Nothing is impossible with God
Commentary
Object:
What really stands out to me in this wonderful passage is what Gabriel says to Mary. It sounds impossible -- a young woman having a child though she has not known a man, that this child would be the Son of God, the Savior of the world! No wonder Mary was confused and perhaps even a little doubtful. But the angel tells her, "Nothing is impossible with God." And as a sign of that, he told her about Elizabeth being pregnant, Elizabeth who had long been unable to have a child and was past child-bearing age. But nothing is impossible with God.
I wonder what impossible thing you hear God whispering to you this Advent?
What impossible work or mission have you felt called to take on, to be part of?
Where, how might you bear the Christ?
Nothing is impossible with God.
Yet God needs our help, our hearts, our trust and obedience -- the kind that Mary gave. And it will cost us too, just as it cost her. Dare we believe the impossible is possible? Dare we stake our lives on it?
Nothing is impossible with God.
What are your hopes and dreams for your church, even if they may sound impossible?
The impossible can happen.
A barren woman was pregnant.
A virgin was to have a child.
God could enter human life through that child. And forgiveness, abundant and eternal life would also come into human life through this child.
Who would have ever thought it possible that human nature, sinful as it is, could be changed so? But nothing is impossible with God. And therein lies our hope.
One of my favorite Christmas stories is about old Ebenezer Scrooge. Probably everyone of us knows a Scrooge. Who would have ever thought that old selfish miser could be changed? But Christmas came and the impossible happened -- Scrooge was a changed man.
I don't know what impossible thing you need to happen in your life, in your home, or for you, but I do know that nothing is impossible with God. Christmas is coming and with it the impossible comes; it still comes to me, to you, even in our pain and brokenness, even facing the impossible.
So, Lord, though it all seems impossible, let it be to us just as you have said. For we know nothing is impossible with you.
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
In this passage David expresses the desire to build a house (temple) for God, a place in which persons can come and worship, come to experience the presence of God. But God has other things in mind -- like building a "house" not of wood or stone but of human lives through which to make God's presence known (specifically the lineage of David). This has long been interpreted as a messianic passage and is, in the Luke 1:26ff readings for today, applied to Jesus, Son of David and Son of God. Jesus, for us, is the true "house of God," the place, the person in which we have come to know the presence, grace, and love of God.
Verses 1-3: It is likely that King David was feeling guilty. You see, he had built himself a nice palace but the Ark of the Covenant was still being housed in a tent. So one day David calls the prophet Nathan and tells him of his idea or dream to build God a house. Well, Nathan, without conferring at all with God, says, "That sounds like a great idea. Go for it!"
Verses 4-7: Later that night, Nathan gets a word from God. That word is basically that God hasn't asked for a house and really doesn't need one. God has not had a temple/house since the time in Egypt and the wilderness wanderings and did not feel the need for one now. God's presence had moved with the people through the tent of meeting or tabernacle (and the Ark of the Covenant). That had been good enough and was still good enough.
There may well be behind this passage an anti-temple bias. Not everyone was in favor of a temple. Moving from the old (the tabernacle) to the new (a temple) was not an easy thing, for people do not like change. But there's more to this objection than just a resistance to change. There is a theological reason for this objection -- the nature of God. God cannot be confined to any one place or building. This attempt to localize God, to put God in a box, even an ornate box was an attempt to try to limit God and might led to the feeling and actions that God can be controlled or manipulated. Indeed, having the temple (which Solomon would build) did raise problems. You might say that it led almost to a worship of a building more than God. We know that for Jeremiah, for example, the presence of the Temple and even the Ark of the Covenant had become stumbling blocks for the faithfulness of the people. They believed that as long as they had these in their presence, that all was well and God was with them. The Temple and all their rituals and rites gave them false assurance, for what God wanted was obedience and faithfulness.
We still face this dilemma today. Millions of dollars are spent on building and maintaining enormous facilities. Many question this practice and wonder if the money and effort would not be better used in other ways. And there can be no doubt that there is a danger that the mission of any local church can sometimes become nothing more than maintaining a nice building. Look at your church budget. How do maintenance budget items compare with evangelism and mission/outreach efforts? We must keep in mind that anything we build is a means and not an end in itself, a means to greater worship and service of God.
