4th Sunday of Advent Cycle C
Micah 5:1-4a Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-
45
“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a
town of Judah…” Why didn’t Mary take her time? Why didn’t
she just simply stop along the way to take in some of the sites?
Take in a movie or a play? Stop to watch a ball game, or some
other sporting
event?
Instead, Mary was focused, determined, had tunnel vision, and
understood her mission; (“Blessed are you who believed that
what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled”). And
there was no time to waste along the way for some of the
distractions that can alter our vision, along with our mission.
Mary had to get to Elizabeth so John could leap for joy in
Elizabeth’s womb. It’s almost like Mary somehow knew that
John was waiting to do a dance in the womb of his mother
Elizabeth.
So Mary hurries along – without movies or games or taking in
the sites – so John can dance, and so Elizabeth can feel John
dancing. And the joy, the dancing, the celebration, and the
family reunion becomes manifest and real not only because of
Mary’s voice that causes the reaction in Elizabeth (“For at the
moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant
in my womb leaped for joy”), but truly because of who Mary is
carrying. It’s all about who Mary is carrying. Our lives are all
about HIM. “He who shall be called Emmanuel, the Son of the
Most High” was in their midst. Even in the womb, Jesus brought
joy to those who love him.
A tiny joy, yet a great joy. A great joy because God is coming to
us. A tiny joy because this joy of ours is not yet complete. When
it is completed, it will be beyond description, and it will no
longer be tiny. And in the motion and movement of Mary, it is
done in haste.
Such is our need; a hasty joy. Mary runs to us, bringing Jesus
to us hastily because our world needs him. Again and again and
again. Mary brings Jesus to us hastily – no time to waste – so
that we can begin once again to walk the walk that ends in
complete joy. We can take in the movies. We can take in the
games. We can take in the sites along the way. But Mary doesn’t
because Jesus doesn’t. Mary can’t arrive from point A to point B
fast enough so that we can leap for joy, so that we can do a
dance, so that we can shake and bake, all signifying that our joy
that is discovered and grounded in Jesus Christ will begin to
become complete.
Our joy of finishing the race is the purpose of Elizabeth’s
famous words to Mary as recited in the Hail Mary; “Blessed are
you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Yes
Mary, blessed are you among women, because you have been
chosen and accepted to become the tabernacle of
Emmanuel.
Time wise, it’s about this time in Mary’s pregnancy that her
tabernacle begins to take on the shape of the tabernacle here at
Christ the King. That’s one of the theological visions I like about
this tabernacle. It’s in the shape of Mary’s stomach. Mary’s belly.
It grows in roundness. And what was inside Mary’s tabernacle
2000 years ago is in this tabernacle today. This tabernacle is a
most excellent and fitting image for us five days before the birth
of Christ. Because that’s probably about how big Mary’s
stomach became. (There may be a few guys that have that size
and shape also). This tabernacle looks like it’s about five days
away from giving birth to the Christ child. And the contents are
the same as Mary’s stomach. “I will be with you until the end of
the age.”
On our end, we are similar to both Elizabeth and John as we
approach Christmas Day. We’re like John in the sense of
anticipation. You know what it’s like when we anticipate
something in our lives that we really look forward to?
Something like escaping to Florida in the winter. Or some event
that can’t arrive fast enough. Or I love the image of a guy before
he gets married here at Christ the King. He’s over here waiting
in the cry room (aptly named for the groom), and he’s pacing
back and forth before the wedding. He’s nervous, excited, he’s
dancing and leaping like John. Hopefully for joy. That’s the state
of anticipation we are in five days before Christmas, I
hope.
And we’re similar to Elizabeth in that, on our own, we are not
worthy to be in God’s presence. “How does this happen to me
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Not Mary
alone, but Mary carrying Jesus. “How does this happen to us
that God has deemed us worthy to have you, Mary, bring Jesus
into our presence?” Elizabeth, there’s only one answer.
Because he loves you. Because he loves us.
As I said a few weeks ago, Jesus is born once. His one time
birth is a birth of joy. This year we are invited once again to taste
his birth. Taste the joy of Mary, Elizabeth, and John. It’s a hasty
joy that ends in complete joy.