On the Move and Growing for Peace

Transcribed from the sermon preached December 9, 2012 

The Reverend Max Lynn, Pastor

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, 60:1-10, Luke 1:39-56

 

It is somewhat amazing to me that this song was written down and has lived through history these 2,000 years. I mean it is not your typical hallmark card greeting, not your typical Christmas album with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, bells jingling all the way. Mary sings, “He has scattered those who are proud in the their inmost thoughts, He has brought down the rulers from their thrones…He has sent the rich away empty.”

As Luke sits to write his Gospel, he starts right off establishing Jesus’ deep roots within Judean culture and faith. Luke is a good guy no doubt, but he is not without bias. If the Church is to survive under Roman rule after the fall of the temple, says Bob Coote of San Francisco Theological Seminary, it needs to be seen as Jewish so that it will get the special permission to function with its own law. He is not writing for Rome, but to Christians, so that they will see themselves as heirs to Israel. So we see a connection to Israel and the expansion of it image of peace and justice beyond the nation. Anyone who knows scripture will recognize Mary’s song’s similarity to Hanna’s. Hanna’s song, found in I Samuel 2:1-10 celebrates divine justice that reverses human expectations. It speaks of the rise of a new king in Israel, and with him the nation, from the midst of the oppressive nations surrounding them. Through this connection, Luke establishes the origins of the church squarely within Judaism. Still the songs call and hope for liberation for the woman singing, and her people, is paradigmatic for the liberation of the poor and oppressed the world over, no matter who they are or who oppresses them.

Confirming the connection to Judaism further, Jesus’ mother Mary, it turns out, is the niece of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. It seems to Luke that these two women and hence, these two sons, are on the same team, from the same Spirit, of the same family, descendants of this great faith; this faith with revolutionary songs that rise from the Spirit of God embodied in the people. And in this sweet and powerful scene, not in a palace or a temple or a stadium or a theater or a mountaintop, not with grand garb and fanfare, but in a humble home, with just a niece and her aunt, a simple visit between two pregnant ladies, the Lord is magnified for all the ages.

Now what is surprising to me is that while Israel was a relatively small player in the global politics of the day, it nevertheless would have taken rich and powerful men to raise up the nation. The fact that such revolutionary critiques of the rich and powerful are included and kept within the sacred scripture means that the scripture works as a check and balance on power within the society. Surely Hannah’s song is included in David’s scripture, or the later king who wanted to claim affinity with David, even though he was rich and powerful, because it helps him associate and appear sympathetic to the aspirations of the common people. He is the revolutionary leader, now come to power. But David is far from perfect; he has slaves; he has armies that threaten mothers and their sons; he has plenty of wives and yet still wants to take the one wife of another. And some of the actions of the kings and leaders to follow will be far worse. Herod, king when Mary sings her song, is a tyrant. Kings and nations will rise and fall, but mother’s songs continue to be heard, and those songs put a check on everyone with power, including David, Herod and the kings and popes to follow.

Strongmen make nations, but the song of poor mothers is heard by God. It comes through; it survives. Despite what we have done, despite what we do, despite what we will do to distort God’s world, despite what nations and religions have done and will do, the song rings out to call us back into balance, to equality and to justice, to true security and true peace. Here in the text the lion and the lamb do lie down together.

Even as it comes from our tradition, built and expanded by the powerful, even though our political party may claim to be the protectors of Jesus and his mom, Mary’s song speaks for itself.

On Facebook and Fox News this season there is a lot of talk about the “War on Christmas.” People have become upset that fewer Christmas scenes are allowed in public places. I suggested that if people wanted, they can come to church; our church promises to show such scenes forever. But the real battle for Christmas is between those who see Mary as merely meek and mild, and those who allow her revolutionary song to shake up the pride in our innermost thoughts…that line alone should scare us enough to think twice about how much Christmas we really want.

Later in Luke’s Gospel, when Mary’s son has been born and grown up, we hear him say,

"Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. [24] "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation.
[25] "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger."

Hmm? I wonder where he got that idea? Do we really want Christmas that bad? Do we really want to hear Mary’s song? Do we really want her to teach her values to her son? Do we really want to magnify the Lord?

Or would we rather magnify our ego and our pocketbook, our car and our TV? For Mary the war on Christmas is a war on the humble and poor; it is a war equality and justice; it is a war on the idea that security for some and insecurity for others is good enough. I don’t know about you but Christmas makes me nervous. I am worried about being scattered because of the pride in my inmost thoughts. And while I live in a pretty good nation, I am afraid we are so confident that security and peace will come through the magnification of our military expenditure to the size of the next 15 biggest spenders combined that we forget about justice and stewardship. I am afraid our wealth and power block our eyes and ears from hearing the songs of poor and hungry mothers the world over. I am afraid that in our attempt to be the defenders of our version of Christianity we fail to magnify Christ our Lord.

Still Christmas gives me hope and I think we should keep it. Because if God can use Mary, and raise up a son whose love rings out through the ages, even as kings and nations rise and fall, surely there is hope for us yet. Maybe despite our shortcoming, mistakes and sins, by the grace of Christ, we may magnify the Lord too. This is my prayer. Let it be. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.