The theology behind this passage is also important. It is true, as the Book of Acts says, that God does not live in a house made with hands. God's much too powerful to be confined to any one house or place. And that's just the point -- because God is unlimited, we need places like buildings of worship where God can be praised, where we are promised that God will meet us. Such places serve as reminders to us and the world that God is present, does come to be with us in worship, praise, when just two or three gather together. So places of worship, buildings do have a place and a purpose -- to help us come to know the presence of God.
The real questions behind this text and in the readings today are "Where can we find God? Where's God? Where does God choose to be made known? How? In a box called the Ark of the Covenant? In a temple? Where?"
Verses 8-16 answer the above questions. God chooses to be known through human beings, through lives, through flesh and blood (for here in this passage it's through a dynasty, through the descendants of David). This is at the heart of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A literal house is a cold thing, a thing made of inanimate materials. It has a role to play in us coming to know God but a limited one. God chooses to come to us in a house of flesh, as one of us (see John chapter 1 where the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us). A house is not good enough. God wants an intimate fellowship and relationship with us. So God moves into human beings, makes our hearts God's home. God did this through coming as a child born in a stable, who grew up and told us God wanted to live in us, to take residence in our hearts.
Romans 16:25-27
This is a doxology, a song of praise. It is a fitting way to end this letter, for it really summarizes Paul's understanding of the gospel he preached and loved. This is a gospel that "strengthens" us, that is, literally enables us to stand up, to stand firm. At its heart is a person -- Jesus Christ -- who offers and gives this strength. We do not in essence preach a doctrine but proclaim a person, One who was God with us, who has brought life, peace, grace, and meaning into human life. This One has shown us God and shown us who God calls us to be. This One enables us to be just that. Since the beginning of time this was a secret but has now been revealed -- in Christ we see who God is and who we are called to be. And to hear this, to truly believe it is to have faith, an "obedient faith," like that of Mary (which we will examine next).
Luke 1:26-38
The annunciation of the birth of John is immediately followed by the annunciation of the birth of Jesus. Luke ties John and Jesus closely together. It may be that they are even related (was Elizabeth Mary's sister?).
Verses 26-29: Gabriel appears to Mary. He seems to be the special envoy for God, a messenger. He is the one who announced to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would have a child. Now, six months later, he appears to Mary with another birth announcement. (Interesting that because of this reference to six months the church has observed the births of John and Jesus six months apart.)
The setting is Nazareth, which was known as Gentile territory but still had many Jews living there. It may well be that many Jews looked down on Nazareth and those who lived there (see John 1:46).
It is clearly stated that Mary is a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph. This was the betrothal period, which lasted about a year. It legally meant they were married but were not yet living together as husband and wife. Luke shows very little interest in Joseph, apparently only mentioning him because Joseph was of the house and lineage of David, which was important for the birth of the Messiah.
Mary seems more startled by the words Gabriel speaks than by his appearance. Perhaps he looked like a normal man. She wondered about what kind of greeting it was or perhaps that a strange man was giving such a strange greeting. Mary was probably in her early teens (some say around 13). As her song shows a great sense of humility, she seems surprised that this person would call her blessed or favored, for she did not see herself in such light. However, another reason for her fear may have been that she knew the story of Tobit, how a jealous angel appeared on the wedding night of a certain woman and killed her groom each time. Did the appearance of this angel bode the same thing for Mary?
Verses 30-37: Gabriel's announcement and explanation. Gabriel begins by trying to claim her fears. God has chosen her for a very important task -- to bear a son she will name Jesus. The name Jesus means "God saves" or "savior." Matthew makes this connection (see Matthew 1:21).
Mary's son would have an exalted place of honor and rule, which the angel describes in lofty terms. He will be "great," and given such titles as "Son of the Most High," and receive the throne of his father David (which connects it with the 2 Samuel reading for today). Notice how even the language from 2 Samuel 7 is used here. Jesus is the fulfillment of that ancient promise.
Mary, of course, doesn't understand. She knows she has not known a man and that motherhood comes only through sexual relationships. One can't become a mother without a father. How can this be?
