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4. Sunday of Advent, 12/23/2012
Sermon on Luke 1:39-55 (RCL), by David Zersen
Christmas is just around the corner and it may seem too late to say some of the things that need to be said in this sermon. However, the great thing about using appointed texts is that you can't run away from the message. It's here to be heard, and in some grander scheme of things, it's God's message for us today. The fact that it's an original Christmas song makes it fit right in with our worship on this Fourth Sunday in Advent. And the fact that Luke is providing us with remarkable reversals to what has become, at lest in the West, our annual tradition of extravagant spending, is grounds for throughtful reflection on the threshhold of Christmas. Come back with me, therefore, to an ancient time and place and listen to what the first Christians sang and believed when they remembered the extravagant kindness shown to Mary and to all who shared her humble faith.
Today's text is properly called The Magnificat, from the Latin "Magnificat anima mea," or "My soul magnifies," the beginning of Mary's response to the knowledge that she was to be blessed among women in giving birth to the Messiah, the Savior of humankind. While Mary's words may well stand at the base of the Magnificat, we know that the humble, uneducated woman from Nazareth did not write this elevated language. It's written in perfect Hebrew poetry, the mark of which is one line echoing another, a style called parallelism. Not only can this poetry be recognized, but language like "scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts" is hardly the song of a peasant woman. Luke had an opportunity, as he told this story, to share what fellow Christians in his community had been singing about for years. Instead, therefore, of simply telling us the story, he lets us hear what members of the Jesus movement sang when they remembered Mary's experience. Of course, it would be wonderful if we could sing along with the faithful, but we no longer know the Hebrew chant that accompanied the words.
Not to worry, however, many will tell us, because down through the centuries, the best of the world's musicians set the early Christian poetry to wonderful notes. This past week, I heard the Concordia University Texas Choir sing J.S. Bach's Magnificat, now a tradition in many cities around the world that have competent orchestras and choirs. Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Bruckner, Rachminoff and Rutter all composed music for these words. As Christians today approach Christmas, we can hardly avoid remembering why such great musicians couldn't let go of this early Christian legacy. In many Christian denominations this song is also a part of the evening liturgy. Roman Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans sing the Magnificat at Evening Prayer, and the Orthodox sing it at Morning Prayer. Why has this song become so important to the church? Why is it so important that Luke captured in these words a treasure of the early church's heritage?
The lonely Salvation Army bell ringer calls us to answer this question. The man I saw yesterday high under the bridge where he was playing with his cat in the shelter he had built for himself, far from the eyes of most driving by-he too calls us to answer this question? Is it just a song sung as we approach Christmas, another liltng tune sung by David Archuletta and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?
Here's why it's important to understand what Luke is remembering for us about the content of early Christian hymnody. They didn't sing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" or "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." Instead, they were fascinated that God had chosen a poor woman like one of them to become the mother of one for whom all were waiting. They were moved that when God wanted to lead his people into a new way of life, a new meaning and purpose, he chose not the throne room, the parliament, the board room of a bank, but a stable. He chose to be one among the majority of the earth's people by finding a poor woman, an insignificant village, and a donkey's feedfox.
Theologically stated, God initiated an eschatological reversal, and end-time upside-down- cake of a plan. As the song sings, he ignored the proud, humbled the rulers, and sent the rich away. He hid his plan from the wise and he humiliated his opponents with such a plan. He lifted up the humble, filled the hungry, and became a sign spoken against. He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners. He revealed himself to little children. What could this mean but that he was humbling the exalted and exalting the humble? He was making the first last, and the last first. God was starting over with an eschatological reversal. And Mary, since she was the one with whom he began his reversal, felt like shouting it from the housetops. And the early Christians couldn't help turning it into a world-famous song!
Socially stated, God let Luke surprise everyone with this reversal throughout his message of good news, the Gospel according to Luke. In this Gospel, the gentiles are not excluded, but they are embraced. In this Gospel, women are not ignored, but they become central. In this Gospel, the poor and marginalized are on the stage, not in the caves outside the city. In this Gospel, inclusivity reigns. All are included. The underbelly of the world is made the interest of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And who is supposed to understand this? His name is Theophilus, a name that means "lover of God." He could be a man who needed to be set straight. But with a generic name like that, he could be any one of us, any one who claims to be a lover of God, but sometimes lives as if he/she were lovers of things. Sometimes we live as if the rich and powerful were the truly important. Sometimes we live as if the meaning of this important relgious celebrtation just before us is centered in how much is spent and whether the most advertised gimmicky gift is the one most prized in our family celebrations.
Are you getting it, Theophilus? You lover of God, you! Given that we are on the threshhold of Christmas, and most of the gifts are under the tree, and we have outdone oursleves again this year for the sake of our children and our children's children-is it too late to say some of these things? To sing the Magnificat?
In the church to which I belong, a wealthy member gave $20,000 this year so that each member could pick up $200 and give it away to the poor, the marginalized, and the ones without. And many of us were troubled; we pondered this in our heart. We couldn't think of people to give the $200 to because the social strata in our communities are divided. Those who are "with" don't live close to those who are "without." And yet, if I could capture the meaning of the early Christian singers here for a moment, I would say that today, our God is spending his Sunday not with those who have it all, but with those who have none it? In other words, at least in some churches, our God is not with those gathered in church, but with those under the bridge?
Our God was with Jesus on the cross. Our God goes with refugees into exile. Our God is staging a messianic banquet for the poor. Our God is with the peasants in Nicaragua who identify with these words of Mary-and with the poor virgin of Guadelupe. Our God is eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. Whoa!
And what song will we find on our lips as we stand at the threshold of Christmas? And what fulfillment will we seek once we have crossed the threshold of Christmas to the other side?
It is good to sit with Mary as she remembers how blest she is. It is good to sit with the early gentile Christians who celebrated with Mary that God had included them as well.
It is grand to remember as we approach the celebration of the Incarnation that God does not favor cold ascetisim. The Son of man came eating and drinking! There is a party being staged. That's not a problem.
But it is a party for all. And the essence of it is not that we impress some with our largesse, but that all know of God's kindness and ours as well.
And blessed is he who is not offended by this.