Sermons

“Revolutionary Joy”
Isaiah 35; Luke 1:46-55 – Tesa Hauser
Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), La Mesa, California – December 15, 2019

Holy God bless the speaking and the hearing of these words that our hearts be filled with the joy of your work in the world. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

When I find myself stressed or sad, I go on YouTube and watch compilations of people sharing pregnancy announcements with their family and friends. I admit, there are times I end up crying of happiness and joy when I see the faces and hear the shouts of excitement that people have when they learn that someone they love is going to have a baby. I imagine that if this moment, if this song had been recorded, it would have been like one of those videos on YouTube. Mary, after finding out from the angel Gabriel that she was to miraculously have a child by God, visits her relative Elizabeth. Earlier in the chapter we learn Elizabeth is also pregnant, miraculously by God for she had not been able to get pregnant before. And upon hearing Mary’s greeting, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, who is John the Baptist, leaps for joy. Luke tells us that John the Baptist in his mother’s womb, knows the moment when Jesus arrives in Mary’s womb, and he leaps for joy. What a moment! Elizabeth responds by praising Mary for her faithfulness to God.
Mary then responds to all that has happened with a song of praise to God. The word Magnificat means “to glorify,” and it is the first word of her song in Greek. Mary is incredibly excited, she says “my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” The word soul and spirit can be used interchangeably here, but her repetition of the word signifies that all of Mary is excited, form the inside out, from head to toe, she is joyful. The rest of her song explains why she is joyful, for God has looked on “the humble estate of his servant” and from now on she will be called blessed from generation to generation. Mary’s song has two parts. In the first part, verses 46-50, she shares that she rejoices because of what God has done and is doing in her life, and in the second part, verses 50-55, she shares that she rejoices because of what God is going to do in the world.
Mary understands that the call on her life, the call to have Jesus, is the beginning of something new. You see, Mary is no one in this context. When Luke first introduces Mary in the chapter, we know her name, that she a virgin, who she going to be married to, and that person, Joseph, is from the house of David. Luke does not try to qualify why she was chosen by God through special virtues, her family’s status, or anything else that would have qualified her in her community or society. All we know is that Mary has found favor with God. That is the qualification for her calling, she has found favor with God. From Scripture, we know that many people who have found favor from God are well versed in the Law, in the Hebrew Scriptures, and they have been faithful followers of God. Her response to the angel and her song show this to be true.
Before the birth announcement to Mary, every other birth announcement had been to men, who almost always questioned God. In the same chapter, Zechariah is also visited by the angel Gabriel to tell him about John and he questions how it will be possible; even Abraham questioned God. Mary, however, doesn’t question God, her question is a practical question of how she will biologically become pregnant. She only knows one way of how babies are made, and that one way in her time requires being married, which she was not. The angel in response knows this because unlike the thunderous reprimand Zechariah receives, the angel says the Holy Spirit will overshadow you and you will become pregnant. This sounds insane, but then the angel qualifies his response by telling her that Elizabeth in her old age, unable to bear children, is pregnant as well, for nothing is impossible for God. And Mary, I’m paraphrasing here responds, “sounds good to me, I’m your gal.” Mary is much more proper in her response, but she faithfully on the only explanation given that God will make it happen, says “yes, I will serve God.”
Her song then explains why she has said yes, again it’s because of God. God has looked out for Mary, God has taken care of Mary, who is “nobody,” who does not matter, who does not have status, wealth, or power, God has done great things for her. God has looked down on Mary and given her an enormous task, an enormous job to fill, to someone who is typically seen as small and insignificant. Her “yes”, her giving birth to the son of God will shift the cosmos and inaugurate a new era; this event is great, it is extraordinary, I would even call it revolutionary. God in choosing Mary has made a grand statement, a revolutionary statement about role reversals in the world. This humble or lowly servant will now be exalted and called blessed from generation to generation.
