Theme: You are chosen so do not be afraid of the future.

In the Bible, we first meet Mary when she was a young girl of about thirteen. For us, that means we picture a budding young girl, perhaps in seventh or even eighth grade in school. In sixth grade they are young girls; in eighth grade they have become young women. In other words, Mary was just starting to become a young woman.  She was just beginning to go through that change within her whereby she would be able to give birth to a child. This was a very exciting time for her. Women would come to Mary and say, “Mary, we hear that you have become a young woman.  When are you going to get engaged, Mary?” Or  “When is your father, Joachim, going to make arrangements for you?” Her older siblings and aunts would tease and taunt her because she had matured to that very delicate time in life when she had become a young woman and was eligible for engagement.

Mary’s father arranged for his daughter to be engaged to a young carpenter by the name of Joseph. Their engagement lasted for one year. During this year that Mary and Joseph were engaged or betrothed, they prepared for their wedding, just as a young couple would prepare for their wedding and marriage.

How did Mary prepare for her wedding and marriage? By sewing. Mary sewed the dishcloths, washcloths and towels. She sewed all her clothes for the wedding and marriage. She was focused on preparing for that day.

Joseph, on the other hand, was a typical Jewish man.  What would Joseph do to prepare for the wedding day? By building. A typical Jewish man would prepare their future house. He would build the furniture, the house, and make those kinds of preparations. Joseph became a carpenter by trade.

Also, during their engagement, the couple would become acquainted, being building their relationship and start to fall in love with each other.

Jewish law took their engagement seriously. The Jewish law said that if Joseph died, Mary would be a widow. If she died, he would be a widower. If they separated, it was called a divorce.

In our Biblical resources such as the Gospel of Luke, young teenage Mary was visited by an angel, Gabriel. Gabriel was a messenger from God. Gabriel said, “Hail, favored one of Israel. The Lord is with you.”

Mary didn’t know what to make of it; she was puzzled, worried, and afraid.

The angel continued, “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God.” We could stop the sermon right here, if we wanted to.  We have heard the Gospel in two statements. “Do not be afraid, Mary. Do not be afraid of your future.” The very nature of fear is to be afraid of the future, what is going to happen to us or loved ones. Fear of the future. Of disease, death, lack of income. And God says, “Don’t be afraid of your future.” That is gospel for you and me. We are not be afraid of our future.

Then we hear a second line, “I God will be with you. You have found favor with God, Mary.” Instead of Mary, substitute your own name. Larry, Pat, John, Jean. You have found favor with God and God is with you. Elsewhere in the Bible, God says, “Do not be afraid for I am with you wherever you go.” What good news that is for each one of us, to know that God is with us.

The angel went on to say, “You have found favor with God, Mary, because you are to give birth to the Messiah, the Anointed one.”  All young Jewish girls had the dream that they may become the mother of the Messiah.

And Mary questioned, “Me? I am only engaged. I am not married yet. I don’t have a husband yet. I don’t do that hanky-panky outside of marriage. To get pregnant like that is punishable by death. I don’t have a husband. I am engaged, that is all.” 

Then the angel said to her, “The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Holy Spirit will be like a shadow over you.”

When Luke said, the Holy Spirit will shadow over you; that same word was used in Genesis in the creation story in Genesis 1:1. The Holy Spirit shadowed over the waters before the beginning of time, and God created life in those waters. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is now shadowed over Mary and created life in her. What is the bigger miracle? The Spirit over the waters in Genesis and God created life? Or the Spirit over the womb of Mary, creating life. Both are miracles. Miraculously, the Spirit created life over the waters in creation and the Spirit created life in Mary. 

Mary was overwhelmed, but the messenger was not done speaking, “You know what? Your old Aunt Elizabeth is pregnant. With God, nothing is impossible. God did the impossible in Creation. God did the impossible in your old Aunt Lizie. And God did the impossible in you, Mary. God does the impossible all the time. ” With God, nothing is impossible. We could stop right here for we again have heard the gospel. With your life and mine, nothing is impossible.

The messenger left and Mary said, “Lord, I am your handmaiden, your servant. Let it be to me according to your word. Do with my life and my body what you want to do.” She believed the message. Martin Luther said that the only miracle greater than the virgin birth was the miracle that Mary believed.

The angel left.  What were Mary’s feelings? Who knows? Fear? Excitement? Incomprehension? Mary didn’t really know what happened to her. She was wondering if all of this was true and so she went to the land of Judah to look for old Aunt Elizabeth. She found her old auntie, and sure enough, her old auntie was starting to expand. Her old auntie was looking pregnant, that was for sure. Aunt Elizabeth looked at Mary and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb. You are most blessed and you have believed God’s Word to you.” The baby in her belly kicked her a good one as if to join the celebration. And Mary? Mary exploded in a song of happiness, “My soul praises the Lord, for God is my salvation.  I am so happy in God, my savior.”

There is something I want you to remember about Mary,  something very significant and life changing. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had the audacity to believe that God had chosen her.  She said, “Do with my life as you want to.”  She had the audacity to believe that God had chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah.

Mary didn’t say like Moses, “Well, I am not good enough; God, get someone who can talk better.”

Nor was Mary like Zechariah, “Lord, give me a sign. Prove it to me and then I will believe.” 

Mary simply believed that God chose her.  Because she believed, she was able to put into effect what God had chosen her to do.

I believe that as God chose Mary, a common and ordinary person, God has also chosen you and me, common and ordinary people. I believe that you are seated here in this congregation today because God has chosen you. God has chosen to use your life in God’s mission for the world. I know that God has chosen me and God certainly didn’t choose me because of my abilities. God chose me because God is gracious. God chose my life for a purpose, and I don’t have to ask God what the purpose of my life is, what the mission of my life is, or what I am supposed to do. I simply know. And I simply know that God has a purpose for your life as well.

God has chosen you to be an instrument to carry Jesus Christ into the world. God has also chosen me, and through me, I go out into the world and I am to be the loving presence of Jesus Christ. I am not carrying Jesus Christ physically in my womb or uterus.  I am carrying Jesus Christ in my heart, but I am carrying Christ just as Mary did. I carry Christ out into the world. I am the loving presence of Jesus Christ in my world, and God has chosen you to do that. You are a chosen person.  If you have the audacity to believe that God has chosen you, you know that God is doing God’s work through you. You too are a carrier of Christ, just as Mary, his mother, was. Like Mary, you are an instrument of God’s.  You do not need to be afraid of the future.

Further, I firmly believe that God has not only chosen you individually, but that God has chosen congregations to accomplish some good works of love on Christ’s behalf. I do not believe it is an accident that we are now together as a pastor and people. God has brought us together to do a mission, to do a ministry together.  I believe that God has several great tasks for this congregation to do. If you would dare to believe that, just as Mary dared to believe that in her own life.  If you dare to believe that God has some significant missions for your individual life and our congregational life together, fantastic things will start to happen in the life of this congregation. Fantastic things will start to happen in our individual lives if you dare to believe that you are chosen.  Believe it and do not be afraid. 
Rev. Edward Markquart