Sermons Based on the Lectionary of the Syrian Orthodox Church

Annunciation to St. Mary

Sermon / Homily on Luke 1:26-38

Enough for the Journey - Exegetical Notes on Luke 1:26-38

Throughout scripture, God’s blessings seem frequently perplexing. Paul would be a great apostle – but first he would be blinded and completely dependent on Christians in the very village he was sent to purge. Peter would feed Christ’s sheep but first he had to give up his independence and be led by his belt like a slave. Jesus would deliver salvation but first came the scourging and the cross.

Mary will be a mother, indeed to the Messiah – but first she must bear the stigma of an adulteress.

Perhaps it is a trait of following God that we experience mixed blessings. Is it because what God seeks for us is so contrary to our culture? God wants dependence – this culture prefers comfort. God wants obedience – this culture prefers independence. God wants service – this culture prefers personal gratification. For any of the above people to be faithful they had to give up comfort, independence and personal gratification. Instead, they had to become dependent, obedient servants.

There is one other thing that strikes me about the followers of God. They must be unencumbered. This is the hardest thing for me to embrace; I have a natural tendency to want to “cumber myself.” I feel secure when I am encumbered. Yet, the modus operandi of God seems to be; “Enough for the journey.” “Give us this day our daily bread.”

[Prov 30:8] Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, [9] Lest I be full and deny {Thee} and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God. (NAS)

We see the Master dining one day with tax collectors and on another day, he is gleaning a field for leftover wheat with his disciples [Mk 2:23]. We see our Lord telling the disciples to feed the hungry masses – to give them food for the journey. Yet, the masses were not fed from the possessions the disciples had; they were fed by a faith they did not yet possess – they were fed from their reliance on Jesus [Lk 9:13].

When Tracey and I decided to become missionaries we knew that it would be an immense change in lifestyle. Yet, head knowledge is so much different than experience. However, I want to share with you an incredible thing about “enough for the journey.” We are learning that God not only provides the gifts exactly as they are needed – but he is at work on a much deeper and more spiritual level. On a spiritual level; enough for the journey means wanting less; examining the concept of dependence, obedience and service in contrast to comfort, independence and personal gratification. The mixed blessing is simplification of desire holding hands with dependence on God.

To read the story of Mary, this perplexed and puzzled young girl, is to read a story of mixed blessings and “enough for the journey.” When sent away by her own family, she is accepted by Elizabeth. When threatened with rejection by Joseph, an angel stuns him with a revelation about the Christ-child [Mt 1:22]. When Herod seeks to kill the boy, the wise men provide enough for their escape. Indeed, when Mary watches her son die, he offers John’s love in her despair.

Mixed blessings and enough for the journey; God’s touch is clear. He wants us to be drawn to him, to be pulled into him and to rely on him. Then the abundance of life will be revealed in “enough for the journey.”

Luke 1 26-38

[Lk 1:26] Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, [27] to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. [28] And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” [29] But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. [30] The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. [31] “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. [32] “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; [33] and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” [34] Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” [35] The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. [36] “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. [37] “For nothing will be impossible with God.” [38] And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (NAS)

Luke 1:26
[Lk 1:26] Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth. (NAS)

An Angel

Gabriel had been silent for five hundred years. The last time he had spoken was to Daniel the prophet:

[Da 8:15] When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. [16] And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, and he called out and said, “Gabriel, give this man an understanding of the vision.” [17] So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”

[Da 9:21] while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. [22] He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. [23] “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.

One of the primary missions of angels is to offer people understanding in spiritual matters. We simply cannot see with clarity into spiritual realms without spiritual help. Paul tells us that our vision of the world is like a dim mirror; we see dark and backwards [1 Cor 13:12]. John deals within this same conceptual framework as he meshes concepts familiar to both the Greek (Plato’s philosophy of the cave) and the Hebrew mind (light and word – see the study from John 1:6-8; 19-28 for more information on this topic). Prior to the availability of the baptism of the Holy Spirit; it seemed that news too great for a human to understand was hand-delivered by an angel. It was as if the recipient needed not only the revelation; but also the emphasis that the message was heaven-sent. If you are like me – you are probably thinking how nice that would be; to have your prayers answered – not just with emphasis but with angel to emphasize it. However, think twice, angels didn’t look like the little cherubs that decorate our doilies today. Those, in fact, are taken from Roman mythology. In almost every instance, the appearance of an angel is accompanied by the words; “Do not be afraid.”

