“A Christmas Carol”
Sermon Presented December 20, 2009
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Luke 1:39-55
Joint Service with Korean Presbyterian Church
Last week I saw the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s production of “A Christmas Carol”. This familiar and timeless story by Charles Dickens came alive to me again that evening. However, Dickens’ story and the familiar and beloved Christmas carols that we sing with gusto at this time of the year, are secondary to a Christmas carol composed thousands of years ago. That carol is one sung by Mary as she contemplates the birth of her first born son. Before Mary sang it, it was sung by an elderly woman named Hannah when she learned she would have a son – her first child. Please hear this carol anew as I read from the first chapter of Luke’s gospel, verses 39-55. As you may recall, the aged Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, is pregnant with her first child, too.
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Just as Jesus drew upon the familiar words of Psalm 22 – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – when he was on the cross, Mary draws from her knowledge of scripture when words originally ascribed to Hannah are placed in her heart and on her lips, and she offers these words to God. When she sings, she sings more than she understands.
I read recently that the government of Guatemala banned this song, or prayer, during the 1980’s. Unlike “Away in a Manger,” this hymn is not a sweet lullaby, but a hymn that was apparently considered subversive and politically dangerous. Authorities worried that it might incite the oppressed people of Guatemala to riot. (John Ortburg, Christian Century, December 15, 2009, p. 20)
Mary begins her carol with words of praise and gratitude and then goes on to note that God has brought down rulers from their thrones. This is where the hymn becomes subversive. The Roman ruler at that time was Herod the Great – given the title “King of the Jews” by the Roman senate decades earlier. (Ibid)
While Herod grew wealthy – his subjects became more destitute. Herod knew people hated him, so he supposedly had 70 elite Jewish citizens imprisoned with orders that they would be executed on the day of his death so that there would be tears in Israel that day instead of celebration. He was powerful – and evil! (Ibid)
And into this scene, Mary sings that God has scattered those who are proud in their thoughts. God brings down rulers and sends the rich away empty. I’m sure this Jewish peasant girl had no understanding of just how subversive her child would be. But she did understand that the world had everything wrong and God was about to change things.
Our world says: blessed are the beautiful, the brilliant, the wealthy, the successful, the powerful, and the athletic. Blessed is Herod! But Mary sings a different song. She understands that God will turn everything upside down. And her son does just that! When he sings his song, we hear these words: Blessed are the poor, the hungry, and the meek. During his lifetime, Jesus never outfoxed Herod, but he did out-love him. God began turning everything upside down, and this reversal began with an unwed mother and her baby! (Ibid)
Today, we are given a song to sing. It won’t be Mary’s song, or Hannah’s song but it will be a song tailor made to us. And if I understand the Christian faith correctly, our song will also be subversive and counter-cultural. For this reason, the world may try to silence our song, but sing it we must. Hum it through your tears if that’s all you can do. Just sing!
12/20/2009
