Beware of Flying Axe Heads

2 Kings 6:1-7

Text Introduction:  This story comes out to the ministry of Elisha, out of a time when God’s people were facing a crisis and needed the assurance of God’s presence and power.

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Dickens described the period of the French Revolution as “the best of times” and “the worst of times.”

What kept Isreal during the ninth century before the birth of Christ from experiencing the worst of times were the efforts of Elijah, his successor Elisha, and a number of unnamed individuals who yearned to see the nation return to faithfulness to God. 

Elijah had done much to bring revival to the nation before he was miraculously taken up to heaven.  But the work was not finished. 

The wicked King Ahab was dead but the real power behind the throne, the person whose very name is a synonym for a wicked and conniving woman, Queen Jezebel, was still influencing the nation in its rebellion against the God who had rescued Isreal from slavery in Egypt centuries before.

It would fall to Elisha to consolidate the gains Elijah made in the war for truth and decency.  Like Samuel, some two centuries before him, Elisha invested himself in the lives of those who wanted to learn the law and call others to the live for God. 

You see, powerful as Jezebel’s influence was, she had not persuaded everyone to join her in devotion to Baal, the god she had brought from her homeland when she married Ahab. 

The battle against her and her evangelists for Baalism was long and hard.  Once, during his ministry Elijah experienced a period of depression and despair in which he complained to God that he alone had remained faithful to God.

In a dramatic vision God informed Elijah that there were some 7000 people who had not “bowed their knees to Baal.” 

Elisha was among these faithful individuals, so was the band of individuals who are featured in this story.

For more than two centuries those who commited themselves to the pursuit of this spiritual revival were known as “sons of the prophets.”  They were called “sons” in the sense that they were attempting to model their lives after the peophets.  We might describe them as disciples. 

At one time it was popular to describe “the company of the prophets” as a kind of seminary.  In fact, the founders of both seminaries I attended described the institutions as schools of the prophets.  It’s probably misleading to think of this a a school in any formal sense.  And it’s not even clear if these sons of the prophets thought of themselves as prophets in training.  But they were sympathetic to the cause of bringing of the nation back to God and may have played a role in helping people recall their spiritual heritage and understand what it meant to live under God’s covenant.

This story gives us the chance to meet one of these young men as he faced a somewhoat unusual crisis.

It All Begins with a Problem

It all begins with a problem.  But it is a good problem.  The number of those who were willing to align themselves with Elisha, who longed to live for God in the midst of a spiritually corrupt culture, who wanted to make an impact for God, was growing.  The dormitory was too small. 

The company didn’t always live in a single commune but apparently many did during this period of Isreal’s history.  The crowding was so severe that a larger dwelling was needed. 

In this day before tuition hikes, tax increases, or tax-deductable donations, there was one solution to their problem:  they would have to build the new dormitory themselves.  Fortunately, the region around the Jordan was thickly wooded so there would be ample materials available.

So the sons of the prophets approached Elisha with a proposal. They would go to the Jordan and gather the raw materials they needed to build a new dormitory/meeting hall.  Each would participate in the work in a spirit of cooperation.

Although the prophet was willing to let them go on their own, at their encouragement, he agreed to accompany them.

Beware of Flying Axe Heads

Soon after arriving at the river, the sound of clanging axes and falling trees filled the air.  They probably hadn’t been working long when the crisis occured. 

We’re not told the exact details but while one of the men was working the head of his axe disloged from its handle and landed in the river.  Maybe it happened so quickly he hardly knew what had happened.  Maybe it was one of those occasions when time seems to slow down.  I can imagine that in the middle of a swing he feels the ax head come loose.  Then, I can imagine him watching as it arcs through the air toward the river.  Imagine him, as the ax head flies past some of his coworkers, saying to himself, “No, no, don’t hit anyone.”  Then imagine him saying, “Hit a tree and bounce back.”  Then, “Please, land on the river bank.”  Then, “Land in the mud not the water.”  But, despite his protests, the axe head disappears into the muddy waters of the Jordan.