Gabriel himself was an Archangel whose name means “God Is Great!” All references to Gabriel are connected with the arrival of the Messiah. It is believed that he is the angel that will trumpet the announcement of the Lord’s next coming: [1Thes 4:16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. (NAS)

Luke 1:27-30
[27] To a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. [28] And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” [29] But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. [30] The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

The story of Mary

Only Luke gives us a comprehensive insight into the young woman named Mary. This is one of the attributes that sets Luke’s gospel apart from the others. Not being Middle Eastern (he was probably Macedonian) and also a gentile (the only biblical writer who was Gentile); Luke doesn’t have the same anti-feminine views prevalent in both of those cultures at the time of Jesus. For example – in part of the Jewish Morning Prayer – a man thanks God that they were not born “a gentile, slave or a woman.” As a result, it is Luke who is free to give us many intriguing insights into the women that touched the Lord’s life. It is from Luke’s pen that we learn so much about Elizabeth, Anna the prophetess, the anointing of Jesus’ feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee, the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, as well as Mary Magdalene. It is from Luke’s pen that we learn that many of Christ’s disciples were indeed women and not just men.

This passage also tells us that Mary was a virgin betrothed to Joseph. Betrothal was a legal commitment between Joseph, Mary and their parents (although Mary probably had little say in the arrangement). The dowry was paid at betrothal as a sign of the legal finality of both party’s commitment. Then, for a year, the betrothed lived apart from each other and with their parents. This year insured that the woman was not pregnant at the time of betrothal. For that time period, the two were considered married by all legal parameters, except that they could not have sexual relations. If the groom died during that time the woman would be considered a “virgin widow.” If, during that period, it was discovered that either had sexual relations with anyone; that party could be stoned as an adulterer.

So, for Mary to become pregnant, while betrothed, was an offense punishable by death. She would have been taken to the edge of the village, thrown off an embankment (to break the bones of her body and ensure that she could not run away) and then stoned to death.

Is it any wonder that this young lady of 13 or 14 was “perplexed and pondering?” How would I respond if it were me?

Also, it needs to be mentioned that this passage along with Matthew 1:18-19, emphasizes that Mary was a Virgin when she conceived the Son of God.

[Matt 1:18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. [19] And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly. (NAS)

Some would argue; “How could Jesus be like us in all ways if he had such a spectacular birth story?”

This is something I believe we only “see through a mirror dimly.” It takes an act of faith to accept this doctrine. We cannot respond to it with human understanding. However, such acts of the miraculous are reported throughout the life of Jesus including frequent healings, feedings of thousands, the transfiguration and the resurrection. However, our greatest act of faith dies not really regarding this birth at all. The most important act of faith is to acknowledge our own new birth into the Spirit. This confused even the greatest minds of Christ’s day, as exemplified in the story of Nicodemus

John 3:4-12

[4] Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
[5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] “Do not marvel that I said to you; “You must be born again.’ [8] “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
[9] Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
[10] Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things? [11] “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness. [12] “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (NAS)

The power of THE Name

In the Hebrew culture, father’s picked the name of their children. Just so there would be no confusion, Gabriel tells Mary that his heavenly father has already picked out a name for him. “You shall name Him,” is akin to saying, “you must name Him.” What do we learn of the titles of Jesus in this verse?

· Jesus

Jesus translates into; “Jehovah is Salvation.” It was customary of the father to name the son. It was also customary for the father to name his son after themself or a relative. Jesus is named after Jehovah, his Father.

Jesus is the Greek version of Joshua, the mighty warrior who led Israel into the Promised Land. Our Lord laid down his life to be a bridge into the eternal land promised to those who walked the talk of their belief (obedience).

· He shall be great [megas; GSN3173]

We still use the word, mega, for something that exceeds all others. Albeit, our culture tends to reduce all pronouns to things like dish soap; “It’s the mega-buy of the year!” Biblically this word was saved for events of truly historical magnitude. The KJV uses this same word for exceedingly, mighty, terrifying (sore afraid), strong, high, even loud. Let us pray that it is a word spoken loud enough for us to hear.

· Son of the Most High

The most high exceeds all… and Megas is his son. It is almost as if Gabriel himself is overwhelmed with the news that he is bearing. Should that be any wonder when we realize that the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who reopens his/her life to the Lord? [Luke 15:10] “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (NAS) Gabriel is announcing the One who will open the way for all mankind to be in relationship with God.

