Sermon: December 22, 2024
Reading: Luke 1:39-55
Mary’s song of hope is our song; It’s our Advent song, it’s our song of faith and thanksgiving to God for our blessings. It would be easy for us, just like it would have been easy for Mary to sink into the depths of despair if all we saw in the world was the pain and the darkness that can exist.
We live in a world filled with sickness and sadness, as well as death. We inhabit a broken, violent, and divided world. If it were solely up to us, it would be overwhelming. However, we have a promise—the same promise that Mary celebrated in song: the promise That God’s love will make all things right—from our personal struggles to the weight of the world’s pain.
The song that Mary sings reflects what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do, and we have a role to play in that by embracing the lessons of Advent—lessons of active waiting through sincere self-reflection and wholeheartedly proclaiming what it means to have Jesus Christ in our lives—because when we do, we plant the seeds of hope that embody God’s love, a love that surpasses all understanding.
A love so powerful that it transforms lives—a love that has transformed lives and will continue to transform lives. It is a love that can transform the world into the image of God’s glorious kingdom. The season of Advent invites us to slow down and fully experience it by savoring every moment of the precious gift of God’s love.
During this remaining time of Advent, into the Christmas season, and throughout the coming year, may we cherish the gift of the love of Jesus Christ that God offers us, recognizing the Spirit of Christ within every human being. May we discover the blessings of God’s peace amid the struggles of our lives and demonstrate His peace to a world that cries out in pain.
May we shout with wholehearted passion for all to hear, praising our Lord with the excitement that Elizabeth felt as she greeted both Mary and our Lord. And may we sing with the passion of Mary, glorifying God as our spirits rejoice in God our Savior, and all He has done for us, blessing us, His lowly servants whom He loves, and to whom He sent His Son, Jesus Christ.