Addressing Elisha, who had apparently seen the drama, the young man cried out, “Alas, my lord, it was borrowed!”  Actually, that translation is a little weak.  The words he used were actually closer to “It was begged!”  We might say, “You have no idea what I went through in order to borrow that thing.”  Whoever he borrowed it from may have been reluctant to let it go in the first place, so he dreaded having to tell him what happened.

I have a few tools but I’m not that attached to them.  Ask if you can borrow some of my tools and I’ll say, “Sure.”   Of couse as you look through my toolbox you’ll be tempted to say, “Is this all you have?”  My screwdrivers don’t have matching handles and they aren’t made of fine German steel—more like fine Chinese steel.

But I know people who have an altogether different attitude toward tools.  I once knew a man whose every tool was in pristine condition and he could tell you where and when he bought every tool in his shop.  I was told he couldn’t always remember his children’s birthdays but he could tell you when a wrench had come into his life.  If I ever had to borrow a tool from him I did so with great trepidation.  Maybe, the young son of the prophets had borrowed the axe  from a man like that.  Or, maybe the young man’s distress had another souce.

Although this was toward the end of Isreal’s early iron age, such implements were still rare and expensive.  Chances are he didn’t have the financial recources to pay for another axe head, even if one could be quickly and easily found.  This was a costly loss.

Elisha to the Rescue

Elisha, you’ll remember, hadn’t planned to come on this trip.  He could have stayed back at the old dormitory to reflect and rest.  He could have said, “I need to spend some time in prayer.”  But, instead, he agreed to go.  Remember, Elisha had chosen to invest himself in the lives of these men, just as Elijah had invested himself in Elisha’s life.  Now, he knew why he was there.  Now, he had an opportunity to teach something to the watching band of amateur woodcutters who had stopped working to see what would happen.

I can picture the prophet with his hand on the distressed young man’s shoulder asking him calmly, “Where did it fall?”  After the young man pointed out the place Elisha cut a small stick off one of the trees.  Then he tossed the stick into the water at the point where the axe head had disappeared.

Suddenly, as the stick floated on the surface of the water, the iron axe head bobbed to the surface. 

In an almost anti-climactic moment, Elisha said to the son of the prophets, “You can pick it up now.”  The young man did just that and I’m sure Elisha didn’t have to tell him to make sure the axe head was properly attached this time.

Before I move on I need to say a couple of things about miracles in general and this miracle in particular.

Some critics claim they can’t believe the Bible because it is so full of miracles.  The truth is, miracles occur relativly rarely in Biblical history.  When they do occur they seem to be clustered around significant moments in the history of Isreal, moments of revelation and challenge.  Most of the miracles are clustered around the work of Moses and Joshua, around the ministries of prophets like Elijah and Elisha, and particularly around the ministries of Jesus and the apostles.  In each of these periods in history God was trying to capture the attention of his people.

Having said that, I know this miracle may leave some people shaking their heads.  To begin with some people are concerned about its character.  Iron floating.  Really now.  I’ve even read a few writers who’ve said something like this, “I can believe in the resurrection of Jesus but not this.”   Frankly, I find that incredible.  They’re saying they can believe a man brutally killed by Roman executioners can live again but can’t believe that the God who made the universe could somehow cause a lump of iron to float.

Yes, I know it’s difficult to believe but maybe you’re taking the wrong approach.  Usually we think of miracles as violating the laws of nature.  Some miracles certainly seem to do just that, yet some miracles may simply involve God invoking laws we haven’t discovered yet. 

Did you ever perform this experiment when you were in  school?  You take a glass water and place a piece of tissue on top of the water, then very carefully place a needle on the top of the tissue.  If you do it properly, the tissue will sink and that steel needle will  float.  Usually, a steel needle would sink but you’ve brought other forces to bear.  Who’s to say God couldn’t do the same from time to time.

At the same time, some who read this story are puzzled by Elisha throwing a stick into the water before the axe head reappeared.  They’ve suggested the story smacks of magic which the  Bible condemns.  Frankly, I don’t know why Elisha chose to perform this miracle in precisely this way.  One explanation, which may be the best, suggests he was underscoring the dramatic aspect of the miracle.  By tossing in the stick he was reminding onlookers that while it is the nature of wood to float, iron must be acted on by some outside power if it is to float.

