 19th century when supernaturalism and the miraculous came to be held into question.
When the angel Gabriel visited Mary and brought to her the news that she was chosen by God and would bear the Messiah after conceiving the child miraculously by power of the Holy Spirit, her response was very impressive … particularly in light of the very serious implications of this event.
We are told that Mary was betrothed to Joseph at the time. Following a public announcement of marriage, this was a formal engagement period when the couple was actually known as husband and wife. The marriage was not consummated until the night of the wedding. But they were considered to be “as good as married” and thus considered to be as husband and wife.
At first thought, this divine interruption sounds so wonderful: to become the mother of the long awaited Messiah was a position of such honor for which women could only dream. After all, the people of Israel had anticipated the Messiah’s coming for centuries and at last, the time had finally come.
But the implications and the potential consequences of this miraculous birth at this time in Mary’s life are sobering and even staggering. It was potentially at tremendous cost that Mary accepted the call to become the Messiah’s mother. Think about it for a moment. Mary could be accused of being promiscuous or adulterous, particularly because Joseph wasn’t the father. Now, adultery was a very serious crime in those days. In Egypt, it was punished by disfiguring the woman in cutting off her nose. In Persia, both the nose and the ears of the woman were cut off. In Israel, the punishment prescribed in the Law was death by stoning.[i] This included the case where the person was not married, but betrothed. It would be safe to say that it would be a public execution, similar to a lynching in the Old West.
Yet another course of action that could be taken was that of a divorce. This would include specifying the precise causes for which the divorce was being made. Witnesses would also be present in order to testify to the divorce. This would of course involve public shame and utter humiliation.
There was the fact that Mary could also remain unmarried all her life after this event. Or worse, her father might reject her, not believing her anymore than Joseph would, forcing her to fend on her own by begging or even by prostitution.
Matthew tells us that Joseph considered a third alternative beyond stoning or a public divorce.[ii] That was a quiet divorce, without any specification of the charge. To Joseph’s credit, he loved Mary far too much to subject her to public humiliation. But quiet or not, her character was likely to be ruined. In any case, once Mary tried to explain the matter to Joseph, her parents, her closest friends or her rabbi, no one would believe her. “Crazy Mary” could very well be her newly given name.
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So, there we have it: an angelic proclamation and an invitation to become the mother of the Messiah. But at what cost? Death, divorce, disgrace or disintegration of the most cherished relationships she ever had. Could it all really be worth it? Would it be worth it for you?
And yet the Scripture tells us Mary’s response, a response given without equivocation: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” [iii] Mary’s response was to see herself as a “handmaid” or “servant” of the Lord. It was an expression of resignation to the will of God and submission to His greater purposes.
Having faith in God’s promise and in His ability to do the impossible, Mary chose the way of obedience to the Lord. It was as if she was saying to the angel, “I fully acknowledge the truth of all that you have said and I am perfectly ready to obey all that the Lord desires from me.” Here, Mary made a complete surrender of herself, body and soul, at the disposal of the God who loved her and held her in His grace and favor; and who, by means of this promised pregnancy and childbirth, was bestowing on her an immeasurable blessing.
THE LESSON FOR US.
What then might be the lesson for us, based upon Mary’s conduct before the Lord. Well, there are certainly the times when the Lord speaks clearly to us regarding our own unique and particular situation. It can be given to us in the form of Scripture, the Holy Spirit speaking a special word, a sermon, a book, another person or even an angel – but regardless of the form, we do hear the Lord speaking to us. That’s always the first step – hearing and receiving the Lord’s message to us.
But the second step will always be one of personal response: What are we in fact going to do about it? Will we respond in obedience? With a sense of submission? With a desire to fulfill the Lord’s purpose for our lives, trusting that He is only good, loving and faithful?
But this is when our mind so often steps in and our own will gets in the way. We begin to question whether we can trust God in this, whether His will for us is in fact, as described in Scripture, “good, pleasing and perfect.” [iv]
John Calvin says that we can argue with ourselves or with God at this point, because of the reason of our lack of full trust in God. But this is the one thing we should not do when we are certain that this is truly the Lord’s word for us. “This is the real proof of faith, when we restrain our minds and, as it were, hold them captive, so that they dare not reply this or that to God: for boldness in disputing, on the other hand, is the mother of unbelief.” [v] Calvin continues to say, “Faith alone makes us obedient servants to God and gives us up to His power.” [vi]
So, what has the Lord been speaking to you about lately? I thought about bringing in an illustration at this point in the sermon, but quite frankly I believe I don’t have to – for most of us, the illustration is already found within ourselves! So, has He been speaking to you in regard to your relationship with Him … or your spouse … or parents … children … co-workers or someone in your neighborhood? And have you been bold in disputing in your mind whether or not to obey, failing to give way instead to a faith that says God is trustworthy in all things and in everything?
No, obedience is not always easy, nor is it always comfortable, but it is always right, if God is truly in it. And if God is in it, it can only be good, as He is only good.
Dear friends, remember Mary, and the path of obedience she accepted so willingly. Following in her footsteps, may we all take the path of obedience as well!