Let this thought bless you this week; all of creation was designed to call you into a loving relationship with the Mega and the Exceeding! From Alpha to Omega, from mountain top to ocean depth, from hurricane to the gentle snow flake you caught with your tongue as a wondering child. It was placed there by the loving hand of the Creator in an effort to say; “Come to me, my Beloved. Bathe in my joy.”

· The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David

It is interesting that Luke, so concerned with rendering the Gospel in Greek would use this reference to the throne of David. Luke was primarily concerned with writing a gentile manuscript. For example, he traces Jesus’ line of descent from Adam (the father of all people) whereas Matthew (concerned with a gospel for the Jews) traces Christ’s line from David (the promised forefather of the Messiah’s lineage). There are two things that are important to note about this verse:

i) It tells us that Luke was less interested with making a point than being thoroughly accurate. This was the account as the Greek Physician heard it and thus it is the account we receive.
ii) The term “father” was a patriarchal term – not just a term for your genetic parent. It could mean “ancestors” as well as “dad.” Luke’s emphasis was to establish that (in a patriarchal society) Jesus had all the credentials of a King.
iii) David’s descendent Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies of ages. God had promised Israel a king who would reign over Israel forever and Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise: [2 Sam 7:16] “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” (NAS)
(See also Revelation 21)

· He will reign

Here is a word with a very interesting heritage. To reign [basileuo; GSN936] meant not only to be in “power over,” but the root of word means to be the “foundation under” your people. In fact, the whole concept of ruling the “house” of Jacob (Israel) is immensely different from our understanding of ruling.

At one time, the “House of Jacob” [bayith, 1004] applied to the people of Israel – not a building and it’s ritual; the temple. In the strictest sense, one could interpret the cultural concept of “the house of Jacob” as meaning; “where all people are safe and our children are raised in the knowledge of God.”

God does not vary on this definition in the Old Testament or the New. It seems that the least of the people (widows and orphans) were always forgotten when the Israelites strayed from true worship. Again and again God commands not just the worship of ritual – but to worship him in acts of justice and mercy – especially to the least of these.

Amos 5:21-24
[21] “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. 22] “Even though you offer up to me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept {them} and I will not {even} look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. [23] “Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. [24] “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (NAS)

Amos 6:11-12
[11] For behold, the LORD is going to command that the great house be smashed to pieces and the small house to fragments. [12] Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. (NAS)

That is the reign of Christ. The reign he announced as “Good News to the poor.” The reign of Christ will be from the bottom up and from the top down. He will not “rule over” what he does not “lift up.” Such is the title given to him by the Messenger of our Lord; Archangel Gabriel.

Luke 1:34-38
[34] Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” [35] The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. [36] “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. [37] “For nothing will be impossible with God.” [38] And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (NAS)

Zacharias & Mary

Here is perhaps one of the rawest stories of faith in the New Testament. It contrasts two radically different responses to an invitation to be obedient and the results those differing reactions have upon the respondents. In both cases the archangel, Gabriel, announces great news of a longed-for birth upon two radically unlikely candidates. One is a childless old priest, Zacharias, whose wife, Elizabeth, is well beyond child-bearing years. Of the two respondents, he seems like he should be the most likely to offer joyous thanksgiving. An old man, denied children all his life, he’s even a High Priest, from the lineage of Aaron. Alone in the temple with the Holy of Holies, an archangel appears to him announcing grand news. He is not only going to have a son after all these years; but his son will announce the long-awaited arrival of the Messiah. Look at the variables: A high priest, trained in the service of God, in the center of Israel’s temple receives a long-awaited promise from the lips of an archangel. Yet, he is the one whose response is most doubtful and even insulting!

Alternatively Mary is a young woman barely of childbearing age, raised in obscurity, who hears God’s call in a hovel in the furthest province of Israel. Shouldn’t Mary’s heart have been filled with the most doubt?

As is so apropos of a God – who picks a man that stutters to do his speaking and an overlooked shepherd boy to lead his nation – it is the one whom we would least expect that is most accepting. Look at their radically different responses:

[Lk 1:18] Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

Zacharias – who should be overjoyed – is instead dubious and wants additional proof. More proof? More proof than the appearance of an archangel in the temple of Israel?!!

Compare Zacharias’ response to Mary’s profoundly simple question:

[Lk 1:34, 38] Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” [38] And Mary said, “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (NAS)

The NIV insightfully translates the two statements as Zacharias asking, “How can this be done?” and Mary seeking, “How will this be done?” Zacharias wants proof; Mary wants plans. Zacharias wants evidence; Mary wants marching orders.

Which one am I? Jesus has promised his return; that’s what we await and pray for during Advent. Am I asking, “How will I know?” Or, am I asking; “What do I need to do?”