That’s not a bad explanation, especially if we remember that one of the goals of Elisha’s ministry seems to have been to convince people that God’s power was still available on their behalf.

Little Problem or Big?  A Matter of  Perspective

This is an unusual story.  It challenges how we think about the  way the world works.  We’re tempted to ask why such a story should be included in the Bible.

Some have said that this story is included to remind us that God cares for us even when we are troubled by a small problem.

Now, let me make something clear.  I believe God is concerned about those small problems which we face.  I also  believe the “size” of a problem is often a matter of perspective.  Stand at one vantage point and a problem seems small, stand at another vantage point and a problem seems much larger.

That’s true of this story.  Stand at one vantage point and it’s the story of a lost axe head, stand at another vantage point and you may see things a little differently.

Sometimes what initially appears to be a minor matter turns out to be a bigger deal than we imagined.

And, of course, there are no “big” problems for God.

Losing that ax head could have cast doubt on the young man’s integrity.  He had promised to take good care of it, to return it safely.  If he reported it lost it would seem his word was worth nothing.  Never mind that the argument could be made that its owner should have kept it in better repair, that he should have checked the handle before he loaned it out, in the minds of those hearing the story this young man’s integrity would have been compromised.   His influence as a leader would have inevitably been threatened.

Sometimes we discover our reputations are at risk through no fault of our own.  Our power to be a positive influence is compromised even though we haven’t done anything to cause the problem.  We need God’s help to deal with the situation. 

Losing that ax head could have limited his freedom to align his life with God’s will.  He couldn’t simply run down to the nearest True Value to pick up a new ax.  Chances are he would have had to stop following Elisha and begin to work to repay the owner of that ax head.  He had made himself available to God to learn his law and teach others about his will and his mighty works, but that was threatened by a simple accident. 

Seeking to align your life to God’s will is not without challenges but through it all I believe God will make a way.  Years ago I read the story of a struggling seminary student.  Like many of his fellow-students he had a part time job but he was laid-off.  What might have seemed like a small amount of debt to us was threatening his ability to stay where God wanted him to be.

He prayed about the matter and trusted God to do something to help him and his family.  One day while browsing through a used book store, not planning on buying anything, he saw a box of old books marked a dollar each.  One of them was a ragged old commentary.  Given his financial situation he would normally have passed it by but somehow he felt he should buy it. 

He took it home and began to examine it more closely.  He discovered the book was nearly two-hundred years old but there still seemed to be nothing special about it.  In fact, it was filled with the scribbled notes of a previous owner.  He began to look for the owners name and found it on one of the front pages.  At first he thought it was a mistake, and then he showed the book to one of his professors.  The professor contacted a specialist who examined the book. 

The specialist confirmed that the worn old book had belonged to John Wesley and that the notes were his.  The commentary sold at auction for $75,000 and the young seminarian’s money worries were over.

Losing that axe head could have threatened his peace of mind.  We can already see that beginning to happen.  We can hear the distress in his voice as he cried out to Elisha.  If the axe head had not been recovered we can only imagine what would have happened to this young man.

In a similar situation you can imagine yourself saying, “I’m not even competent enough to take care of an axe head, how can I do the work God wants me to do?”  That kind of anxiety can permeate our lives.  The little problem becomes the defining problem of our personalities.

Elisha’s act was an act of compassion to remind the youmg man that God cares.

When Paul wrote to the Philippians he urged them to pray.  He said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)  The language Paul uses suggests that our prayers may be very specific.  We may mention every little thing whch troubles us because if it troubles us, it is no longer behaving like a little thing.

CONCLUSION

What kept this period of Isreal’s history from being the worst of times?  The presence and power of God displayed in the lives of those who yearned to be faithful to him.

God still wants to display his presence and power in the lives of those who desire to be faithful to him.

Chances are you will one day deal with a little problem which threatens to become a big problem. 

There is a lesson we shouldn’t miss here.