Gabriel does not really give her an answer, at least a detailed one. All he says is that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon her. This was, in other words, to happen by the wondrous and mysterious work of the Spirit of God. But the point of all this is that Jesus would be unique, special, the Son of God.
Mary does not ask for a sign or proof that this was true, but Gabriel offers her one anyway. He tells her that her kinswoman Elizabeth, who Mary knew was not able to have children and now seemed past child-bearing years, was in fact pregnant. That seemed quite impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible, even Mary having a child.
Verse 38: Mary's response is one of trust and acceptance. She did not understand, but she accepted this as God's will. "Let it be to me as you have said." The implication here is that this was not a done deal, that it would not be done against Mary's will. Her trusting, obedient response was also needed. But it needs to be said that this was not an unmixed blessing. It came with burdens. Motherhood is wondrous. It gives many wondrous blessings but carries heavy burdens too. To have a child who many would consider out of wedlock, to see that child grow into a man and then to be so badly mistreated and eventually executed as a criminal. This was not all blessing for Mary. As we will see next Sunday, her heart would be pierced by pain.
It is truly a blessing to be called by God, used by God. But that calling often means suffering and sacrifice. It means faith and obedience, even when you don't understand what God's doing and how God's going to do it. Mary is a model for this kind of trust and obedience.
The impossible can happen. A barren woman was pregnant. A virgin was to have a child. God could enter human life through that child. And forgiveness, abundant and eternal life would also come into human life through this child. Who would have ever thought it possible that human nature, sinful as it is, could be changed so? But nothing is impossible with God. And therein lies our hope.
Application
God Goes House-Hunting. I remember well the first and so far the only house we ever bought. We must have looked at several dozen, wearing out the patience of some seasoned real estate people. It was tiring and the red tape was tedious but overall it was an exciting adventure this house hunting, this seeking a place for the Mitchell Family to rest, live and have our being... And I remember well after buying it, a small farmhouse on the outskirts of Goldsboro, North Carolina, walking around and talking to myself, saying things like, "Hi, crown molding. You belong to me." "Hello there, bathroom. I'm your new master." "How you doing, hot-water heater? You work for me now." It was a great feeling owning that house... until the crown molding fell, the plumbing needed replacing and the hot water heater blew up! Yeah. You belong to me now or do I belong to you?
Seems to me that the readings for today show us how God goes house-hunting too.
David, perhaps feeling just a bit guilty for having built himself a nice palace, suddenly realizes that the sacred Ark of the Covenant is still housed in a tent. So he asks Nathan to convey to God, "I want to build God a house." Nathan thinks it's a good idea until he talks with God. God, in essence, sends back the word, "No thanks. I think I'll build you a house instead, a dynasty, a house made of human beings through whom I will live and work and dwell..." True, David's son, Solomon, would built a grand house of stone and precious metals for God. But it was in and through "houses" made of flesh and bone that God would truly dwell. And it was in the lineage of David, one of David's distant sons through whom it would come to be said that God was in him, in Jesus of Nazareth, as never before... a human/divine life through whom we still may enter into the very presence of God.
And in the gospel lesson God fulfills that promise by coming to live among us as one of us through Mary.
When God went house-hunting, God chose human beings! We are the house of God! We are, in a sense, God's home... for God, in Christ, moves into our lives, taking out the old furniture, the old junk, renovating and making us new.
There is for every life, like every house, a For Sale sign in the front yard. We "sell out" to something, we allow something, someone into our houses, into our lives to dwell, to reign. I want God to take down my For Sale sign and take up residence here in my life. I want to be a stone in the house God's been building for ages, living stones, human beings in whom God dwells and blesses the world.
O God, let this be your moving day... move into our lives, make our hearts your home this Christmas, make our hands your own, throw out everything in our house that you cannot use and make us, with your people, wholly your own. Amen.
An Alternative Application
"A Secret Revealed." Draw upon the image Paul uses in the Romans passage today to talk about secrets.
Secrets. We all have them, especially this time of year. I see my wife and children whispering little things, little secrets (and I hope it's about presents for me).
Well, Paul writes here about a secret, about a wondrous present too, that's no longer a secret -- God's indescribable gift -- Jesus.
