Hope Is Worth the Risk
Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:46-55
Both of this morning's passages involve tremendous risk. In Matthew's story about Joseph, he makes a risky choice to stay with Mary when dismissing her quietly would have kept him safe. Mary takes significant risks in saying yes to God's plan for humanity to bear for us the Messiah. Yet, something else lurks in the background of both risky decisions. Mary hopes in the angel's words. This lowly house servant hopes that this child she bears will become the world's Hope someday. Mary has Hope. Joseph hopes that what the angel tells him in a dream is true. Both of these essential figures choose Hope over cynicism. It is easier to be a cynic-one who believes people are motivated by selfishness and find it hard to believe in anything. But the world doesn't need more cynics these days. It needs people who have Hope, see the world and say, "It can be better," and work to bring that about. Let's look at Mary and Joseph's stories to see how they model hope for us.
Mary sings about Hope in God. God's Spirit led Mary in a song similar to one she probably knew of from her childhood faith- Hannah's song of Hope and thanksgiving for yet another miraculous birth from long ago.
The sung story of Hope that followed was one full of thanksgiving and anticipation, all from the context of faith. The song is divided into two parts: First comes a Thanksgiving to God. Mary makes the following statement at the beginning of her piece: "My soul magnifies the Lord." What does this mean? In this case, the Greek word for magnify is megalunei, meaning "makes greater." The root, "Megaluno," is the Greek word of origin for "Magnification." Wikipedia encyclopedia defines magnification as: "The process of enlarging something only in appearance, not in physical size." Magnification allows one to scale up visuals or images to see more detail, increasing resolution.
Mary's soul magnified the Lord. It helped those around her see that God was at work in the world. Her song increased the resolution of Hope in God, her status, and hope for the future. Mary sang this story of Hope in what God had done for her and what God had done, was doing, and would continue to do for the world. Through this song, God was magnified, and Hope was more present in the rest of the world.
Mary then expresses her gratitude to God for asking her to fulfill this role as the mother of the Messiah. The word for "handmaiden" is actually "bondservant," which comes from the Greek word doulos, meaning "one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of his master; a slave." In Roman times, the term bondservant usually referred to one held in a permanent position of servitude.
In her new role, the bondservant would be left behind. She would soon be married and raise children, including the long-hoped-for Messiah, interwoven into the world's redemption.
In the song's second section, Mary sings of God's works in the past tense- God has already done these things listed, and she has seen them through the eyes of faith.- the proud have been scattered, the exalted have been made low, the impoverished have been fed, and the wealthy have been turned away. The stories of faith taught to her by her family spoke of God being faithful in the past. In this second section, Mary sings of her past and present experiences of her faith in God through things she has witnessed. Yet it also, in part, is a vision of the future- It echoes the final judgment of God in which there is a complete reversal of fortune; the wealthy of the world exchange places with ones who come to our Little Free Pantry, or who need help with their lives at the OHRA center. This reversal of fortunes has already begun, in that God chose Mary of low estate to give birth to the world's Savior. It continues every time a person caught in the grip of poverty is lifted up by those who show their hope in God through their actions.
Then Mary sings of God's faithfulness with her people and nation, Israel. In both sections, this song has a common theme- It magnifies what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do- Mary sees God at work in the past, present, and future, without differentiation.
Mary sings a story of Hope about the God who loves people and acts with justice and mercy through faithful followers to bring glimpses of the kindom. The God she celebrates is not content to point people toward heaven; God's redemptive work begins here on earth. God fills the hungry not only with Hope but with food. Rather than being satisfied with comforting the lowly, Mary's Lord lifts them up, granting them dignity and honor, a seat at the table, and a voice in the conversation. At the same time, God shows strength by disrupting the world's power structures, dethroning rulers, and humbling the mighty.
The world becomes equitable. The rich and powerful are stripped of their arrogance and taught to love their neighbors as they love themselves. Thus, God provides for the poor and honors the humiliated. When the arrogant are scattered, and the powerful are brought down, everyone has access to enough of the world's resources, and no one has too much. Every person is treated with dignity and respect, and no one uses power to harm. Mary's song magnifies Hope in the Savior, who loves the whole world with a love that makes creation whole.
What about Joseph? What do we know about Joseph? We know that he never spoke in any account of the gospels. We know that he was a descendant of David, the son of Jacob. We know that he was a carpenter/handyman- The word translated as a carpenter, Tecton, really means "jack of all trades," with an emphasis on being a mechanic. We think he was much older than Mary. There are legends surrounding Joseph that he was a widower, had at least three children, including James, the brother of Jesus, and had been married for almost 40 years before losing his wife. Most early paintings of Joseph show him as an older man with grey or white hair. We also believe that Joseph died before Jesus' earthly ministry began. Jesus never referred to his earthly father, Joseph, but spoke often about his mother, sisters, and brothers. Also, if Joseph had been alive during Jesus' crucifixion, he likely would've been the one whom Jesus entrusted to care for Mary rather than Peter.