Do you remember what Elisha did after Elijah passed the prophetic mantle to him?  He went back to the Jordan where the sons of the prophets were waiting for him.  He struck the the waters with the cloak and the water parted so he could walk across.

The man who lost the axe head may have seen that miracle or heard others speak of it.  When Elisha asked him were the axe head had entered the water, he may have thought something like this, “Elisha is going to part the waters and I can walk out on dry ground to find the axe head.”  Instead, the axe head floated.  Who would have imagined that!

Chances are you will never see iron float.  But you may very well see God deal with your problem in a way you never expected.

Almighty God,

one day we may face a problem,

that will  cause us to cry out,

“Alas, Lord….”

When that takes place

give us the wisdom to trust you

to act in ways which we

may never have expected

and trust you to get us back to whatever work

we need to do for you, for our families, for others--

confident of your power and care.

We ask this in Jesus’ Name.

Amen

Who Is Jesus? Our Advocate

This message is a continuation of the series answering the question, Who Is Jesus?  I am planning one more in the series to help us get a better picture of who Jesus is and what he is doing for us.

I John 2:1-2

Artists have varied opinions about the work of “Weird” Al Yankovic.  Some are outraged at what he does to their musical masterpieces.  Others feel it’s a sign they have finally made it when one of their songs is parodied by Weird Al.  Coolio seems to have originally been in the first group then changed his mind.  Yankovic parodied Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” to become “Amish Paradise.”   Here are some of the words from the song.

Hitchin’ up the buggy, churnin’ lots of butter

Raised a barn on Monday, soon I’ll raise another

Think you’re really righteous?  Think you’re pure in heat?

Well, I know I’m a million times as humble as thou art

I’m the pious guy the little Amlettes wanna be like

On my knees day and night scorin’ points for the afterlife…

 You get the point.  Yankovic expresses a view that many have about Christians--Christians are perceived as thinking they’re a cut above the rest.  Lots of people feel Christians are self-righteous, hypocrites even.  As evidence they point to the Christians they know who sometimes fail to live like Christ.

To complicate the matter, there are some Christians who feel their lives are beyond the reach of ordinary folks.  They see themselves as models of virtue and piety. 

The heresy John faced in the church may have included some who believed they were without sin.  John tells us, that like such people we know today, they fooled no one.  In fact, these people who are so convinced their lives honor God actually insult God by making him out to be a liar.  This, since God’s Word says all have sinned while they say they haven’t.  It may not be fair to call these people “hypocrites” or mere play-actors; they really believe their claim, more is the pity.

Of course, John isn’t giving license to Christians to sin.  Strangely, there were those in the early church who believed grace allowed them to sin with impunity.[1]  Both Paul and John saw that as a travesty that cheapened grace.  Christians are to strive to live holy lives, lives that aspire to please God.

We Christians have generally avoided the crassness of those who live in indifference to the law and the naiveté of those who believed they have achieved sinlessness.

Some who believe in the possibility of Christian perfection stress they are talking about its possibility without necessarily insisting it is a reality in their lives.  Others are able to defend the doctrine by narrowly defining what is meant by sin but even then they hesitate to claim such perfection as their own.  I would never deny the sincerity of these people; I think are trying hard to honor Christ in every aspect of their lives.  By far, the majority of Christians see perfection as a goal that may be pursued in the here and now but only to be reached when our salvation is completed and we are made like Christ—an experience that awaits the world to come.

In the meantime, we live imperfectly.  We should neither be content with our imperfection nor crippled by it. As we look at a further answer to the question, Who Is Jesus?, we find him playing a role that ought to encourage us when we fall.

John says Jesus is our Advocate.  The words translate, paraclete, which literally means “one called alongside to help.” On the night before the crucifixion, John had heard Jesus use the term to describe the Holy Spirit.  Jesus’ use of the term implied the Spirit would help us in our day-to-day living for Christ.  

Here John uses the term as it might be used in the courtroom.  There it describes a “….representative or friend at court who could intercede on one's behalf with the judge.”  Such an advocate might argue for the accused being innocent of the charges or the victim of extenuating circumstances.  The Advocate John describes will do neither.  There is no doubt the accused is guilty.  This Advocate has another strategy.

