Several years ago, I heard the story of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old
man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new
perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning
and bought forty-five used weather balloons. That afternoon he
strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends
tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of
beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he
could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.
Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in
the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000
feet into the sky - smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern
at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of
the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, forcing the
airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing
long delays in flights from across the country.
Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters
asked him three questions:
"Were you scared?"
"Yes."
"Would you do it again?"
"No."
"Why did you do it?"
"Because," he said, "you can't just sit there."
Each of the birth narratives called for a response - or reaction -
from its participants. Angels sang in joyous chorus. The
shepherds, upon hearing the angels' birth announcement, schlepped
down from the sheep-dotted hills surrounding Bethlehem onto the stage
of history and knelt around the spotlight trained on the baby born
King of the Jews. The magi, having identified an unusual
astrological alignment, left "the East" to give honor to
the new world leader with their precious gifts and their worship.
When it comes to God's intervention in world history, no one can just
sit there! Such an amazing event requires reflection with a
broader perspective. Sometimes we just have to reach up to
heaven in praise and in trust!
And don't forget a God-fearing man named Joseph and his
Messiah-carrying wife who celebrated Jesus from the beginning. They
each, with some difficulty, had digested the unthinkable plans God
had announced to them privately. Now they humbled their hearts
and lauded their Lord with quiet praise. And they trusted that
what God had started, God would finish for his own glory and the
salvation of humankind. In verse 19 it says that after the
shepherds had returned to their flocks, "Mary treasured up all
these things and pondered them in her heart."
II. Mary's Story
What things did she treasure up? What things did she ponder? Things
the shepherds had said when they found the trio in the stable just as
the angels had said? Could be. Things said by those who were amazed
by what the shepherds had told them? Perhaps. But I'm more inclined
to think that the treasure chest Mary unlocked was that which lay
within her chest . . . in her heart . . . in her memory. The treasure
of Gabriel's announcement nine months before in Nazareth. The
unexpected and unfathomable news that she had been selected to carry
the long awaited Christ child. No rubies or pearls or diamonds, no
gold or silver or any other precious metal was desired more than the
treasure Gabriel's words unearthed. I believe that was what Mary
pondered as she recalled the promise, now that the fulfillment of
that promise had occurred. The one who would grow within her womb
would be no ordinary baby. He would be no ordinary man either.
"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he
will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
But how will this be? Mary recalled her doubt. She was sexually
innocent. There is no way she could be pregnant. And yet, she had
conceived just as the angel had said. "The Holy Spirit will come
upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, for
nothing is impossible with God."
And as Mary pondered these things, she recalled God's ability to make
good on the promises he had made. Everything came to be just as he
promised. When the angel first encountered Mary with that truckload
of "just-you-wait's," she had the presence of mind to
simply say, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you
have said." And now nine months later, she has the deep
satisfaction of knowing her willingness to be available, useable, and
obedient was worthwhile.
III. Pondering These Things and Praising God
As you ponder the Christmas story in your heart, allow the promises
God has made and fulfilled in your life to catapult you to the
heights of heaven. Celebrate his promise-keeping character. Sure, he
promised Mary the privilege of bearing the baby within her body. But
he has promised you the privilege of a personal relationship with him
because the Baby who was born was willing to die for your sins.
Ponder in your heart what the angel announced to Mary. "For
nothing is impossible with God." No, it is not possible to earn
his favor by trying hard to please him. But what is possible with God
is providing a perfect life whose purity can be accessed by faith.
Perhaps you feel like you have blown it so often that there is no way
God would accept you (or allow you to qualify for his
all-expense-paid one-way trip to heaven). There is no way you would
offer that kind of forgiveness to someone who has treated you the way
you have treated God's overtures of grace. But what is impossible
with us is not impossible with God. That's what grace is all about.
We experience life as the best of times and the worst of times. For
some of you, life is pretty sweet right now. You can't imagine how it
could get much better. But, I know that for others in this room,
bittersweet would be the adjective to describe what you are currently
being called to embrace. Still for others, life is just plain sour.
For you, this time of year is literally the worst of times. Christmas
is a package of bad memories that you resist unwrapping, no matter
how pretty the paper or the bows.
But we are talking about a God for whom nothing is impossible. And
that includes touching your life with the grace to handle whatever
impossibility paralyzes your will. Your health is falling apart.
Maybe your marriage has. Maybe your mom just died or your dad has
discovered he has the initial stages of Alzheimer's. Maybe this is
the first Christmas you've decided to take your faith seriously, and
your family and friends have labeled you a fanatic. Impossible to
handle on your own? Most likely. But God has never intended you to
handle it all by yourself. "For nothing is impossible with God."