Joseph became betrothed to Mary, which means a contract was made in front of two other witnesses. Sometimes, the couple gave each other rings or bracelets—this waiting time before the wedding was considered as binding as marriage. Joseph and Mary had taken all the steps toward their wedding day.
Then came the shocker. Mary was already pregnant, and Joseph had nothing to do with it. According to Deuteronomic law, Deut. 22:23, "If a virgin is betrothed and a man sleeps with her in a city or town, you shall take them both out to the gate of the town and stone them to death."
Joseph could've done just as the law suggested and had Mary stoned to death in Bethlehem-barbaric, as that sounds. Instead, he decided to divorce her, quietly saving her from any public disgrace. Theologian Dale Brunner says, "Joseph was prepared to take some of the social shame and personal guilt of a failed betrothal upon himself, without complaint." Here, in this decision, we begin to understand who Joseph was. He was a righteous man. Yet his sense of righteousness was tempered by mercy. He knew he had to follow the law to show his love for God, yet he also cared for Mary, so he desired to do things quietly and discreetly. Joseph knew hope from his relationship with God and expressed this relationship in a horizontal sensitivity to another human being in Mary.
Joseph chose to hope and did what God asked. First came this dream. An angel came to him in the dream and told him he should still marry Mary, for she conceived this child by the Spirit of God. Furthermore, the angel told him to call the child Jesus, for he would be the one to save people from their sins.
So, Joseph and Mary chose Hope amid difficult circumstances. What about us in today's world? Hope or cynicism? It's easy to give Hope a bad rap, especially if we have trouble, tragedy, hardship, sorrow, disappointment, etc. Amid those hardships, it is easier to feel hopeless and cynical. Imagine living in constant fear through 13 years of war and oppression. Yet in such dark places, hope still appears in the actions of others.
Consider the story coming out of Syria this past week. The end of a 13-year war in Syria has revealed a people suffering great oppression. Silenced by torture and death, people are emerging as the Asad regime and family no longer rule through fear. Yet there are concerns those who got the dictator out of power will have their own campaign of terror, as there are former ties to Isis in their history. So far, that is not the case, and their words are hopeful and directed towards bringing a nation to peace.
There are fears for the Christian Minority in Syria, a faith that has its roots back to when the apostle Peter traveled to Damascus to spread the good news about Jesus. This ancient Christian faith has dwindled to only about 2% of Syria's population. Under Assad's regime, this small minority was protected. Now that Asad is gone, what will become of this small group of Christians? Is there any hope? This past week, many young Muslims came to several Christian churches this past Sunday, distributing flowers to worshipers, letting them know they were supported and free to worship Jesus and that together, they would rebuild Syria. The act of these young Muslims magnified hope as a nation emerges from darkness and difficulty. Their actions gave hope to a small group of faithful Christians. Maybe there is hope in a way forward together.
Perhaps Hope is more than a feeling? Could we also consider it an action, a muscle we can flex and strengthen? I understand that having Hope in all things is difficult. Yet perhaps if we work at it and practice doing Hope and follow Mary and Joseph's examples, we can strengthen our own Hope and instill Hope in others. If it is something we nurture and tend to, perhaps Hope can grow in us and around us.
Our church is flexing those muscles of hope.
This past week, more than 100 people attended a Christmas dinner at our church put on by Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice. In this act of Hope, people were loved, fed, and honored.
This afternoon, our deacons will bring 60+ baskets filled with Hope to people across the street at the Mobil Home Park. They are providing a concrete example of Hope.
Today we gather in worship and praise of God, proclaiming hope.
And this coming Tuesday, we will share the message of hope for humanity in verse and song as we worship the Messiah, Jesus.
Acts of Hope can spread hope to others.
In her poem, Lessons From the Schoolyard, Rev. Sara Speed writes,
A baby bird fell out of her nest. She cried and pattered about on the sidewalk below.
We children formed a circle, amazed at how small her bobbling body was. Eventually, a 6th grader scooped her up. She held her in cupped hands and said, "You have to be gentle. You have to be steady. You have to help her grow so that one day, she can fly."
I think Hope is a lot like that baby bird. Hold it with both hands. Let it grow. Tend to it. One day, it too will fly.
Friends in Christ, the voices of the cynics are loud. It is easier to choose fear, anger, and skepticism. But, beloved, Hope is worth the risk. May the Spirit of God surround you this last week of Advent so that you might trust like Joseph and sing like Mary. The Hope they chose 2,000 years ago is still alive and accessible today, helping transform the world into God's will for justice and peace. As you prepare for God's arrival in the manger, may you make room for and choose Hope. Alleluia Amen.