Instead, this Advocate argues that, though the accused may be guilty and due the full penalty the law demands, the accused should be set free because the penalty has already been paid.  The Advocate can point to an “atoning sacrifice” that makes possible an acquittal. 

Let me clarify something.  I’ve sometimes heard this passage presented as if Jesus were a kind of heavenly defense attorney who rushes into the courtroom to plead our case before God the Father whenever we’ve blown it.  The theological problems with that scenario are enormous.  To begin with, the imagery suggests that God the Father is loath to forgive and can only be persuaded to do so when presented with the evidence of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.  Then, too, it implies that the state of our salvation is always tenuous, shaky and fragile.

At one time that seemed to be a common view of salvation.  Some in the fourth century church believed post-baptismal sins could not be forgiven.  As a consequence, converts sometimes postponed their baptism.  Emperor Constantine who became the first Christian emperor, waited until he was near death before he was baptized.  In fairness, Constantine seems to have made a genuine effort to live as a Christian but he knew his weaknesses.  So, he was reluctant to be baptized much before the end of his life since he knew he might succumb to temptation and put his salvation in jeopardy.

It’s in response to this kind of thinking that Luther issued his famous advice to Melanchthon:  “Sin boldly.”  Now, Luther cared about the quality of the lives of believers, he was no antinomian—someone who believed we are under no moral obligation and can sin to our hearts delight.  At the same time he knew the danger of trying to live as if we were perfect or only sin in minor ways—as if there were minor sins.  He knew, as John knew, that we have a tendency to try to deceive ourselves regarding our own sinfulness.  We try to explain our sinfulness away as personality quirks.  The gossip is just interested in people.  The glutton enjoys life.  The materialist is remembering that you get what you pay for.

Luther is saying, echoing John: admit you’re a real sinner.  Then remember the competence of our Savior to deal with real sinners. 

Far from pointing to God’s reluctance, John’s picture of Jesus as our Advocate is a reminder that even as we sin, God is on our side.  He wants us to feel the pain of conviction so we will repent; he wants us to repent so the joy of our fellowship may be restored.  That joy is rooted, in part, in the knowledge that Christ is our Advocate.

As John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, neared death his memory began to fade.  Someone asked him, “John, what do you know?”  From his deathbed, Newton replied, “I know I am a great sinner but Christ is a great Savior.”

Don’t forget how John describes our Advocate.  He is, “Jesus Christ, the Righteous.”  This brings us back to a point we made a couple months ago about Jesus.  In describing him as “the Righteous One” John was underscoring his sinlessness.  For any other human to say, “I have no sin” would be self-deception and only the most gullible would believe it.  Not so with Jesus Christ.  He challenged his most rabid enemies to find so sin in his life and they couldn’t.  Neither could his closest friends.  Later in this same later, John will say, “You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.”

In light of his unparalleled righteousness, Jesus was able to be ‘…the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  By bringing us from the world of the courtroom into the world of the temple, John reminds us that Jesus’ death made possible our life.  The word translated as “atoning sacrifice” implies cleansing, as John mentioned in 1:9.  There John tells his readers that when we confess our sins God “forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.”  That cleansing is possible because of Jesus’ death on our behalf.  As John says, “the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

At the same time, the word translated “atoning sacrifice” can also refer to that which turns away divine wrath.  Whether John has that in mind here is not clear.  If so, it reminds us that Jesus’ death was rightfully ours and that God himself took the penalty our sins deserved.  It also would mean that Jesus’ death was sufficient to deal not only with our past sins but those sins we commit now.

So effective is the Advocate’s work that John can say that this atoning sacrifice is satisfactory “…not only for our sins but also for the whole world.”  The world is full of sin because every man, woman, and child is a sinner.  Jesus provided a cure for that sin, one that is effective for everyone.  No one need remain estranged from God.  Craig Keener points out a significant note to what John is saying.  The “atoning sacrifice” offered in the Temple was effective only for the Jews; the atoning sacrifice made on the cross is effective for everyone.