The second part of Mary’s song begins in verse 51 where Mary continues to praise God for God’s faithfulness, acknowledging that God’s ways challenge the way things are in the world. It moves out from what God has done for Mary, to what God will do for the rest of the world as seen in God’s mercy and promise to Abraham. The second half of her song is prophetic, and she speaks of the future as already past. The language is past tense, but these prophetic verses show that Mary’s joy and hope are that God’s promises fulfilled, God’s faithfulness to the end, what God will do to restore and save humanity, has already begun in Mary’s womb. What God has done for her, for the person on the outskirts, the powerless, the lowly, God will do for the rest of society and creation at large. She says God has shown strength with God’s arm and has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. This language is from various Psalms where we see that God’s arm would save God’s people and “scatter” their enemies. Mary knows what God promised and believes God will fulfill God’s promise without question.
The next verses showcase dramatic reversals of power and that God cares for the least of these. The verses mention how the mighty will be brought down from their throne and those of lowly or humble estate will be exalted. Again, this has already begun with the choosing of Mary. Those who think they have the power, those who sit in their towers and thrones will be brought down. Those who think they are great will be reminded that they are not, for their greatness comes at a great expense to people and land. The backdrop for this song is during the reign of Herod the Great, the leader of Judea, in one of the greatest empires, Rome. This language is political, it is letting people know that though Herod and Rome are great now, they will not always be. Though they sit on literal thrones in their large palaces, in high places, they will be brought down and the humble will be exalted. Though political structures that are powerful and great now, that cage people, that allow sacred land to be dumped on by oil, that allow unclean drinking water to poison people for years, that allow the rich and powerful to buyout, that allow people to live without shelter or basic needs, will not always be. Who is singing Mary’s song at this moment? The immigrant, the indigenous peoples of this land, those poisoned by water, poor people, those living without homes, brown people, and black people, who have been oppressed will be exalted from their lowly estate.
Mary continues by saying that God will fill the hungry with good things, and the rich God has sent away empty. Those who have hungered for food, God will feed them; those who have hungered for love, God will fill their hearts with God’s love; those who have hungered to be seen, God will see them. However, the rich are not just the 1%, it is not those who have more than enough, but those who have enough. Who is singing Mary’s song at this moment? The immigrant, the indigenous peoples of this land, those poisoned by water, poor people, those living without homes, brown people, and black people, who have been oppressed will be filled with good things.
In Isaiah 35, we see this theme of God not leaving the world in bondage, drought, and oppression, but will make it right. The wilderness and desert will rejoice and sing when God will enable this fruitless and dry land to become fertile. It is God who will cause waters and streams to break forth from the land, and the weak and feeble will find their strength in God. All that has happened to the land, to the people, to Israel, will be restored and be made right by God. Verse four mentions God’s salvation and vengeance, and although vengeance has negative connotations, included in the word is the idea that God will right wrongs, will order chaos, will heal the sick, and will restore life. Life taken by those who are mighty and proud, those who believe they should be exalted will be brought down by the strong arm of God. The end of this chapter shows God making a way for restoration. Those who fear God will be united with God, and there will be singing, everlasting joy, and where sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Fearing God is following what God has for the world and means doing God’s work in the world. Mary feared God, Mary said yes to do God’s work in the world. The revolutionary act of God coming into this world, of the birth of Jesus, through a lowly woman will cause everlasting joy. The revolutionary acts of the strong being toppled and those who hunger, the poor, the powerless, the marginalized, exalted, and filled with good things will cause everlasting joy. Mary, one of the first disciples, first revolutionaries, feared God and was joyful about what God was doing through her, and what God was doing for creation. This revolutionary joy is the anticipation of this season, of the anticipation of the arrival of Christ in the world, Emmanuel, God with us, who will make all things right. This revolutionary act we will see continues in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This joy is unsettling and uncomfortable for us; may we remember Mary’s song as we continue to live out our lives fearing God. Let us humble ourselves to do the work of God in the world, the revolutionary work God has started in Jesus and will fulfill. Amen.