Introduction

In this Advent sermon, Revd. Mark Fletcher explores Mary’s remarkable response to God’s life-changing call. Through her story in Luke 1:26-38, we discover what it truly means to pray “thy will be done”—surrendering our plans, embracing uncertainty, and taking our place in God’s purposes, even when the cost seems great.

They say that God loves us just the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way. But the truth is none of us really likes change very much. It doesn’t come easily and we often think we would rather be left just as we are. But to be caught up in the purposes of God means that we will never be the same again.

And this advent as we are returning to where it all began to the start of the story, we remember the events which change not only the world but the lives of ordinary people. So we begin in Nazareth. A dusty, wind swept, backwater town in the hill country of Galilee. Little more than a village and a long way from anywhere.

And in fact, people would go on to say, can anything good come from Nazareth. And their lives a young girl from a traditional family and her life is set. She is engaged to be married by a man, probably quite a bit older than she is, a marriage that would’ve been arranged by her parents and that would’ve been her life. And it’s a good life.

But this is where the Gospel of Luke begins. This story begins with a simple peasant girl, but she’s a girl with a name and what’s her name? It’s Mary. And she’s given agency and choice and she has a foundational place in the story of God’s redemption. And in an ancient patriarchal culture, do not underestimate the significance of that.

Her name is Mary. And it is such a shame, you know that in all of the kind of theological disputes about the place of Mary and the church and in our relationship with Jesus, that we’ve slightly lost touch with this most wonderful, fascinating, inspiring, heroine of faith. And her story begins with a divine intervention.

An angel is sent to her and says, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured, the Lord is with you.” Now don’t forget, she is just a teenager and her response is kind of brilliant. You can hear that she’s a teenager, actually. You know, most people are kind of overwhelmed and terrified by the appearance of an angel.

Mary is frightened, but she is undaunted. Verse 29 says, Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Can you see that there’s a sort of strength of character there? Almost a defiance, a willingness to say, what exactly are you asking of me? And she’s right to be wary because this is a bigger deal than anyone could begin to comprehend.

The message isn’t just that she’s going to have a child significant enough as that would’ve been, but verse 31, it says, “You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him the name Jesus, and he will be great, and he will be called the son of the most high. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his Father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever and his kingdom will never end.”

Can you hear? It’s almost too much to take in. The angel is almost breathless with excitement about what is happening. That this child that Mary is to bear will be the culmination of the whole story of God to this point. That statement was peppered with hugely significant references to massive Old Testament stories.

So his name shall be Jesus. And did you know that that’s the same name as Joshua? You remember Joshua from the Old Testament? The one who saved his people and brought them into the Promised Land. And this Jesus will be a greater Joshua. And he will sit upon Great King David’s throne, the greatest of the Old Testament kings.

And yet this king will be greater even than him. And he will be called the son of God and he will reign over God’s people forever. Isn’t it astonishing statement that the angel makes? But never forget this is just a girl and that’s all very well, but what will this mean for her? Because of course it will change her life forever.

Whatever plans she had are gone. Whatever she thought her life was going to look like, it’s not going to look like that. Whatever she was hoping for, perhaps a simple life, an ordinary family, the wedding that she was planning; all her plans for the future are now changed. And then there’s the obvious problem, verse 34. She says, “How will this be since I’m a virgin?” And more than that, what’s her future husband going to say? What will her family and her community think? You can see, can’t you, that to be caught up in the purposes of God may sound exciting, but it often means discomfort not fitting in, notoriety, even shame.

And there is a choice to be made. We can say no to God. Mary could have said no to God. In fact, have you often stopped to think how often we do say no to God? Or we say to him, only on my terms. You can have these parts of my life but this part is off limits. Thy will be done as long as it’s not too uncomfortable or embarrassing or costly.

It’s an amazing thing to think, isn’t it? That the God of the universe asks us to join in with him in his astonishing plans of redemption. And we say, well, okay, but here are my terms and conditions.

Are we willing to let go of what we want, of what we think is best for our lives, for something infinitely greater? And so this heroine of faith, this courageous young woman utters what might be one of the most important lines in the gospel story. Verse 38, she says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your words to me be fulfilled.”

Mary says, yes to God. She says, I am the Lord’s servant. She is able to put down her desire to be in control. She has made the choice about who she is going to serve. She’s not serving her own interests or the expectations of her community or her family. She says yes to God. And she says, may your word be fulfilled.

She says, may, your will be done. This is the choice for all of us. Are we those who say my will be done? Or are we those who say thy will be done? And the choice she makes as a result of this, she becomes the central figure in this turning point of history. But I’m struck that like Mary, each of us is called to make a choice.

I can’t promise that you’ll get to see an angel. I can’t promise that you’ll have a role as significant as Mary. But we are asked to choose to take our place in the purposes of God, and we have a choice to make. God invites you to choose who you are serving and whose will you are seeking. Mary says yes to God, despite all that she doesn’t understand.

And our yes to God may well mean that our lives change forever. It might mean difficulty, discomfort, or even notoriety. But it will change us for the better in ways that we can’t yet imagine. Where will this take Mary? Well, you know, the journey that she goes on, you know, where she finds herself at the very foot of the cross.

As a great prophet says to her that a sword will pierce her heart too. She enters all of the wonder and the sorrow of God’s purposes, but she has a central place. Change is life and change is good. Don’t be afraid of it. Can you say along with Mary, I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.

Where do you need to say yes to God in your life? So this is where the story begins with a remarkable, courageous young woman who chooses to be part of God’s story despite the cost. And she becomes a central figure in the greatest story of all. The invitation to you and I is to take our place in that same story and as Christmas unfolds all around us, we remember that this is not a spectator sport.

This is something each of us is invited to be part of. Shall be still, shall we enter the presence of God. And ask him to lay upon our hearts those choices that we need to make.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for Mary, for a wonderful person, for her courage and her faith. Lord, help us to delight and to celebrate in who she is and to be inspired too. May we, like her, say yes to your purposes. Even if that’s difficult, may we be part of your will that we might see your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.