Sometimes you hear Christians talking as if once you blow it you’re on your own, you’re abandoned.  In describing Jesus as our Advocate, he is saying that God knew you would sometimes fail and prepared beforehand to deal with it.

Karl Barth was probably the most influential theologian of the twentieth century.  He was no evangelical but many evangelicals were fascinated by his “neo-orthodoxy” that rediscovered sin and our need for God to act on our behalf.  During a tour of the US in 1962, Barth was asked if he could pinpoint the moment he was saved.  Immediately he answered, “It happened one afternoon in A.D. 34 when Jesus died on the cross.”

When we blow it, when we fail to live up to God’s ideal for our lives, when we sin, we might wonder if we might be forgiven.  The truth is we were forgiven one Friday in AD 34 at about 3:00 in the afternoon.  John shows us the way that forgiveness becomes a reality.

Conclusion

John states it simply, “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”^[2] 

The process begins when we give up any notion of denying our sins.  The root meaning of the word “confess” is to acknowledge or agree with.  When we confess, we acknowledge our guilt and our need for forgiveness.  We join those countless Christians who have said

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone….

We make this confession with confidence because we know something of the character of the one who hears our confession.  He is “faithful and just.”  Being faithful, he keeps his word which includes the promise to forgive the contrite and repentant.  As Peterson puts it, “he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself” to forgive us when we confess our sins.

That forgiveness involves a new start.   We are cleansed “from all unrighteousness.”  That doesn’t mean our capacity to sin has been eradicated.  It means the forgiveness of that sin we confess is as complete as it can be.

So, here’s the amazing thing.  That sin which reveals our weakness doesn’t stop God from desiring a fellowship with us.  He doesn’t give up on us.  He invites us to return.  He becomes our Advocate.   While the rest of the world would point the finger to accuse us, God will not abandon us.

When we sin and think we’re finished; our Advocate says, “You’re wrong; more important, I’m not finished.  I’m ready to do more in your life.”

Who is Jesus?  He is our Advocate.  He defends us when what we have done is indefensible.  He befriends us when others would walk away.

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[1]  Romans 6:1f seems to be addressed to such thinking.  Paul strongly refutes the notion.

^[2] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989 (1 Jn 1:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Mother Mary

The second Sunday in May in the United States is Mothers' Day. 

Luke 1:26-38

Toward the end of the group’s career, the Beatles recorded a couple interesting songs, one with a refrain addressed to Krishna and another that begins with these lyrics.

When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

Since John Lennon had once said the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus,” Mary might have had a few words for him but I’m not sure they would have been advice on handling troubles by just accepting them.  In fairness, Lennon eventually clarified the remark by saying that Jesus was “okay” and adding that both rock-and-roll and Christianity would eventually fade away.  But he couldn’t say which would be the first to go.

In any case, I want to talk about this woman Mary, a woman so well-known that the Beatles could sing about her without identifying her.

The Protestant attitude toward Mary has changed in recent decades.  We see her as a woman of faith, a woman worthy of our careful study and, to some degree, a woman who should be an example for us.

Historian Ruth Tucker summarizes the appeal of Mary.

Mary has been the object of both excessive adulation and unnecessary belittling.  But the portrait in Luke’s birth narratives and the further unfolding of her experiences in the Gospels reveal a woman who both loved God and needed to grow in faith.

It’s this Mary I want us to look at this Mother’s Day morning.

 Scene One:  The Nativity

 We don’t know as much about Mary as we might like, but we can surmise a few things.  She probably came from a devout home where she learned her people’s spiritual heritage.  She had a gift for poetry and a vision for a better world where justice, especially justice for the poor, would prevail.  She  respected the insight and wisdom of elder kinswomen like Elizabeth.  Tucker suggests young Mary was probably familiar with the stories of the great women of Jewish history:  Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Susanna, and Judith.  Perhaps she cherished the hope that somehow, by God’s grace, she might be of service to God in some small way.    

Would you be surprised to learn most scholars believe Mary to have been no more than fourteen or fifteen at the time of Jesus’ birth? 