The secret is out now at long last...
Christ reveals the truth of God...
Christ reveals the love of God...
Christ reveals the universality of the kingdom ("made known to all the Gentiles")...
Now, what response will we give? Hopefully, "the obedience of faith."
I wonder what impossible thing you hear God whispering to you this Advent?
What impossible work or mission have you felt called to take on, to be part of?
Where, how might you bear the Christ?
Nothing is impossible with God.
Yet God needs our help, our hearts, our trust and obedience -- the kind that Mary gave. And it will cost us too, just as it cost her. Dare we believe the impossible is possible? Dare we stake our lives on it?
Nothing is impossible with God.
What are your hopes and dreams for your church, even if they may sound impossible?
The impossible can happen.
A barren woman was pregnant.
A virgin was to have a child.
God could enter human life through that child. And forgiveness, abundant and eternal life would also come into human life through this child.
Who would have ever thought it possible that human nature, sinful as it is, could be changed so? But nothing is impossible with God. And therein lies our hope.
One of my favorite Christmas stories is about old Ebenezer Scrooge. Probably everyone of us knows a Scrooge. Who would have ever thought that old selfish miser could be changed? But Christmas came and the impossible happened -- Scrooge was a changed man.
I don't know what impossible thing you need to happen in your life, in your home, or for you, but I do know that nothing is impossible with God. Christmas is coming and with it the impossible comes; it still comes to me, to you, even in our pain and brokenness, even facing the impossible.
So, Lord, though it all seems impossible, let it be to us just as you have said. For we know nothing is impossible with you.
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
In this passage David expresses the desire to build a house (temple) for God, a place in which persons can come and worship, come to experience the presence of God. But God has other things in mind -- like building a "house" not of wood or stone but of human lives through which to make God's presence known (specifically the lineage of David). This has long been interpreted as a messianic passage and is, in the Luke 1:26ff readings for today, applied to Jesus, Son of David and Son of God. Jesus, for us, is the true "house of God," the place, the person in which we have come to know the presence, grace, and love of God.
Verses 1-3: It is likely that King David was feeling guilty. You see, he had built himself a nice palace but the Ark of the Covenant was still being housed in a tent. So one day David calls the prophet Nathan and tells him of his idea or dream to build God a house. Well, Nathan, without conferring at all with God, says, "That sounds like a great idea. Go for it!"
Verses 4-7: Later that night, Nathan gets a word from God. That word is basically that God hasn't asked for a house and really doesn't need one. God has not had a temple/house since the time in Egypt and the wilderness wanderings and did not feel the need for one now. God's presence had moved with the people through the tent of meeting or tabernacle (and the Ark of the Covenant). That had been good enough and was still good enough.
There may well be behind this passage an anti-temple bias. Not everyone was in favor of a temple. Moving from the old (the tabernacle) to the new (a temple) was not an easy thing, for people do not like change. But there's more to this objection than just a resistance to change. There is a theological reason for this objection -- the nature of God. God cannot be confined to any one place or building. This attempt to localize God, to put God in a box, even an ornate box was an attempt to try to limit God and might led to the feeling and actions that God can be controlled or manipulated. Indeed, having the temple (which Solomon would build) did raise problems. You might say that it led almost to a worship of a building more than God. We know that for Jeremiah, for example, the presence of the Temple and even the Ark of the Covenant had become stumbling blocks for the faithfulness of the people. They believed that as long as they had these in their presence, that all was well and God was with them. The Temple and all their rituals and rites gave them false assurance, for what God wanted was obedience and faithfulness.
We still face this dilemma today. Millions of dollars are spent on building and maintaining enormous facilities. Many question this practice and wonder if the money and effort would not be better used in other ways. And there can be no doubt that there is a danger that the mission of any local church can sometimes become nothing more than maintaining a nice building. Look at your church budget. How do maintenance budget items compare with evangelism and mission/outreach efforts? We must keep in mind that anything we build is a means and not an end in itself, a means to greater worship and service of God.
