Boy, oh boy, do I have good news for you!

James Moore takes the story of Mary from the first chapter of Luke and lets her speak to us about accepting the call of God on her life. He reminds us of the many Christmas pageants that we have witnessed. In these pageants, Mary is portrayed as a young woman that has been addressed by an angel and is prepared to become the mother of Jesus. She takes all this in a matter of fact way. A little startled, but accepting of the situation. The background for the story is a little more complicated than that. I loved the story of the boy that is to play the Christmas angel proclaiming the Good News. I think that Mary may have deviated from the script, also. It is good that she has a cousin, Elizabeth, in a similar situation. One is a teenage girl pregnant and not married. The other is a postmenopausal woman that is pregnant long after her child bearing years have past. Each is destined to be a part of a major event in the history of humankind. Neither is quite sure what is going on, but they become willing particiapants. Most folk don't have angels visiting and being active participants in family planning. Elizabeth's son is to become the herald for the coming of the Messiah. Mart's son is to be the Messiah. Through these angelic visits, God is preparing for a seismic shift in history. As they meet and visit, they try to make some sense of their roles. Moore talks about Mary's unflinching faith. He reminds us of the song, Mary, Did You Know?" Each Christmas, I marvel at the words of that song as it is sung. I know that the angel told her what was taking place, but how could she, a teenager, know the magnitude of her place in history. How could she have any concept of who Jesus would really be? In the hundreds of years since God made the covenant with Abraham, the hope of the Nation of Israel had been the coming of a Messiah. That was then. This is now. Boy, of boy have I got good news for you! Moore tells us that it was probably not all happiness and light for Mary and Joseph. He reminds us of the human side of the community. Snide remark, gossip, crude jokes and all the things that we as humans can do when we disbelieve. The leadership that got wind of the Messiah coming in the form of a baby from a "common" girl. The pressure on Joseph to "do the right thing" and put Mary out of the community. Moore asks us who in their right mind could accept such an explanation of what was going on? Mary has heard prophecies that a Messiah will come and lead the nation. God, now, asks her to be an active part of that happening. "I am the handmaid of the Lord." she says. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his book, The Cost Of Discipleship, states, "...only he who believes is obedient, and on he who is obedient believes." I believe that Mary epitomizes that statement. She has been a believer in God's word and now is willing to be a part of that word. The angel did not spell out the details of the events that were to follow. Mary was simply told that God needed her to do as she was asked. All of us have had someone like Elizabeth. At least, I hope we have. Elizabeth must have reassured Mary from the perspective of an abundance of life's experiences; that, God had carried the Nation of Israel through many trials. Now, God would carry her through this. Read Moore's story on pages 98 & 99 as he gives us an example of the role of positive reinforcement that Elizabeth played in Mary's time of preparation. Each of us is called upon to be the encourager for someone. Is God any less persistent than the father seeking his son in the rubble of an Armenian earthquake? For Mary and Elizabeth, there must have been days of pain and heartache as they watched their sons carry out God's mission to save humankind from itself. Moore closes with this statement, " We see the miracle of Christmas in the faith of Mary and in the encouragement of Elizabeth, but most of all, we see it in the saving action of God." Like Joey said, "Boy, oh boy, have I got good news for you!!" Believe it.