The kind of contemplation to which I call you tonight is not unlike
what Mary experienced as she treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart. But the treasure within Mary's chest went
deeper still. It also included the unrehearsed cantata she sang
before the Lord in response to the angel's prologue when her cousin
Elizabeth bore witness to her supernatural circumstances. "My
soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
With fingers of faith, she reached out and touched the face of God
(even as she held him in her lap and peered into his tiny face).
We know what that's about don't we? When we lose ourselves in wonder,
love, and praise, we touch heaven, too. We have already sung many of
Christmas carols. Our hearts have been moved by our choir and bells,
and in turn, we have moved closer to the Lord. We touch heaven when
we allow the wings of song to carry us beyond the confines of this
room. It is our desire to take our cues from Mary and touch the heart
of God with genuine praise.
IV. Reaching Out to Take God's Hand
But, notice what the basis of Mary's worshipful chorus is based in.
Mary is singing about God's incredibly personal care to a woman
unable to face the prospects of being pregnant, unmarried, and
misunderstood with his help. Take note of the lyrics she sings:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant;
the Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name."
God is trustworthy, and deserves not only our praise but also our
confidence in him.
Let us never lose sight of what makes this such a great thing. It is
the essence of what we Christians often take for granted at
Christmas. A young chaste woman became pregnant. A virgin conceived.
But that's not all. Who was conceived in her and birthed by her was
no one less than Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah; Immanuel, God with
us. Mary's trust was rooted in this reality. God is no longer far
off, but on-site always.
Remember Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel? The extended index finger of a lifeless Adam has just been
touched by almighty God. Adam's eyes opened and he came alive,
animated by the personal contact of his Master Designer.
Resurrection power was transferred from Life to Lifeless Form, and
the human race was born. What a majestic moment!
When we are brought to life - spiritually speaking - this is only the
beginning of God's touch. God didn't intend us to stop at
touching his fingertip, he wanted us to grab hold of his hand and
hang on for dear life!
Mary held on for the wild ride with these words: "I am the
Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."
She entrusted her life to the One who favored her with the baby named Jesus.
V. Letting the Words Sink In
In a few minutes we are going to be singing a couple more carols. As
we do, don't give in to the temptation to just sing familiar words.
Celebrate the way God has customized his concern for you just like he
did in sheltering Mary from the cruel wind of public scorn. As you
sing, think about the "great things" the Lord has done for
you this past year. The growth you've experienced in your
understanding of spiritual things. The incredible gift of forgiveness
that has resulted in the evaporation of those low-lying clouds of
guilt. That job promotion (or maybe the fact that you got to keep
your job when others were let go). How the Lord sent his guardian
angels to keep you from serious danger in that mishap on the highway.
The health of your children. The affirmation you've received from
folks within the church about ways the Lord has gifted you for
ministry in the congregation. Mary is not the only one who can sing
because the Lord has done great things. His greatness invites our
gratefulness. He is a good God. Holy is His name. When God has
done so much, we can't just sit there!
Mary's magnificent song of gratitude is so lofty, it scrapes the sky.
She mentions the mercy of God that is not exhaustible. Get this:
"His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to
generation." What an awesome truth to bite into and savor in a
setting like this. Grandmas and grandpas are here. So are aunts and
uncles. Moms and dads, look around at your children. The mercy of the
Lord is designed to be experienced in a never-ending family circle.
Older believers, you have reason to sing praise to the newborn king
tonight because the faith you cherish is being passed on to those who
will follow you someday to heaven. If some of you are here tonight
and are not sure of the destiny of your soul, take heart. What
members of your family have come to claim for themselves is also
available to you. Don't just tip your cap to the kid in the cradle.
Believe what Jesus claimed about himself: that he was the way to God
and the only source of an abundant and an eternal life. With Mary,
adopt a posture of acceptance and trust. Let her words be your words,
"May it be to me as you have said."
Gordon Dahl is an astute observer of North American Christianity. He
has been credited with saying that in our culture we tend to worship
our work, work at our play, and play at our worship. Ouch! Those
words describe people who are not in touch with the transforming
touch of God on a regular basis. It is very easy to come to a
Christmas Eve service and play at our worship. When we leave here, we
go to family dinners and celebrations with special friends. We will
laugh and play games and open gifts. On a certain level, our
celebration on this magical night is one of play (even for adults).
But the essence of what draws us here together is anything but
make-believe. Worship, ascribing worth to God, is the single most
important activity we will ever be part of in this life (and in the
life to come).
Come, as we light the candle of hope, let us offer our praise and
reach for heaven!