“Why has this happened to me?” Unlike the negative way that we often repeat these words when chaos has disturbed our plans, these words of Elizabeth, the kinswoman of Mary, were stated with great insight and great joy. Both of Mary and Elizabeth were carrying children that would profoundly affect the world. Neither could have possibly understood the extent of that affect. Yet, according to Luke, because of their meeting that day they knew God had blessed them with special children.
Luke tells us that as Mary greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth felt her child leap in her womb. Luke adds: “And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and exclaimed with a loud voice,” which was to say that she was so joyful she shouted, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. [43] And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” In that very moment Elizabeth identified the child that Mary was carrying as her Lord. Obviously, Luke wants us to know that the Holy Spirit enabled her to understand the meaning and purpose of Mary’s child – the child to be named Jesus. And that is the first point that I want to make about this passage:
I. The Holy Spirit helps us recognize the presence of the living Christ.
Advent is such an important liturgical season of the Church Year. For the last three weeks we have been emphasizing the preparation for the coming of the Christ. Now we have arrived at the 4th Sunday, which is also for this year Christmas Eve. That brings us to the purpose of Advent - to declare that the living Christ is among us.
As many of you know, this past Wednesday my brother-in-law died from a heart attack late in the afternoon. As soon as I received the news, Wanda and I went to my sister’s home in the Derita area of Charlotte. Shortly other members of my family began to arrive. We realized that within a few days we had all planned to see one another at a family Christmas party. But here we were gathering prematurely in our sister’s home. And no, our gathering this time was not with a joyful heart but a shocked and sad one.
Yet, in the midst of our sadness I became aware of grace as a surprise. As each of us expressed our love and support to our sister and her children we did it in different ways.
• One sister came in and immediately began to clean and tidy up the place. At 9:00 PM she pulled out the vacuum cleaner and began vacuuming carpets, carpet in my eye that did not need to be vacuumed.
• Another sister, who is in poor health herself, besides using words to encourage and console Melvene, tried to give her money just in case she needed some cash. My sister politely refused and explained that she really didn’t need any money.
• Other family members, who could not readily get there called.
• Here I was as the pastor brother, found myself trying to be a pastor to them, and offered suggestions about the necessities for a funeral.
It was later that I realized that something special was taking place. In the midst of our pain, in a very innocent way, the Holy Spirit was at work making the presence of Christ known to each of us, especially to my sister and her two sons. In the midst of Chaos and grace was apparent, as it came to us much like a surprise.
Advent is a very important season. Advent teaches us that in those moments when we almost want to complain, “Why is this happening to me?” the Holy Spirit comes and makes the presence of the living Christ known to us. In fact, that is why we prepare…so that when Christ comes we will recognize him.
The second conclusion that we can draw from this passage is obvious:
II. God uses us as a means of grace.
Just a God used Mary as a means of grace for Elizabeth, so can God use you and me as a means of grace for others. In a sense, we can all be like Mary!
If we recall, one of Mary’s great qualities was her desire to be a servant of God. Do you remember her words, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Like Mary, you and I are called to be servants of the Lord. If we are servants, it means that we will make our selves available for God to use us according to God’s will.
There is a marvelous story in Garrisons Keillor’s book, “Leaving Home,” that certainly speaks to this Advent message of being a servant of God. He includes a story about the people who are coming home to Lake Woebegone at Christmas. Here is what he writes:
“All these folks who have grown up and moved away, become all smart and sophisticated; they think they have outgrown Lake Woebegone, but at Christmas they make their way reluctantly back home. Father Emil at our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility Lutheran Church really lets them have it for not living up to their vows, in spite of Christmas Eve.”
“Larry Sorenson, the sad boy was there, who was saved 12 times in the Lutheran Church, an all time record. Between 1953 and 1961, he threw himself weeping and contrite on God’s throne of grace on 12 separate occasions…. This is the Lutheran Church, not a bunch of hillbillies—these are Scandinavians, and they repent in the same way that they sin: discreetly, tastefully, at the proper time, and bring a Jell-O salad for afterward. Larry Sorenson came forward weeping buckets and crumpled up at the communion rail, to the amazement of the minister, who now had to put his arm around this limp, soggy individual and pray with him and see if he had a ride home - twelve times. Even the fundamentalists got tired of him. Granted, we’re born in original sin and are worthless and vile, but twelve conversions are too many. God didn’t mean us to feel guilty all our lives. There comes a point when you should dry your tears and join the building committee and start grappling with the problems of the church furnace and the church roof and make church coffee and be of use, but Larry kept on repenting and repenting.”
No, not many of us ever arrive at a comfort level that we feel worthy for God to use us. There will always be those insecurities that we face. But if we rise in faith, seeking to make our selves available for God to use us, we will discover that God will do just that!
• It may mean that we hammer a nail at Habitat.
• It may mean that we cook a meal for a person as we offer it in love and support.
• It may mean that serve on a committee.
• It may mean that coach a basketball team or sleep on a cot at “Room in the Inn” ministry.
• It may mean that we teach a class of unruly youth or children, or go to a shelter to feed the hungry.
• It may mean sitting with an elderly person just having conversation with one who has very little company.
• It may mean that occasionally we are involved in leadership where something grand is accomplished.
In all of these examples (a short list indeed) God uses us as a means of grace for others. Yet without a desire to be a servant of God, none of these examples would ever be fulfilled.
“Why has this happened to me?”, was Elizabeth’s question. It was not a complaint but a statement of surprise. Grace is always like that!
• Grace comes to us when we least expect it. Grace reminds us, however, that the living Christ is present with us.
• And secondly, isn’t it grand to know that God uses us as a means of grace!
Amen!
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