Mary and the White Roses     Third Sunday in Advent        December 18, 2005

For children, and for adults, Christmas is a magical time. There’s the magical appearance of Santa Clause sliding down the chimney on the night before Christmas. On the television and in the movies, we hear classic stories of the magical Grinch who Stole Christmas, and Charles Dickens magical, “A Christmas Story.” My favorite movie is, “It’s a Wonderful Life” staring Jimmy Stewart. All of these have the element of the supernatural and a struggle between good and evil.

Here in the church, we have stories of the supernatural events that shape our understanding of God. On the Sunday before Christmas, we focus our attention on the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. There’s plenty of stories myths and legends about her. Millions of people go to the places where they believe her ghost has appeared to be healed, and to change their life. Recently in Spanish class, our teacher, Ninfa, has told us told us the story of Mary as our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.

The story goes that a peasant native Indian man named Juan Diego was walking between his village and Tolpetlac (near Mexico City), on Saturday, December 9, 1531 to go to mass at the Spanish mission. Along the way, the Virgin Mary appeared, speaking to him in his native Nahuatl language. She called Juan Juanito, as she would call her own son. "Juanito, my son, where are you going?" "Noble lady", he replied, "I am on my way to Mass in the church in Tlatelolco."

The lady smiled and said: "Know for certain, dearest of my sons, that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God, through whom everything lives, the Lord of all things, who is Master of Heaven and Earth. I ardently want a basilica to be built for me where I will show and offer all my love, my compassion, my help and my protection to the people. I am the Mother of all who live united in this land, and of all humankind. I am the Mother of all those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. I will hear them, and will heal and alleviate their suffering, hunger and misfortune.” “Go to the house of the Bishop of Mexico City and tell him all that you have seen and heard and to build the basilica. I shall be very grateful and will reward you for doing this. Now that you have heard my words, my son, go!”

When Juan Diego told the Spanish bishop, he did not believe him. He told him he had to have a miraculous sign. He went back and the virgin Mary appeared again. Juan told her what the bishop said. Mary told Juan to gather flowers from a hill, even though it was winter, when no plants bloom. He found roses and presented these to the bishop. When the roses fell from his apron, an icon of the Virgin remained imprinted on the cloth. The Bishop believed Juan’s story, and they started to build the basilica immediately.

Today, the basilica of Our Lade of Guadalupe attracts millions of people every year, looking for a miracle. They pray for healing, for justice, for mercy. Juan Diego’s cloth apron is still there, hermetically enshrined in the basilica under armed guard. They say you can still see the imprint of the virgin on the cloth, even after nearly 500 years, which is another miracle in itself. There have been many studies done on the cloth to decide it’s authenticity. After all is said and done, those who believe the apron it is real continue to believe. And those who are skeptical remain skeptical.

Most Lutherans don’t know these stories. I’m not convinced the story is true, but human needs are certainly true. All around are people sick, dying, suffering injustice, natural disaster and accidents. In spite of all the medicine, hospitals and other treatments available, people everywhere will turn to prayer, hoping for miracles or magic.

Healing is very important in the church today. The Pentecostal church movement didn’t start until the early 20th century, but it has grown by leaps and bounds. These churches center their worship on the power of the Holy Spirit, and testimonies of those who experience a miraculous intervention and the power of God.

Here at Grace, our healing ministry is very important. Every Sunday, we pray for the sick. As pastor, I spend a good deal of time visiting the sick. My own faith is often strengthened by those visits. I hope that we would start a healing service, with anointing and laying on of hands. Healing for us Lutherans is not just a physical thing. It includes the mind, body, and soul. We know that God can heal us and make us whole even when our body is physically dying.

The whole meaning of Christmas is to say that God has indeed come to our world as a frail newborn baby. We call it the nativity because on Christmas God stepped into human form, and personally became a native of the human race. Jesus subjected himself to all the joy and all the suffering in human life. How Jesus came to the world though Mary sets the stage for the rest of the story.

The story goes that the Angel Gabriel came to a peasant girl named Mary one afternoon, and told her God’s favor rested on her. She was chosen to bear God’s child who would rescue the world from sin and death, and establish a new kingdom of peace for all people of good will. In order to do that, this child grew up to suffer and die on the cross, and it would break her heart, and be the joy of her life. That’s the paradoxical mystery of Mary’s story.

You see, God knew that there is no way of getting folks out of what they have gotten themselves into without suffering and sacrifice. This is a law of reality that applies even to God. The mystery of the gospel is based in the reality of life. There is no magic wand that even God can wave over certain situations and heal them painlessly. If you have ever tried to work with an alcoholic, a broken family or a disturbed teenager, you know what it costs to try "to redeem people from their sins." Yet this is precisely what God did when Jesus was born into the world. Being “favored by God” boils down to being invited to share God's passion for life and for the world. God wants us to live!

So how do we do that? Jesus mother Mary gives us the first example. That afternoon, this young girl turned her whole life over to God’s will. She trusted God, and gave thanks that God had picked her. And she knew that what the psalmist and the prophets wrote was true. God was showing us to bring justice. He would fill the poor with good things, and send the rich away empty.

Mary knew that God would help her. If she were asked to give birth to this child all by herself, it would have been impossible. God never asks that we do miraculous things, rather, to allow God to do miraculous things through us. All Mary did, and all we have to do is allow God to lead and direct us.

What will happen if we allow God to use us as Mary did? Look what happened to Mary. All her life, Mary got to know Jesus. She got to see him grow up and bring the message of God’s kingdom, to do all of the miracles and healing. Sadly, she also watched him die of the cross. Can you imagine the pain a parent feels when a child dies? Can you imagine the heartache she felt knowing he was shamefully executed for a crime he did not commit, treason against the state and lying about God?

Maybe now you’re saying, “I’m not sure if I want to follow Mary’s example, and follow Jesus like she did.” You’re right, there is a down side. But look at the up side. Mary could see that once Jesus rose from the dead, the kingdom was a done deal. It was already coming. Now all she had to do is wait for Jesus to come again, and God will wipe away all the pain and suffering of the world. I’m sure that Mary did become one best witnesses to what God son and her son meant to the world. And she had to hope of knowing that after his ascension, he would come again and establish God’s reign over the whole creation. So all she had to do was wait, and she didn’t mind waiting.

You might, she’s still waiting. That’s true, but I’m sure God has a good reason for waiting this long before sending Jesus again to claim the kingdom. If God had not waited, peasants like Juan Diego would never have had the chance to go to that bishop and tell him what he saw. All the people that have gone to the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe would never have had the experience of God’s love and healing. If Jesus comes again, you wouldn’t need me to be your pastor and bring you the message of God’s love. It is my privilege to tell you that when we allow God’s will to rule our life like Mary did, we will be blessed beyond all measure. Amen!

Amen!