Of course, a fourteen year-old in the first century was probably considered more mature than a typical fourteen year-old in the twenty-first century.  She would have been considered ready for marriage and ready to start a family.  And, so, when we meet Mary she is “betrothed” to a man named Joseph, who himself may have been no older than eighteen or nineteen (though, some traditions suggest he was several years older). 

In the Jewish culture, betrothal was more binding than our engagement but did not include the right of sexual intimacy.  In fact, to not bring her virginity to the marriage bed would be a disgrace for a Jewish bride and an insult to her husband.  Mary, who appears to have been a devout young woman, had lived in purity, anticipating her marriage.

This contributes to the puzzlement she felt at the angel’s announcement.  But her faith was strong enough to accept the angel’s assurance,”…nothing is impossible for God.”

Never forget, she made her commitment in the knowledge that her family, friends, and, perhaps, Joseph would not believe her.  She might have faced ostracism, ridicule, gossip, and community condemnation.  (Stoning was unlikely at this time but some might have whispered that she deserved it.)  Mary was never smug but simply confident in God.

Everyone's First Christmas

What follows is the beautiful story we rehearse every Christmas.  After the shepherd’s visit, Luke, who probably interviewed Mary about the birth of Jesus, writes:  "Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them”.

To all of these things she was thinking, Mary must have added one more incident which took place just over a week after Jesus was born.  She and Joseph took the infant to the Temple to be circumcised;  had they been at home, they would have gone to the local synagogue for this traditional Jewish ceremony.  As they were entering the Temple, the family was stopped by an old man who was a fixture there.  His name was Simeon and he cherished a conviction which he claimed was based on God’s own promise to him that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah. 

Simeon took the infant from them and loudly declared that God had fulfilled his promise.  Then, he added these words, “This child is the reason that many people in Israel will be condemned and many others will be saved.  He will be a sign that will expose the thoughts of those who reject him.  [Then, perhaps looking straight at Mary, he added:]  And a sword will pierce your heart.”.  The ritual done, Mary, Joseph, and their newborn went home.

  The couple settled down and except for the brief disruption following the visit of the wise men when Jesus was about two, they lived what was probably a fairly ordinary life with Jesus and his siblings.

The Lost Boy Who Wasn't.

Then when Jesus was twelve, the age when Jewish culture believed adult responsibilities begin, another incident took place.  Jesus’ family visited the Temple during the Passover, which was their tradition.  After the ceremony, the family joined other pilgrims to head back home to Nazareth.  A full day into the journey, Joseph and Mary discovered Jesus wasn’t with them.

Getting back to Jerusalem as quickly as possible, the couple found Jesus calmly discussing theology with some of the teachers in the temple.  When Mary reproved him, Jesus responded, “Why were you looking for me?  Didn’t you realize that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

It wasn't quite, "Lost!  I wasn't lost;  I knew exactly where I was."  It was his way of saying:  Where else would I be, I’m getting my priorities in order.

Once again, Luke adds “His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”  We don’t know all she may have been thinking, but it may have been something like, “It’s starting.  Things are going to change.”

But they didn’t change.  Jesus returned home and things were pretty much what they had been before.

 Scene Two:   A Failed Intervention.

When we think of Mary’s involvement with Jesus during his public ministry, it’s natural to recall the wedding at Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle.  You remember that the wine ran out, a terribly embarrassing situation for a host to find himself in.  Mary informed Jesus of the situation, clearly hinting for him to do something about it.  Jesus replied, "Woman, what does this have to do with me?  My hour has not yet come."  John 2:4 (ESV) 

Still, he did perform a miracle.  So, what did his words mean?

While referring to one’s mother as “Woman” was uncommon, it was roughly equivalent to calling her “Madam.”. It wasn't disrespectful.  He seemed to be placing distance between himself and his mother.  He seemed to be saying, “Things have to be different now.”

