“I’ve got some questions.” Hear me raise a few about Luke 1:39-55 as it pertains to Mary, Elizabeth, me and you. Listen in (or read below) my latest sermon from the Lectionary C text for Advent, preached on 22 December, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church Clifton in Clifton, Texas. Tune in afterwards to hear my background video, recorded when I got back home, later that day. I don’t really want to share it, but I think you should know. (Wait to watch it after hearing my sermon first. Then scroll allllll the way down at the end of this post – disregard all those ads!)

Scriptures

Malachi 3:1-4. (NASB)

“Behold, I am sending My [a]messenger, and he will clear a way before Me. And the Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly come to His temple; [b]and the [c]messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of armies. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap. 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord [d]offerings in righteousness. 4 Then the [e]offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years.

The word of the Lord.

Luke 1:39-56 (NASB)

“Now at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant;

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.

For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is to generation after generation

Toward those who fear Him.

He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

And has exalted those who were humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And sent the rich away empty-handed.

He has given help to His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

Just as He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

56 Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.“

Sermon Text

When you think about this story, which you may have heard- 

I have a few questions. Um, First, I wonder why did Mary go to Elizabeth?

Why did Mary go to Elizabeth? I mean, you could say that because the angel told her to.   Um, but I don’t know. I mean, how many times have you been approached by an Angel? But even so, you know, has the Lord, God told you to go do something and you went and did it? But Mary went.  Mary went and,  and Mary believed. So, um, for those of you who have seen someone that’s been pregnant before or maybe you yourself have been pregnant- I know in the beginning, you don’t really know that you’re – something is happening. Under the surface. 

You know- I, my first child, I didn’t know until four months in- so… But here, with Mary, she was given this word by Gabriel. That she would be with child and she went. I don’t know if you think about that. Isn’t that kind of amazing? Because there’s no evidence really happening, that would tell her that this is so.  She  just believed and went. She just believed and went to go see.  So, the angel Gabriel said, go and see that your relative is with child expecting in the fifth month, 6 months? She was definitely showing, right? When she (Mary) came into the room. What happened?Yeah! And I have a question about that too. You know. Why did that happen?

Why did the baby in Elizabeth’s body respond in that way at the sound of Mary’s voice?

I mean I I don’t know but if we slowed down a little and think about the text, the story that we retell each year, if we think about it- Why did the baby respond in that womb?

And, And why did Elizabeth, at that moment, exclaim- filled with the Holy Spirit- she said, Wow. Who am I? That the mother of my Lord should come to me??

I I just wonder about that.

I wonder, do we take time to notice the things that are happening. Like like, like the baby, jumping, and Mary and Elizabeth noticing what happened. And exclaim- being filled with the Holy Spirit? Do we? Do we take time to notice these things? Or does it just pass us by as well?

I just dropped off my son to go visit his friend.

You might have been through this already, but I have two kids. Uh one’s in the 12th grade and one’s in the 11th grade. And my 12th grader, my oldest son, Caleb, I dropped him off on Friday to go and be with this friend for two weeks. Now when that first came up, uh, there was some “conversations” in the house about it.  What? How are you gonna be gone? You’re about to be gone (to college)..this summer, you know he’s moving away is his plan. And so he said to me, “I’m here all the time. What difference does it make?” Uh, and I said, you just don’t understand. He doesn’t understand right now. Uh, but he’s gone now and, on our way there, driving from Temple where we live to Austin, it’s about an hour to the airport on I-35 going all the way down. Then it’s a bunch of construction. And then there’s the airport. There was a vehicle that we were behind. It was a truck carrying a trailer and I was driving while trying to, you know, get some last words in before he leaves. And I noticed that the truck in front of us had moved over.