The theology behind this passage is also important. It is true, as the Book of Acts says, that God does not live in a house made with hands. God's much too powerful to be confined to any one house or place. And that's just the point -- because God is unlimited, we need places like buildings of worship where God can be praised, where we are promised that God will meet us. Such places serve as reminders to us and the world that God is present, does come to be with us in worship, praise, when just two or three gather together. So places of worship, buildings do have a place and a purpose -- to help us come to know the presence of God.
The real questions behind this text and in the readings today are "Where can we find God? Where's God? Where does God choose to be made known? How? In a box called the Ark of the Covenant? In a temple? Where?"
Verses 8-16 answer the above questions. God chooses to be known through human beings, through lives, through flesh and blood (for here in this passage it's through a dynasty, through the descendants of David). This is at the heart of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A literal house is a cold thing, a thing made of inanimate materials. It has a role to play in us coming to know God but a limited one. God chooses to come to us in a house of flesh, as one of us (see John chapter 1 where the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us). A house is not good enough. God wants an intimate fellowship and relationship with us. So God moves into human beings, makes our hearts God's home. God did this through coming as a child born in a stable, who grew up and told us God wanted to live in us, to take residence in our hearts.
Romans 16:25-27
This is a doxology, a song of praise. It is a fitting way to end this letter, for it really summarizes Paul's understanding of the gospel he preached and loved. This is a gospel that "strengthens" us, that is, literally enables us to stand up, to stand firm. At its heart is a person -- Jesus Christ -- who offers and gives this strength. We do not in essence preach a doctrine but proclaim a person, One who was God with us, who has brought life, peace, grace, and meaning into human life. This One has shown us God and shown us who God calls us to be. This One enables us to be just that. Since the beginning of time this was a secret but has now been revealed -- in Christ we see who God is and who we are called to be. And to hear this, to truly believe it is to have faith, an "obedient faith," like that of Mary (which we will examine next).
Luke 1:26-38
The annunciation of the birth of John is immediately followed by the annunciation of the birth of Jesus. Luke ties John and Jesus closely together. It may be that they are even related (was Elizabeth Mary's sister?).
Verses 26-29: Gabriel appears to Mary. He seems to be the special envoy for God, a messenger. He is the one who announced to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would have a child. Now, six months later, he appears to Mary with another birth announcement. (Interesting that because of this reference to six months the church has observed the births of John and Jesus six months apart.)
The setting is Nazareth, which was known as Gentile territory but still had many Jews living there. It may well be that many Jews looked down on Nazareth and those who lived there (see John 1:46).
It is clearly stated that Mary is a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph. This was the betrothal period, which lasted about a year. It legally meant they were married but were not yet living together as husband and wife. Luke shows very little interest in Joseph, apparently only mentioning him because Joseph was of the house and lineage of David, which was important for the birth of the Messiah.
Mary seems more startled by the words Gabriel speaks than by his appearance. Perhaps he looked like a normal man. She wondered about what kind of greeting it was or perhaps that a strange man was giving such a strange greeting. Mary was probably in her early teens (some say around 13). As her song shows a great sense of humility, she seems surprised that this person would call her blessed or favored, for she did not see herself in such light. However, another reason for her fear may have been that she knew the story of Tobit, how a jealous angel appeared on the wedding night of a certain woman and killed her groom each time. Did the appearance of this angel bode the same thing for Mary?
Verses 30-37: Gabriel's announcement and explanation. Gabriel begins by trying to claim her fears. God has chosen her for a very important task -- to bear a son she will name Jesus. The name Jesus means "God saves" or "savior." Matthew makes this connection (see Matthew 1:21).
Mary's son would have an exalted place of honor and rule, which the angel describes in lofty terms. He will be "great," and given such titles as "Son of the Most High," and receive the throne of his father David (which connects it with the 2 Samuel reading for today). Notice how even the language from 2 Samuel 7 is used here. Jesus is the fulfillment of that ancient promise.
Mary, of course, doesn't understand. She knows she has not known a man and that motherhood comes only through sexual relationships. One can't become a mother without a father. How can this be?
Gabriel does not really give her an answer, at least a detailed one. All he says is that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon her. This was, in other words, to happen by the wondrous and mysterious work of the Spirit of God. But the point of all this is that Jesus would be unique, special, the Son of God.
