Advent 4 – 22December 2024
This morning, we lit the 4th Candle on our advent wreath, in celebration of Mary. And the reading starts with the arrival of Mary to visit an elderly relative called Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Zechariah had longed for children and now in old age, they’re awaiting the promise of God as foretold by the Angel Gabriel and the fulfilment of the prophets of old.
Today, our gospel reading focuses on a girl, barely a young teenage woman, who is both engaged in marriage, and is now pregnant with child. Today that is not uncommon, but even just 50 years ago that would be frowned upon. Two thousand years ago such a pregnancy would be considered a dreadful and outrageous disgrace that would shroud not only the expectant mother but would also be bestowed upon the whole family.
Earlier in this gospel reading we encounter Mary being met by an angel, a messenger who tells Mary the news that she is pregnant. In our sanitised reading Mary responds to this news as being troubled or concerned. And she agrees to fulfil the prophecy that Gabriel has bestowed upon her.
But do you not wonder what fear and concerns must Mary hold in her heart?
How would her family respond to her news? How would they treat her?
Would she immediately identify with the words of prophesy from ancient texts such as Micah 5.2?
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
And how would her reply to all those judgemental pointing fingers be received?
Can you imagine the line of snide remarks and the pointed questions?
“Oh, you say that you met an Angel?”
And “The angel whose name is Gabriel said God had sent him?”
And “He said it was alright to be pregnant because you were to carry Gods’ child?”
And ”You’re to call him Jesus, Emmanuel, God is with us?”
Perhaps, in some marbled palace entrenched in opulence, you might just pass it by due to a position of wealth and power, without the fear due mainly to your position of authority.
But to a simple, young teenage virgin, promised in marriage to a man, and not of her choosing, in a quiet backwater called Nazareth where nothing of significance happens heads will turn, tongues will wag and fingers point in judgemental shock and shame.
Mary is in grave danger. She is likely to be ostracised or even killed for bringing shame upon the family. Mary is sent away, to visit Elizabeth, a family relative where she is out the way and out of sight.
We don’t know, but maybe the game plan is that Elisabeth will attend Mary and adopt her baby when it’s born?
Certainly, that fits well with the recent historical attitudes of the 1930’s-70’s and much to our society’s shame.
But now, in this morning’s reading Elizabeth, having had the same experience of Gods promise of fulfilment recognises the presence of the Holy Spirit at work and Elizabeth’s welcome towards Mary is related in the song of welcome and acceptance of the changing order of things to come.
Our New Testament reading from the Letter to the Hebrews serves as a reflection of the promise of God to Mary that Jesus, is the fulfilment of the Law, given to Moses on Mount Sinai, in the desert.
The ritual of sending a sinner away and the blood sacrifice of animals for sins atonement has been overturned by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The way forward in all life’s struggles, the author argues is through Jesus, the saviour of the world.
Jesus path was not made easy and as followers of his truth we cannot expect any different. But we put our trust in his hands and follow his path in faith and confidence that God walks with us on our life’s journey.
Do have a happy and peaceful, Christmas.
