The Flame of Christmas 2 – Mary a Flame of Hope
Imagine if you were told your entire life that you had the chance to change the world. If you heard prayers prayed over you asking God to bless you and bring the Messiah into the world through you. Jewish girls grew up saying those prayers and hoping beyond hope that if they were blessed with a son that he might be the king of Israel that would usher in a new world for Israel.
Mary grew up hearing those prayers and waiting to see what would become of her life. Her parents arrange a marriage with Joseph’s family. Everything is pushing forward for them to enjoy the rest of their lives together. She is planning, probably talking about it with her friends and relatives. There are dreams of a perfect ceremony and celebration and the years of raising kids and making a family together. Her heart is filled with a hope of a great future together. Then the bottom drops out.
One night an angel comes to Mary…here is the story from the book of Luke. “During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.“ But Mary was very startled by what the angel said and wondered what this greeting might mean. The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has shown you his grace. Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.“ Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I am a virgin?“ The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. For this reason the baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God. Now Elizabeth, your relative, is also pregnant with a son though she is very old. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months. God can do anything!“ Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!“ Then the angel went away.” Luke 1:26-38 (NCV)
The angel lays it all out for her and she has to decide what will happen next and for the rest of her life. Will her hope change from being in Joseph to being in this savior God is going to deliver through her. The angel tells her that out of all the Jewish girls who have prayed the prayer or made the wish she has been chosen to bring the Messiah to earth. Her hope is in this promise of a son who will save his people and have an eternal kingdom. He is the one that hope of Israel will be answered through. He will deliver them and bring peace to the nation.
That little flame of hope is ignited even more when Mary visits Elisabeth and finds that she is pregnant like the angel told her. Mary’s baby leaps in her womb and Elisabeth speaks about how blessed Mary is to be chosen by God. Elisabeth’s words could not do anything but stoke that fire in Mary’s heart. It stoked the hope in her but it still had to have a question or two about could all of this be true or not.
Then Mary has to go home and tell Joseph that she is pregnant. She has to explain that God has asked her to give the Messiah life. He has to choose what he will do with Mary when the angel comes and talks to him about this baby in Mary’s womb. Can you imagine their conversation as they compare notes on the whole angel story and appearance to them. It would have been crazy to hear them both talk and then that flame of hope in Mary’s heart is strengthened even more when Joseph says, “I’m in.” Her hope has to be growing with each step of the journey.
But then the wedding, or at least probably part of a wedding is celebrated. At this time couples who didn’t wait to consummate the wedding or are pregnant surely didn’t get the full blown celebration. After all it was a disgrace to the family if she was pregnant. After all everyone can do the wedding math. So I wonder if this put a damper on the flame. Was it just a flicker now as she carried the weight of being “one of that kind of woman.” It had to be hard to not be able to explain to the judging eyes that you were on a mission with God. But who would ever believe such a story?
Then the time comes for the baby, and of course the government gets involved. A census is ordered and at nine months Mary rides a donkey across the desert with Joseph. They arrive in Bethlehem and after a long search are allowed to sleep in a cave that housed animals. Surrounded by animals and probably strangers Mary delivers Jesus. Can’t you see her trying to gather herself after the birth when there is ruckus at the cave’s entrance? There are sheep and shepherds everywhere. They are telling a story of angels singing and telling of a baby that was to be born that night. He would be the savior of his people and they decide to go find this baby in Bethlehem. All of the sudden they find Mary and Jesus and start to celebrate. What has to be running through Mary’s mind? Then there it is that gentle wind that God sends to strengthen that flame. There are others in the next days that will speak to Mary about who her baby will become one day.
Hope grows within her heart throughout his life. The Bible says she often treasured things in her heart. Then there is that day she watches him die and that flame has surely begins to wither. On Sunday morning she goes to the tomb and it is empty. A little later she looks her son, her savior in the eyes. That flame of hope was now roaring with her heart. Eventually his brother James even became a true believer and helped spread the hope his mother experienced in her heart. Hope now had a name and it was Jesus.