Mary does not ask for a sign or proof that this was true, but Gabriel offers her one anyway. He tells her that her kinswoman Elizabeth, who Mary knew was not able to have children and now seemed past child-bearing years, was in fact pregnant. That seemed quite impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible, even Mary having a child.
Verse 38: Mary's response is one of trust and acceptance. She did not understand, but she accepted this as God's will. "Let it be to me as you have said." The implication here is that this was not a done deal, that it would not be done against Mary's will. Her trusting, obedient response was also needed. But it needs to be said that this was not an unmixed blessing. It came with burdens. Motherhood is wondrous. It gives many wondrous blessings but carries heavy burdens too. To have a child who many would consider out of wedlock, to see that child grow into a man and then to be so badly mistreated and eventually executed as a criminal. This was not all blessing for Mary. As we will see next Sunday, her heart would be pierced by pain.
It is truly a blessing to be called by God, used by God. But that calling often means suffering and sacrifice. It means faith and obedience, even when you don't understand what God's doing and how God's going to do it. Mary is a model for this kind of trust and obedience.
The impossible can happen. A barren woman was pregnant. A virgin was to have a child. God could enter human life through that child. And forgiveness, abundant and eternal life would also come into human life through this child. Who would have ever thought it possible that human nature, sinful as it is, could be changed so? But nothing is impossible with God. And therein lies our hope.
Application
God Goes House-Hunting. I remember well the first and so far the only house we ever bought. We must have looked at several dozen, wearing out the patience of some seasoned real estate people. It was tiring and the red tape was tedious but overall it was an exciting adventure this house hunting, this seeking a place for the Mitchell Family to rest, live and have our being... And I remember well after buying it, a small farmhouse on the outskirts of Goldsboro, North Carolina, walking around and talking to myself, saying things like, "Hi, crown molding. You belong to me." "Hello there, bathroom. I'm your new master." "How you doing, hot-water heater? You work for me now." It was a great feeling owning that house... until the crown molding fell, the plumbing needed replacing and the hot water heater blew up! Yeah. You belong to me now or do I belong to you?
Seems to me that the readings for today show us how God goes house-hunting too.
David, perhaps feeling just a bit guilty for having built himself a nice palace, suddenly realizes that the sacred Ark of the Covenant is still housed in a tent. So he asks Nathan to convey to God, "I want to build God a house." Nathan thinks it's a good idea until he talks with God. God, in essence, sends back the word, "No thanks. I think I'll build you a house instead, a dynasty, a house made of human beings through whom I will live and work and dwell..." True, David's son, Solomon, would built a grand house of stone and precious metals for God. But it was in and through "houses" made of flesh and bone that God would truly dwell. And it was in the lineage of David, one of David's distant sons through whom it would come to be said that God was in him, in Jesus of Nazareth, as never before... a human/divine life through whom we still may enter into the very presence of God.
And in the gospel lesson God fulfills that promise by coming to live among us as one of us through Mary.
When God went house-hunting, God chose human beings! We are the house of God! We are, in a sense, God's home... for God, in Christ, moves into our lives, taking out the old furniture, the old junk, renovating and making us new.
There is for every life, like every house, a For Sale sign in the front yard. We "sell out" to something, we allow something, someone into our houses, into our lives to dwell, to reign. I want God to take down my For Sale sign and take up residence here in my life. I want to be a stone in the house God's been building for ages, living stones, human beings in whom God dwells and blesses the world.
O God, let this be your moving day... move into our lives, make our hearts your home this Christmas, make our hands your own, throw out everything in our house that you cannot use and make us, with your people, wholly your own. Amen.
An Alternative Application
"A Secret Revealed." Draw upon the image Paul uses in the Romans passage today to talk about secrets.
Secrets. We all have them, especially this time of year. I see my wife and children whispering little things, little secrets (and I hope it's about presents for me).
Well, Paul writes here about a secret, about a wondrous present too, that's no longer a secret -- God's indescribable gift -- Jesus.
The secret is out now at long last...
Christ reveals the truth of God...
Christ reveals the love of God...
Christ reveals the universality of the kingdom ("made known to all the Gentiles")...
Now, what response will we give? Hopefully, "the obedience of faith."
