Sermon – The Magnificent
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1: 39-55
Farmville Presbyterian Church
12/22/24
Christmas is the season of surprises
Two naughty boys begged their father to open one present on Christmas Eve. With a knowing look, their father handed them two big boxes filled with coal. “Just remember, this is only the first present.” He wanted them to learn a lesson but not to be too disappointed.
Upon opening the coal, the two boys jump up and down in excitement. Confused, the father looked at them, asking, “Why are you so excited about coal?” The youngest boy looked at him in exasperation. “You said this is only the first present, and we really didn’t think Santa would bring us that train.”
There are those kinds of surprises, but there are bigger, more important surprises that seem to stand out at this time of the year. We are paying attention to things and people in ways that we do not ordinarily do. While the whole idea of wrapped presents is literally meant for surprise, our seasonal and cultural traditions call us back to thinking about other surprises in life and relationships. This is a time of appreciating the losses and gains that we have experienced. Life is important. We think about those who might not be able to enjoy Christmas or celebrate with their loved ones in ways that seem obvious to us. Many of the stories that we see on television or in movies seem to have messages of kindness and repairing relationships and learning how to love. Christmas has a magical quality in appreciating others in surprising ways. The Hallmark Channel LOVES Christmas!
What I want to propose today, though, is that the biggest surprise is Christmas itself. The golly, old elf was not around the home of Mary the mother of Jesus, but there was an angel from God. That angel gave her the good news – that God’s grand plan was finally being put into action, and she was something like the lightening rod. She would bring the plan to life literally in the birth of Jesus. It would be huge! This announcement was nothing she could have imagined. When she woke up that day, this message was the last thing she could have possibly envisioned. She was just a young girl from out-of-the-way Nazareth thinking about her marriage and her new life. Her life was supposed to be just as memorable as the countless other lives of those who have gone before and have vanished in history. And yet, that day made her one of the most famous women, if not the most famous, in history. We talk about her year in and year out. She is known around the world in Christian circles and beyond. Mary brought us the surprise of surprises.
Today in Luke’s Gospel, we have Mary running to her cousin Elizabeth’s house with the news of this surprise. Just Mary’s voice sends wee baby John a’dancing in Elizabeth’s womb as she is overcome in the Holy Spirit. She recognizes just how special Mary is among all the women in the world who have ever or will ever live. It really is staggering to consider how someone so small could become someone so great. It is not like Mary here was a one-off character who was important at Jesus’ birth but then basically disappeared in the story. She shows up throughout the Gospels, including at the cross when everyone else had fled. Mary was pivotal in changing the world.
This is what she sings in today’s reading. God’s glory is revealed in her. The God who picks the small and weak to become mighty is at work. The God who attends to the lost and poor and hungry and oppressed is at work. God is turning the world on its head for the rich and powerful who care nothing for others. God’s children will be fed, provided for, and secured for their future.
This is not obvious in the world. The powers of this world chew up the small and weak and roll on. In Micah’s day, it was the Assyrian Empire and its army threatening Israel. They had destroyed Micah’s village. He had enough of Empire ravaging his people, God’s people. Micah had enough of war and violence and corruption. He had enough of people in positions of leadership pandering to wealth and luxury, and he condemns the bribery that makes the world go around him. King Hezekiah is ineffective and seems to be counting on his standing in the house of David. That’s when Micah lays out a change, a reversal, and radical turn: But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
Micah is saying we need a new king, a new David, who is ancient. King Hezekiah is not living up to God’s standards. From David’s hometown, God will start, again. Micah is not talking about Jesus, per se, but you can see how easily Micah’s prophecy seems to point to Jesus later. This passage helps direct the magi and indicates God’s hand at work. Micah was predicting an upheaval, but even he had no idea how big it would be.
The change that Mary sings is much bigger than even Micah’s vision. In fact, her song is so big that we would not even believe her today. Imagine for a moment that there was no Christmas, yet, and that we did not have the holiday or the story at all – no Jesus. What would any of us think if a poor middle school girl showed up on our doorstep looking for a place to stay while she was pregnant with a child who she said was given by God? Imagine this child bearing a baby who she believed wholeheartedly would bring God’s salvation to God’s people. That just sounds insane. Our first call might be to the police or social services. Every year, we slide through this story so very easily that we fail to take account of the sheer and utter surprise that Christmas means. It turned the world inside out and upside down. Nothing is ordinary or expected here. Without this one radical turn in history, though, imagine how much less the world would be…
Less hopeful
Less glad
Less bright
Less relational
Less giving
Less gracious
Less loving
Less amazing
The great news given to Mary made the world more magnificent. Her song is the Magnificat because that’s the first word in the Latin translation: her soul MAGNIGFIES the Lord. But the message is magnificent in how it takes the world made by God but broken by people and shows us a new vision of a world changed by a single baby. Any hope that we genuinely have for tomorrow is a hope Mary brought to life. The grace of God turned the world through her willingness to be the Mother of God. I am concluding today with a hymn from our hymnal singing in the spirit of Mary’s song. Follow along, if you wish, in your hymnals with hymn 100, My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout….
For Mary and her willingness to carry the magnificent gift of Christmas, we are most grateful. To God be the glory. Amen.