Jesus resisted losing perspective.  He determined to focus on his ministry.  John does not mention the temptations (Matthew 4, Luke 3) where Satan’s goals were to lure him into misusing his power, to persuade him to take the easy road.  Evidently, the concern here was not misuse of his power but acting in such a way which would prematurely draw attention to himself.  The “hour” to which Jesus refers would be the culmination of the ministry of Jesus—the crucifixion and the resurrection.  There was much to be done before that.

Very soon after this, Jesus set out on a road which would clearly bring him into conflict with the authorities.  The sons of peasants usually did not fare well in those conflicts.

It was in the midst of this activity that we read about an incident involving Jesus’ brothers.  It’s found in Mark 3:

    Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.  [21] And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." Mark 3:20-21 (ESV) 

It's tempting to ask if Mary had instigated their visit.

Jesus eluded them but they would try again.

Later in the chapter, Mary becomes involved in another of these failed interventions. 

    And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you."  [33] And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"  [34] And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!  [35] Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:32-35 (ESV) 

What was Mary thinking?  Perhaps Mary’s heart said, “Not now.  Not this way.” 

After all, there’s no reason to think Mary may not have shared the common view that the Messiah would be a political hero.  She may have expected him to challenge the Romans, not the religious leaders of the day. 

Then, too, Simeon’s dreadful prophecy was probably never far from the surface of her memory. 

Maybe she thought if she could stall things long enough, the plans would change, God would find another way.  From our vantage, we know how impossible that would be.  But this was a mother who may have been grasping at any semblance of hope.

So, the woman who said "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants” seemed to waver in that surrender to God’s wisdom and power.

If you’ve never faced that struggle, count yourself blessed.  If you have, you can understand Mary a little better.

At this point, it may be Mary was unable to surrender to a reality which transcended the mother/child relationship.  In one sense, Mary was struggling to accept the hardest thing a child may say to a worried parent, “’Trust me;  I know what I’m doing.”  

Then, too, Jesus’ words about his true family made it clear it was time for their relationship to change.  Many a parent has struggled with that, causing trouble as a son tries to commit to be a husband, as a daughter tries to commit to be a wife.  If Mary could come to accept and support Jesus in his new role, so can they.

Scene Three:  A Cross and an Upper Room

Whatever Mary’s fondest wish may have been, she felt that sword pierce her heart.  She saw her beloved son crucified. 

It would be a tragedy for any parent but we recall the moment because the Apostle John recorded it.

    When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"  [27] Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:26-27 (ESV) 

Despite his heaven-given agenda, Jesus had not forgotten his obligation to his mother. 

After Jesus died, his closest disciples were gripped with despair.  They felt their hope crushed.  There’s no reason to believe Mary’s own grief wasn’t marked with the same despair.

But three days later, that grief was turned to joy.  Jesus had defeated death.

We don’t know if Mary was among the 500 witnesses to the risen Christ.  There’s no record of her seeing him but it’s reasonable she may have.  In any case, the last time we see Mary is in the upper room where she is with the other disciples awaiting the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.  Luke says, [the remaining Eleven disciples]…with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”  Acts 1:14 (ESV) 

Mark tells us that Jesus’ brothers and sisters did not accept him;  but on the eve of the church’s birth his brothers—and, perhaps, his sisters-- were among the disciples.  So was Mary.  She had come to see Jesus in a new way.

Ruth Tucker helps qualify that new way of seeing him:  While Mary would never stop thinking of him as son, she now thought of him as Savior.

Conclusion

On this Mother’s Day look at Mary in a new way.

See her as a real person.  If the woman who was described as “blessed among women” could have ups and downs in her faith, should you be surprised if you do?

See the model she presents.  If she saw her need for Christian fellowship, shouldn’t we?  If she understood her need for the Holy Spirit in her life, shouldn’t we”

As it was with Mary, if we want to come to a place where our faith is what it should be, we may need to see Jesus in a new and clearer way.

The time must come when every Christian moves from seeing Jesus as…

..the hero of exciting Sunday school stories to seeing him as the Word made flesh, as God incarnate,

…the Babe in the Manger to seeing him as the dying Redeemer whose death makes possible our life;

…a good teacher who should inspire our respect to seeing him as the Lord who merits our worship and obedience now and forever.