It is interesting what happens as the result of their responses. God keeps his promise to humanity despite the less than faithful reaction of Zacharias the priest. Still, while Mary’s reply is the Magnificat (one of the most beautiful sonnets of the bible), Zacharias is struck dumb during the most breathtaking period of his life. While his elderly wife grows with child he looks on in mute silence from the sideline. Faith takes wing in song, doubt results in a mute witness.

One might even recognize in this simple story the closing of the Old Testament and the opening of the New. It is a contrast between the failures of ritualism with a tired, old priesthood that cannot even recognize the fruit of their long-desired hopes in comparison to the overwhelming gratitude of one of the “least of these” who welcomes the Messiah in the most unexpected circumstance.

For nothing will be impossible with God

Will I be able to hear the words of the angel’s promise as a result of my faithful response to God? Think carefully, we are talking about events that were the desire of ages. Yet upon fruition, they demanded immense personal risk and substantial life changes. The blessing granted to Mary was so unimaginable that it was impossible for her to grasp its magnitude from a human perspective. Spiritual assistance (Gabriel) was needed to understand the purpose of God’s plan and her role in the blessing. Am I ready for that kind of “blessing” in my life? Do I have the strength to be gifted by God?

Humanly speaking; “No!” However, being Christian is not about relying on human resources. What Gabriel announced to Mary; he announces to us as well; “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

I cannot stress how important it is to realize that the strength that God offers his followers seems most often to be offered in increments of “enough for the journey” rather than a downpour of instant endowments. This is critically important to grasp if you are waiting upon God’s call. God bestows his blessing upon people as they step out on the journey – not before they make an act of faith. Mary doesn’t receive a lump sum payment for obeying God, she receives enough for each day. She is cared for by Elizabeth, protected by Joseph, given enough money to flee to Egypt and allowed the kindnesses of Simeon and Anna the Prophetess. Yet, in between each of the blessings are the difficult stretches of faith. Leaving her village before she starts to show, sharing her news with her parents and Joseph, the nearly 100 mile walk to Jerusalem in her last trimester, the midnight race to Egypt and so on until finally she witnesses the death of her child on a Roman cross.

Christ called his disciples to go out relying upon him; [Matt 10:7] “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ [8] “Heal {the} sick, raise {the} dead, cleanse {the} lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give. [9] “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, [10] or a bag for {your} journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.’” (NAS)

God tells Joshua that the waters of the Jordan will not part until the priests first step into them; [Josh 3:13] “And it shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, {and} the waters which are flowing down from above shall stand in one heap.” (NAS)

God demands great things of us, far beyond what we could humanly imagine we are able to accomplish. Yet, we have to step out in faith. To step out where there is no risk is not the path to greater faithfulness. God calls us to where it is foggiest and darkest. [Exod 19:9a] “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud…’” (NAS)

He calls us to be, not where we are comfortable, but where we appear even foolish for our faith; [1 Cor 3:18] Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. [19] For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “{He is} the one who catches the wise in their craftiness;” [20] and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” [21] So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, (NAS)

To be faithful is to be foolish in this world. Letting go of the security of the world to deepen dependence upon God is the final commandment given to the rich, young man: [Matt 19:21] Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go {and} sell your possessions and give to {the} poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (NAS)

Yet, God is full in promising abundance to the faithful: [Matt 19:27] Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” [28] And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.” (NAS)

Let me add personal testimony to God’s promise. Being reliant upon him for everything is most difficult when I am most human. Yet, God continues to meet our physical needs and, even more, he fills our emotional and spiritual needs. Finally, God provides a radical inner change, he helps us to be satisfied with less material possessions and increases the longing to cling totally to him.

Faithfulness is the hardest journey in this life. Its greatest enemy is comfort. Yet, God always provides “enough for the day’s journey.”

About the Author

Jerry Goebel is a community organizer who started ONEFamily Outreach in response to gang violence and youth alienation in a rural community in Southeastern Washington. Since that time, Jerry has worked with communities around the globe to break the systemic hold of poverty by enhancing the strengths of the poor.

Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2007 Jerry Goebel. All Rights Reserved. http://onefamilyoutreach.com.

Scripture Quotations noted from NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION of the bible. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries. Copyright © 1981, 1998 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. (www.Lockman.org)
 

See Also:

Sermons, Bible Commentaries, Bible Analyses on Annunciation to St. Mary

Malankara World Special on St. Mary

Malankara World Special on Shunoyo of St. Mary

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