Godly Attitudes: Mary - Courage Luke 1:26-38
We’ve been spending a few
weeks talking about attitude adjustments.
Specifically, we’ve been considering the attitude adjustments that we
need to develop Godly Attitudes—the need to surrender our earthly attitudes and
let God, through the power of the Holy Spirt, adjust our attitudes. In doing this, we’ve been considering various
people of the bible, part of that great cloud of witnesses, so to speak, on
this All Saint’s Sunday. We’ve considered
Joseph as a call to more from negative-worst case scenario kind of thinking to
taking on a positive attitude. Ruth
brought to us the message of taking on an attitude of faithful commitment to
God and one another.
Today I want us to
consider another adjustment. This adjustment
ties very closely to the last two, as in the story of Joseph we considered
those who were afraid to act because they just knew that the worst possible
outcome would happen. In Ruth’s story,
we talked about how nowadays when the going gets tough, everybody gets gone,
many of whom get gone because they are worried about what difficulties a
committed life might bring them—they “what if” themselves into non-action. What attitude is needed? We have to become people of courage.
What does courage look
like? Consider John McLoughlin and
William Jimeno, two of the many men and women of courage who on 9/11 risked
their lives to enter the World Trade Center to recuse those still alive as the
buildings were on fire, offer us an example of what courage looks like. These are folks that stepped up and put their
lives on the line for the sake of others.
However, I noted that we
were considering Biblical examples of faith.
When considering courageous individuals in the Bible, there are many
from which to choose. It is interesting,
though, that as I discussed with some the attitude that I was going to address
this week, that colleagues and members of the congregation almost all thought I
was going to use the same example for courage—David, as he stood up to Goliath.
While I will admit that
David is a typical example of courage…and his courageous act saved Israel from
being subject to the Philistines, that is not the direction I wanted to go, as
you could tell from this morning’s reading.
As an example of courage, as great, if not greater than David, we find Mary.
Mary, the mother of
Jesus, not considered by many to be an example of courage, but consider the
whole picture.
Who was Mary? By most accounts, Mary was a young teenage
virgin. She had been promised to Joseph,
a well-known carpenter whose family roots tied him to the town of Bethlehem. They would be wed and she would be the bride
of a well-respected tradesman. A good
comfortable life all lined up for Mary’s future…until…until…the angel, Gabriel,
came to visit her. Gabriel announces to
Mary that she is going to become pregnant and that her son, whom she will call
Jesus, will be great. He will ascend to
the throne and reign forever, as the Son of the Most High, fulling the covenant
promised made to his ancestor David.
After questioning the biological particulars and learning how she will
come to find herself expecting, she makes the courageous statement, “Here I am,
the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” She makes the courageous decision to
surrender herself over to the will and plan of God.
What makes Mary’s
surrender an act of courage?
Consider if you will what
Mary’s willingness to bear a child would mean under normal circumstances, what
it means for any woman to bear a child…going all the way back to Genesis…the consequence
of Eve’s sin that every Jewish woman would know, as mother passed on the
knowledge to her daughters. God’s words to Eve, “I will greatly increase your
pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children….”.[i]
In even the most normal of circumstances, Mary’s agreement to become the mother
of Jesus was an agreement to willingly endure the pain of childbirth….and all
the ways that pregnancy impacts every woman…was an act of courage in and of
itself. Just as any woman out there that
has experienced pregnancy and childbirth.
Yet Mary’s surrender was
much more courageous than that, for her surrender was more like those men
walking into the World Trade Center than we might even imagine. They entered knowing that there was a strong
likelihood they would never get out—Mary entered this pregnancy knowing that
there was a great possibility she might not see it through to the end…for more
than Mary’s waistline, eating habits, and hormonal influenced emotions were
about to change.
Consider Mary having to
confront her family with this pregnancy.
Were she to tell them as soon as she got home they might write her off
as crazy…for no one gets pregnant outside of the normal biological
methods. Were she to wait to tell them
when it became obvious…who would believe her?
She would be cast out of her family as a fornicator. Her family would have to dismiss her, to
embrace and accept her apparent sin, would bring shame upon the family.
Consider the implications
to her betrothal to Joseph. When he would
find out, as we see confirmed in the Gospel of Matthew, he would not come to
the rescue, he would call off the marriage.
Were it not for Joseph receiving his on angelic visit, the marriage
would have never taken place.
Consider the implications
for Mary within the community. There
were two choices the community would have when learning that Mary was pregnant
outside of wedlock. They could choose to
cast her out of the community as an act of grace, or they could choose to
uphold the Law and stone her to death, meaning that not only would she die, but
the child she was carrying would never see the light of day.
All of this would have
entered Mary’s mind as she spoke those courageous words “Here I am.” She considered the cost and committed herself
to God…no cowering in fear, no “what if” questioning of the angel, no
suggesting that God find someone else, no questioning of her ability to carry
through, no excuses…just her courageous commitment—and because of her
courageous commitment, not a few lives were saved, but she birthed salvation
into the world.
So what does Mary’s
courage mean for us? It is to be our inspiration when God presents us with an
opportunity to respond?
What is our response when
we are asked to teach as Sunday School class, lead a group, take part in our
worship service, or serve on a committee?
Do we hesitate or decline because we are afraid to speak in front of
folks, we are worried about not being able to say the right thing, or what folks
will think of us if we mess up?
What is our response when
asked to financially support the ministry of the church? Do we worry what making a commitment will cost
us? Are we concerned that we might not
have enough to support ourselves? Do we
fear that rainy day that might or might not come?
When out in public, are
we willing to profess our faith openly, praying over our meals in a restaurant,
calling someone out who is telling a racist, sexist, or otherwise crude joke, or
taking a stand against immorality in whatever way it presents itself? Or do we fearfully remain silent, afraid of
being ridiculed, made fun of, or made an outcast?
When presented with an
opportunity to engage in missions how do we respond? Do we hesitate or decline, worried that we
might find ourselves in a dangerous situation—having to put ourselves at risk
of injury, illness, or even death?
Mary’s courage is a call
for us to be courageous. The people of
God are not people who are to cower in fear.
We are not called to “what if” ourselves into inaction. Disciples are not to suggest God get someone
else. We are called to consider the cost
and say to God, “Here I am.”
We are to be Noah standing
before the ark.
We are to be Moses
standing before the Red Sea.
We are to be Esther
exposing Haman.
We are to be David standing
in front of Goliath.
We are to be Nathan confronting
David
We are to be the woman hemorrhaging
walking into the crowd that declares her unclean.
We are to be the woman at
the well evangelizing the community who had cast her out.
We are to be Stephen
facing the stone wielding masses.
We are to be Mary,
preparing to bear the salvation of the world.
We, my brothers and
sisters, are to be the courageous people of God, our words and our actions
saying to God, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord…”
In the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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