Revised and condensed from 2004. Alexander James Laue and Nicholas
Thomas Laue are confirmed.
---------------------------------------------------------
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit
The one saint that makes a Lutheran squirm in his pew more than any
other is Mary. Why? Mary is an uncomfortable saint because of how other
Christian communions deal with her. Some go as far to say she is
“co-redemptrix”, one who is equal with Christ in His work of redemption.
Others advocate prayer to her in order that she can pray with us. Some
just come right out and say that prayer to Mary is as good as prayer to
God. You shouldn’t stop praying to God the Father through Jesus Christ,
but it doesn’t hurt to ask for a little help in pleading your case. A
well-meaning Roman Catholic several months ago told me what I just told you.
We Lutherans are right when we say praying to Mary for a little extra
help is wrong. God alone receives all the glory for salvation. But if we
push Mary off to the side so much that we say that Mary was a mere
vessel of birth, that she happened to be the right person in the right
place at the right time, then we are also in error…an equal and opposite
error to the Roman Catholic error just mentioned.
Mary is a big deal. There is something about Mary that’s worth thanking
God. The Holy Spirit implanted the Word made flesh in her womb in order
that she would give birth to the Son of God. Hence the time-honored
Christian name for Mary: Mother of God. Our Symbolic Books call her
that. Most ancient Christian teachers call her that. So should we:
Mother of God. God in flesh came into the world through Mary. No wonder
she cries out my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in
God my Savior.
Mary falls in the line of faithful women whom God showed favor. Sarah
was told she would bear a son in her old age. She laughs at the prospect
of bearing a child as an elderly woman. God turns her laughter of
unbelief into laughter of joy when she bears Isaac, the laughing boy.
Hannah’s womb was closed. Her husband’s other wife and all the family
mocked Hannah because she could not bear children. God heard her prayers
and gave her a son, Samuel. When Samuel was born, Hannah broke out in
song much like Mary does. Mary must have known the story of Hannah
because what Mary sings and what Hannah sings are quite similar. Both
women sing of God’s grace and mercy to them and to all His children.
Hannah and Mary also share one other important thing. Both women were
sinners. If Mary was sinless, then she would know why the angel Gabriel
says to her rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed
are you among women! Mary is troubled by Gabriel’s words. She considered
the situation in light of who she really was. She could have stopped
Gabriel and reminded him that she was a sinful woman who did not deserve
an angelic visit. Instead of stopping the angel, she listens. Gabriel
brings good news of great joy just as would bring good news of great joy
to shepherds watching their flocks by night outside Bethlehem.
The following words from Gabriel change Mary’s life and ours too. Do not
be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name
JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and
the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be
no end.
What’s a young virgin to do in this situation? What would you do? Would
you brag? Would you call your neighbors and say, “God loves me more than
you! He asked me to bear the Son of God! I’m more blessed than you are!
The angel told me so! Start praying to me! I’m somebody!” How many of us
wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to brag about the great things God is
doing to you. After all, your womb will be the tabernacle of the Lord.
He will pitch His tent there before He exits your womb and pitches His
tent among us.
Bragging isn’t the reason Mary sings. Here’s why Mary sings: Behold the
maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. This is
not merely the voice of a young virgin. This is the Holy Spirit speaking
through her in faith responding to God’s graciousness on her behalf.
Mary is nothing. Now she is something because God chose her out of His
divine goodness and mercy. You are something too. God shows favor to you
as He does to Mary because before the foundation of the world God chose
you to be His precious child. God chose you to receive the benefits of
Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. He chose you to wash clean of sin
in Baptism. He chose you to learn of His mercy in studying God’s Word
and Luther’s Small Catechism. He chose you to hear forgiveness and life
in preaching. He chose you to eat and drink His Son’s Body and Blood.
God chose you out of pure grace. You didn’t do a thing to receive it
except believe, just as Mary believed.
Alex and Nick, God chose you both before the foundation of the world. He
has brought you to this time and place to speak of your salvation. This
past Wednesday you confessed how you were saved before the elders and
before me. Today you will promise that you will remain steadfast in the
faith you confessed the other night until death, in order to receive the
crown of everlasting life. Our prayer for you today is for God’s
blessings upon both your lives. We pray that you won’t give up the good
habit of coming to God’s House. We pray that His Word continues to
strengthen you to life everlasting. You have received a priceless
treasure in your baptism. Today you receive the priceless treasure of
the Lord’s Supper for the first time. Our prayer is that today won’t be
the last time you receive the Lord’s Supper.
Mary’s song is our song, even yours, Alex and Nick. Poor in sin we are
now rich in grace. Merciless in death, Jesus has mercy on us and gives
us forgiveness and life. Mary is full of grace not because she is Mary.
We are not full of grace because of who we are. We are full of grace as
Mary is because Jesus knows our names. He will call out our names on
Judgment Day so we may join Him in heaven with all who have gone before
us in the faith, even Mary. There is something about Mary and her song.
She can’t help but rejoice that God chose her to bear His only Son
according to the flesh.
God has created a noble woman in the Mother of God. Let not our hearts
cleave to her, but through her penetrate to Christ and to God Himself.
Blessed are you, Saint Mary, among women, and blessed is the fruit of
your womb, Jesus, for we eat this fruit not to eternal death, but to
eternal life.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit
--
Rev. David M. Juhl
Our Savior Evangelical-Lutheran Church
Momence, IL
http://oselcmomence.googlepages.com
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