"Wombs from where the Heaven could sprout" by Ajay T.Oommen, Gurukul

Text: Luke 1: 26 -38

Advent season holds a mystery of waiting. We all are waiting to celebrate the day, which brought the great joy the world have ever known. Often waiting is something, that makes us bored and irritated. But the advent season demands, a waiting that should be kept as creative moments. Those people who dedicated this waiting, as creative moments, have experienced this great joy. To name some of them, Zachariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simon, Hanna, the Shepherds, the wise men etc.

What we see here in the gospel, is the annunciation to Mary by angel Gabriel. The dialogue between Gabriel and Mary is going to be the ground of our meditation today. It is only with amazement can we realise from this passage that, the Kingdom of God is not descending from heaven, rather it shoots forth from humble people like Mary. Traditionally it is believed that Mary was graciously selected, but I would rather say she was the most qualified person to carry a child like Jesus. It was not because she was a virgin, not because of her lineage, that she was blessed in such a unique manner. The gospel portion itself paints colour to the supreme character she possesses, to be called as Blessed Mary.

1.         In verse 28 and 29 we see, as Mary heard the greeting of the Angel, she was greatly troubled by this words and wondered that what kind of a greeting this is. The evangelist records that she wonders, not after the angel tells Mary that she is going to bear a child, but it was immediately after the angel meets her and greets that ‘the Lord is with you’. If we put ourselves in Mary’s position, we could find that, we are the ones who most commonly hear these words of assurance, that ‘the lord is with you’, in and outside Christian circle. Today itself if we look into our liturgy, how many times we are hearing this assurance, the God is with you. But for us, it often does not bring wonder.

We have seen many times women become troubled as well as wondered, when some guests unexpectedly comes to the house. What would be the reason? They are concerned, whether their house is in a position to welcome the guest.

The reason why Mary was troubled and wondered is that, she seriously doubted that, whether her space was ready to occupy God. She was considering critically the place she reserved for God in her life at the moment she heard the greeting. In her actions she proves to be a theist practically. But if we consider ourselves often we find ourselves as practically atheists without having any response even when we hear that, the god is with us.

We have been like Zachariah, who was not prompted by the presence of God, even in the alter, the most expected place of God. Mary who was troubled and wondered, by the reminder about God’s presence proves to be more theist than the priest Zachariah.

Here, the trouble and wonder that Mary experienced becomes a preparation to hear, the heavy burden she has to bear. If we are not moved or amazed by such reminders about God’s presence in our lives, we fail to fulfil the tasks entrusted to us by God.

If we are troubled and wondered at the remainder that God is with us, it should be taken as a sign, for the next step, God is going to entrust with us, some great tasks.

 2.         In verse 31 and 32, we see the angel commanding Mary to name the child as Jesus. He also gives some promises from the part of the heaven regarding the future of the child, that he will inherit the throne of David, he will reign in the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will never end. These promises were enough, to make the young girl Mary enthusiastic to accept the command to bear a child, even though she was not married. 

But we see though the angel said, the child is the son of God, he was not born with any of the well-beings of the heaven, except the name Jesus, nothing was given to him by the mighty heavens. Moreover he lost the natural environment needed for a child, from the time he was born.

Mary did not see any of these promises from God being accomplished, in Jesus’ life. But still, Mary groomed that child, to make the claims by himself that, I’m the son of God, I have a kingdom and I will reign on my Father’s throne. Jesus was taught by His mother Mary that he could even say at the age of 12 that he has to sit in his father’s place. Mary seems to be more convinced that Jesus is the son of God, as she asks Jesus to do something immediately, at the wedding of Cana. Mary didn’t raise her son for herself, but for God.

She didn’t burdened Him with the responsibilities that the eldest son of the family need to fulfil, she neither raised Him by telling the inconveniences that the heaven brought to her through His birth, nor by reiterating the unaccomplished promises of the heaven.  We see God in the heaven giving lot much of promises, but it was the poor mother Mary who works for the promises.

About every child the heaven has very high aspirations. But the heaven in its might, doesn’t groom any child. But what we have to introspect today is that, is there any parents like Mary who groom their children according to Heaven’s expectations? If so, you can also become like Mary and your children can also become one like Jesus.

3.         Finally in vs. 36 and 37 we see that Mary is being informed by the angel about the pregnancy of Elizabeth. The gospel writer finds, it is important to present this news, as an integral part of the annunciation to Mary. It was essential for Mary, to find somebody in her own social space who is equally blessed; to take in the things happened to her as blessedness, and not as a curse. A blessing cannot be a blessing, as long as the blessed stands alone. The blessed one needs to find a community of blessed around oneself, to make the blessing a meaningful one. Here Elizabeth becomes her blessed companion, who helped her to ponder upon her blessedness.

 It has become quite common in the Christian circle that, we often become indifferent to the blessedness of others. Often we couldn’t find meaning in the blessedness of others. We use to comfort ourselves, by pointing to the sorrows, and distress of others, which would be greater than ours, but never rejoice in the blessedness of others. This is the reason why, our blessedness and joy do not get converted, into the blessedness and joy for the world.

Pregnancy of Elizabeth became integral to the good news to Mary, because she longed to hear that. When Mary finds the extension of blessing between herself and Elizabeth, she realises that her blessedness and joy, is really going to be the joy to the world.

Today we need to ask the question, why our blessedness and joy are not becoming the joy to the world. Definitely the answer would be, our indifference to the blessedness and joy of others. But this advent season calls for a counter practice.

Dearly beloved in Christ, the advent is not just about waiting for a day, which is of historical significance. It is about experiencing the joy, that the advent brings. 1. It becomes possible through our response to the presence of God. 2. It becomes possible by ensuring, that the expectation of the heaven, is being fulfilled in the life of our children. 3. It becomes possible, when we find meaning in the blessedness of others. 

May the God through His Son and His Holy Spirit, bring us the joy of the advent... Amen

[Ajay T.Oommen, the preacher of this sermon, is a final year BD student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]