Reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018

Year (cycle): C

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Theotokos – “God-Bearer”

Now that our grandson has turned 3, my wife and I keep an eye out for old movies that we feel would be meaningful to him as he grows up.  While shopping, we found a three-pack of the old Peanuts movies which included “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It has been years … I mean years … since I’ve watched the whole movie. It was easy to get nostalgic as my wife and I shared memories of watching this as children.  When we were young, it never seemed like Christmas was on its way until these favorite movies were played on television. It was also a blessing to hear Linus recall the real reason for Christmas as he quotes from scripture. Oh, the days. It got me thinking about the theme of innocence and, in my mind, how sad it seems that our children lose their innocence earlier with every new generation.

Now, imagine the innocence of Mary. We’re not exactly sure how old Mary was at the time of the birth of Jesus, but Jewish tradition held that she could be betrothed at age 12 and was probably in her mid-teens at the time of the birth. She had no cell phone, no Instagram account with which to share her journey to Bethlehem, no Air BnB or Trip Advisor app to get a room in advance. What she did have was faith and obedience. Sorry to disappoint the recent tweet from an associate professor from Minnesota who claimed that “The virgin birth story is about an all-knowing, all-powerful deity impregnating a human teen. There is no definition of consent that would include that scenario. Happy Holidays.”  Apparently, the fine professor didn’t do his reading prior to his tweet. Because as we know in Luke 1:38, we hear Mary’s reply to Gabriel, “38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.” And so, we have a faithful, trusting, and obedient Theotokos – God-Bearer– and through her obedient innocence God gave us the Christ. And that innocence becomes the conduit for our salvation! Only God could use such simplicity and innocence to transmit such power and might … such forgiveness and restoration.

Will you allow yourself to be used in such a way? Will you let God work through you to shine His light into this ever-darkening world? I’ll leave you with a quote that I heard recently, “At Christmas, when we receive gifts we don’t really need, God offers us a gift we can’t do without.” May God work through you in rich ways to convey the gift that changed the universe! Merry Christmas.

– The Rev. Dr. James A Sorvillo is rector of Church of the Ascension in Orlando.