“A Nonreturnable Gift” 

Micah 5:2-5

Luke 1:39-45 

Tradition.  Growing up, my family, like many, had its own set of traditions.  Some actually made sense.  We often went camping; our first tent was a heavy green canvas umbrella tent.  The only time I ever saw Dad wear a baseball cap is when he went inside the tent with the center pole and push the umbrella like rods out to hold up the tent; and he always wore the same cap when he put up the tent.  When I was old enough to notice and ask about this, the answer was that if he didn't wear it, he would come out with green hair. 

Another family tradition involved Christmas Eve.  We always had a steak dinner that Dad cooked in the fireplace.  Later, we would go to the midnight service at church.  But in between, Dad always got a far away look in his eyes and announced that it was time to start his Christmas shopping at Walgreens, the only store open at that hour. 

Tradition.  An obvious Christmas tradition is the giving of gifts.  Dorothy is a little different than Dad: she will have next year's Christmas cards by the end of the week, perhaps a few presents.  Of course, the challenge, or tradition, is to remember what they are and where they're hid.

I am much closer to my Dad's approach.  I really don't like to shop.  I abhor the Friday after Thanksgiving madness.  I wait to avoid the crowds and often find Christmas Eve rapidly approaching without having started to shop.  I start to rationalize in my desperation.  I really don't need to worry all that much about what color goes with what color buying a blouse because I no doubt will have the size wrong anyway and it will have to be returned.  A good book is always a pleasure.  But having no idea what is currently considered popular, much less what might be considered interesting, a Barnes and Noble gift certificate really will work better than a somewhat random selection. 

My shopping is driven by the idea that anything I get will be returned.  I feel the pressure ease off - they will find that perfect gift, so long as the gift certificate is at least from the correct store.  Sometimes, I even take it a step further.  I give the ultimate returnable gift: cash.  Another tradition. 

The dialogue between Mary and Elizabeth talks of a different kind of gift, a gift that doesn't entail shopping or gift cards or even cash.  The gift of the blessing of God.  Blessing in the sense of calling God's gracious power upon somebody or recognizing the benefits that God has provided.  Elizabeth calls Mary blessed as she is the mother of her Lord.  Lord is the word Luke uses to describe either God or the Messiah to the gentiles who may not understand the significance of either.  And Elizabeth also calls Mary blessed because Mary believes in the fulfillment of all that God has promised his people.  The gift of God's son was a gift without tradition, without precedent. 

Mary replies with a song, often called the Magnificant because of the Latin word for magnifies, the first word in the Latin translation.  This song is very similar to the one Hannah sang in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 as Hannah also sings of being blessed by God in bearing Samuel.  Listen to Mary's song: 

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸ for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  

Blessed is she who believes that what God promises will be fulfilled.  Blessed are those here who believe that what God promises will be fulfilled.  For we are saved by grace through faith, through a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9).  From this conviction comes Mary's desire to magnify, to glorify the Lord, to rejoice in the Lord as Savior.  Let us rejoice as well. 

Mary recognizes that this gift of a son is a great thing.  How many unwed mothers have the courage to say such things today, in times so more understanding than those of Mary?  Mary sings in joy to God.  For God has regarded her - not as part of the nation - but as an individual.  Why Mary? We do not know.  Yet her willingness to praise God for the great things that God has done, for her knowledge of Scripture, for the very son within her, all allow for possible reasons.  Mary herself provides perhaps the greatest clue: it is not because of who she is or what she has done.  She is blessed because God looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  She is blessed because God decided to bless her.  We also are blessed because God looks with favor upon us, regardless, or in spite of, our status. 

Mary's soul and spirit both magnify and rejoice in the Lord.  The soul and spirit represent her entire being.  The soul was considered to be the total identity of a person, their thoughts and emotions, their values and beliefs.  The spirit was considered to be that part of a person given to them by God.  All that she was, all that God had given her, rejoiced. 

Mary sings of God's faithfulness, power, holiness and mercy.   

The gift of mercy, a gift that goes from generation to generation.  A gift that means more to the meek than the proud, more important to the lowly than the powerful, that provides food for the hungry while leaving nothing for the rich.  A Latin American saying is: May God give the hungry food and may God make the full hunger for justice.  Mercy. 

God is holy, is apart from all that is evil, that is morally corrupt.  Throughout Luke, it also refers to God's righteousness and justice as Christ fulfills the promises made throughout Scripture to help the humble and poor, uphold those who sought his righteousness and walk humbly before God.

Mary could understand the power of God for it was through that power that she conceived the baby Jesus.  It was through the power of God that Israel was brought out of Egypt, was brought back from exile.  It is through the power of God that we are brought back from our bondage. 

Most of all, God is faithful.  God gives the gift of fulfillment of promises.  This is the gift that gave Mary courage and confidence that what was spoken to her would come to pass; that what had been promised to the nation of Israel would be fulfilled.  The gift that allows us to trust in what God has revealed, to believe that the things foretold have and will come to pass.   

Four attributes of God: faithfulness, power, holiness and mercy.  Mary could sing of them; did sing of them.  Do we? 

It will soon be Christmas day.  You have shaken the gifts to see if they rattle; even smelled them just to see if there might be some clue as to what is inside.  Now the pile under the tree is getting smaller as the presents have been opened.  It is your turn again.  The card says that it is from Grandma.  As you start to tear the paper, your curiosity grows: it is light, it does not rattle, no odor: no clue as to what it is.  As you get the box open, you see the sweater, the hand knit sweater.  You know immediately that it is hand knit.  You can see where Grandma ran out of yarn: the pink yarn that suddenly appears does draw attention to the sleeve, draws attention to the sleeve that is about two inches longer than the other.  The design is, well, interesting.  You know that you will be wearing this for Christmas dinner; there is no choice in such matters.  You, at least your appearance, will be transformed by this sweater. 

You also know that you can not return this sweater.  Obviously, Grandma does not give refunds nor does she have a shelf full of potential exchange items.  More importantly, you know that the sweater itself has little value.  The only value is the love that slowly knit each knot, that knit in spite of the stiff fingers and the mind that all too frustratingly looses its place.  That love alone would keep the sweater from being returned.  Grandma's real gift is simply love. 

Behind Mary's song about God is a similar gift.  This is not about Elizabeth or even Mary.  It is about a gift, not to Mary but to all mankind.  We also are blessed this Christmas season because God is still reaching down to us, giving us a gift. A gift that is never the wrong size or color, doesn't run out of batteries, doesn't require us to buy our own present with a gift card.  God's gift of his son Jesus cannot be returned.  Like Grandma's sweater, behind this gift is the gift of God's love.  First John 4:9 & 10 describes this gift:

This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his one and only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about--not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.  (I John 4:9,10)  

God continues to give us this gift of love.  His son is still clearing away our sins and restoring our relationship with God.  Like Grandma's sweater and love, this gift is nonreturnable. We can share this love with all those around us.  Let us enjoy wearing God's gift of love to Christmas dinner, every dinner, every day, for it will transform.

   

December 24, 2006

Pastor Al Hammond

First Presbyterian Church

Logan, Utah