Luke 1:26-38 Mary Says Yes Lord

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

In this passage we learn about Mary's total surrender to God's will. Here the Angle Gabriel presents her with a difficult situation, being pregnant with someone else' child. Joseph could have easily dismissed her or accused her publicly of adultery. Her family and the towns people would have been scandalized. Yet Mary agrees and says "May it be done to me according to your word." This is a reminder to all of us that when one serves God it requires total surrendering of the self. Selfishness must give way to the Word Incarnate, God's active agent in the world. We must be like Mary and say "Yes Lord".

Luke 1:5-25 Elizabeth's conception reminds us of God's abounding love

In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.

Once when he was serving as priest
in his division's turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord."

Then Zechariah said to the angel,
"How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."
And the angel said to him in reply,
"I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.

Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others."

This passage is often read one week prior to Christmas. Here we see the celebration of the faith of Elizabeth being contrasted with the lack of faith from Zechariah. Elizabeth's conception reminds us of stories from Abraham when his wife was old a barren. It was through God's help that Abraham was able to have a son. Here Elizabeth gives birth to John the Baptist, the forerunner to the messiah. John is described as someone who will bring people to God. He will not eat nor drink but be filled with the Holy Spirit. We can't help but be reminded that John is often compared to Jesus and yet both of them lead people to God. It is very likely the historical John the Baptizer was well known during the time of Jesus because not only is his ministry mentioned multiple times in the gospels, he is even enshrined in two independent birth narratives.  Let us celebrate the mystery that is God and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:26-38 Mary Mother of God "May it be done to me according to your word"

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

In this passage we see how God came to Mary and called her to be the theotokos, the god bearer. Mary's response "May it be done to me according to your word" is a very profound response because she makes herself an instrument of God. She totally surrenders herself to God's will. Here in this passage we are reminded of God's amazing powers and the parallels between this call story and the call of Abraham. Elizabeth, like Abraham's wife was barren and then conceived in old age.  Mary, like Abraham fully responds to God's call even though, by following God's call, both Mary and Abraham are placed in a difficult situation. So let us remember that when God calls, we must respond like Mary and allow God enter our hearts and God will provide.

Matthew 1:1-17 Jesus, Descendent of the House of David, Messiah

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,
whose mother was Tamar.
Perez became the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz,
whose mother was Rahab.
Boaz became the father of Obed,
whose mother was Ruth.
Obed became the father of Jesse,
Jesse the father of David the king.
David became the father of Solomon,
whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.
Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asaph.
Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Uzziah.
Uzziah became the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amos,
Amos the father of Josiah.
Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers
at the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile,
Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.
Abiud became the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor the father of Zadok.
Zadok became the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.
Thus the total number of generations
from Abraham to David
is fourteen generations;
from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;
from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,
fourteen generations.

In this passage we see that Matthew focuses on Jesus` relationship to the great patriarchs of Judaism. Here we see his connection to the house of David, his connection to Abraham, Isac, and Solomon.  Here another interesting note is that Mary is mentioned in reference to Joseph. Normally it would not be necessary to note Mary at all but Joseph is defined not as related to David but described as the husband of Mary.

Jn 5:33-36 John the Baptist is like a burning and shining lamp

 
Jesus said to the Jews:
"You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being,
but I say this so that you may be saved.
John was a burning and shining lamp,
and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's.
The works that the Father gave me to accomplish,
these works that I perform testify on my behalf
that the Father has sent me."

Here we see Jesus celebrates John's role as the forerunner of the Messiah and then explains that it is not through words but deeds that prove he is the Messiah. His focus is on "works" reminds us that in the Gospel of John, people are brought to faith through works. In this passage we are also reminded that John the Baptist helps illuminate the Kingdom of God.

Luke 7:24-30 Who is John the Baptist? "More than a Prophet"

When the messengers of John the Baptist had left,
Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.
"What did you go out to the desert to see a reed swayed by the wind?
Then what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in fine garments?
Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously
are found in royal palaces.
Then what did you go out to see?
A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom Scripture says:

Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
he will prepare your way before you.

I tell you,
among those born of women, no one is greater than John;
yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."
(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors,
who were baptized with the baptism of John,
acknowledged the righteousness of God;
but the Pharisees and scholars of the law,
who were not baptized by him,
rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

Today's passage reminds us of the importance of John the Baptist, Forerunner of Christ. John holds a precious place in the Gospels. M. Stienhouser believes that John actually ministered with Jesus and they baptized together prior to Jesus' individual ministry. In this passage we see that John the Baptist has stayed away from urban areas and did not dress in fine garments nor did he live sumptuously. This is why some scholars believe John the Baptist may have been associated with the Essenes Community.

Luke 7:18b-23: Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?

 At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
"Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
"John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'"
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
"Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."

In this passage we see a genuine question being asked of Jesus. During Jesus' time this must have been a hot topic because it is asked in Luke exactly word for word twice. Here, like in the other synoptic gospels, there is some confusion as to who is Jesus' identity. Disciples from John the Baptist's community appear to be wondering if Jesus is the Messiah and what his relationship is to John the Baptist. Here Jesus makes it very clear, he is curing the blind, raising the dead, and cleansing the sick. In other words he is the messiah as depicted in the Old Testament. The reason this passage is often used in Advent is because, John the Baptist, is the forerunner to the messiah. During Advent we are not only preparing for the Birth of Jesus, we are preparing for Jesus to return in glory in the Escaton.

Matthew 21:28-32 Parable of the Two Sons: When God calls, We Must Respond

 
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
The son said in reply, 'I will not,'
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

In today's passage we are reminded that we are called to be holy and righteous at all times. So often we say we pray for the poor and that we pray for those who have nothing but how often do we do something about it? Christ calls us to be holy both on the inside and outside. We cannot say one thing and do another. Like the first son, we must respond to God fully and answer God's call with an open heart even if we don't like the direction we are sent. We must be very careful not to be like the second son and only paying lip service to our Lord.  

Luke 1:26-38: May it be done to me according to your word

 The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

In this passage we see Mary's unbelievable virtue of faith. Here Mary totally surrenders herself to be the Theotokos, the God bearer. Mary's self surrender is a model for us all. "May it be done to me according to your word" should resonate with us because God's word is really God's active agent of change. This word is Jesus Christ. May the Lord give us the strength to say yes to God no matter the consequences.

Matthew 7:21, 24-27: Blessed is the man who builds his house on solid rock

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

In this passage we are reminded that following Christ does not mean simply saying we believe. Following Christ means serving the will of the Father. Christ is the incarnation of the Father. Christ is the word made flesh. If we do not see God's will in Christ's message we miss the point. Christ is the visible sign of God's love for us. So not only are we called to follow God's will, God demands it from us so that we can make the Kingdom of God a reality. Like the man who builds his house on solid rock, so too shall we invest our time in God's kingdom rather than building our own.