I mean there was traffic coming up. I could see that we were all stopping but this truck moved over off the road. Like over. So I thought in my mind, ‘this truck is gonna like go down the hill and like cut over because they want to avoid traffic’ but no, as soon as they moved over, their back right tire of the trailer popped off and bounced and the trailer went down and I thought, “If that had happened just a few moments earlier, we would have been at the construction barriers where the truck would have had nowhere to go. Or, if we were, I don’t know, not paying attention, II just would have missed what happened. But the road was clear, thankfully, because the truck had moved over. Just think, at that time I I was like, “Did you see that?” to my son who had been sitting there and who can drive now- (and I think about all sorts of things now that he’s able to drive). But, I was driving this time and I just thought, “Wow, did you see that?” He said, “I did.” I said, “I wonder how the truck knew to move over?” And he said, “well, I don’t know, maybe he felt it or something. I don’t know.” You know, we wonder about the things that happen. I just needed to say at that time, I just needed to say, “well, I thank God that the truck paid attention and that it moved over. Cuz had this happened before (earlier), this trip would have been different. It would have instantly turned different. But instead we got to keep going.” And I, That’s like an example of how to pause and notice and maybe speak out loud what we just saw and acknowledge what God has done. 

I think the baby in Elizabeth’s womb responded in that way because the Holy Spirit is alive and at work within us. And there was a moment that happened that Elizabeth lifted up in praise.  

And I think, that Mary needed to hear that. Now, I know it doesn’t say that here but just think about it. Mary, who’s not showing yet. She just received this word that she’s going to have a child. Even though she knew she didn’t do all the things. But yet, you know, she went, and then something happens and suddenly her relative is just exclaiming words of Praise.

Did that happen for Mary?

Did Mary need Elizabeth to fulfill her calling? 

Well, I think she did. Well she benefited definitely from it.    Of course, God can do all things. Maybe it would have happened. Regardless, all things would have worked out, of course they will. But Elizabeth was a part of this journey and and so was her  exclamation of who, of what God has done in Mary may have strengthened Mary for the journey ahead. 

We don’t know, but I think. I think of all the times that people have poured into me.  Specifically, I was thinking about my mentor. I don’t, I don’t know if I just- I think this is my fourth time preaching here- but I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned my mentor to you, but I just want to let you know and let her know if she sees this-  But my mentor – I met her when I was getting out the Army. Back- well, I got out the Army in 2008. But my daughter was born and in 2009 at the beginning we had just moved to El Paso. So as soon as we move there, I had a two week old Madelyn. And a one-year-old Caleb and we had just moved to El Paso. Uh, and then we found out that my husband was going to be deploying in 3 months. So I, uh, didn’t know what to do. And you know, but somebody told me- I actually went to a (Army) Chaplain and I said, “what am I supposed to do?” He said uh, “Go to PWOC. Protestant Women of the Chapel. It’s like a, it’s like an on-base women’s Bible study group that meets weekly at all these bases. Even though I’ve been in the Army, I’ve never heard of it. But now it’s time for me to hear.  And I went and I found my community that helped me during that time because they were all in the same boat.But in that time, so in that community, you you meet for an hour. But half the time, you’re in community fellowship with everybody, then the other half, you choose the Bible study you want to be a part of and you go do that. The reason why I kept going was they had free child care. Uh, and I needed a break. But I also went because I like community, but this is what God was doing. God put me in the group that I didn’t really know this at the time, of course, I just picked a group. That group was called “Keys to understanding the Bible.” And I thought, “you know what, I would like to understand the Bible, this sounds good.” The Leader of that group was my soon-to-be mentor. I had no idea at the time. I didn’t know, but she actually had a Ministry to the military. So what she did was like sort of plant herself in these Bible studies and then she looks for people who are looking for God.  And I was.  Anyway, after that Bible study was over, I wrote her a card. And I just said, “Oh, it’s too bad that this is over because I was just getting into it you know.” And uh she said, “You know what?  I actually live in your neighborhood. Would you like it if I come by and we could go over the Bible together.?” I was like, “you want to come over? Sure!” You know and she did. Faithfully, she came over every week. We read from a Navigator’s Bible study book, does everybody know about that?  We have basic questions about God and along with the Scripture that you would look up for the answer and I’d write it down. And basically, I do my homework, she comes. We share life together and then we go over some of the questions. We did that together- for 11 years.  And when we move, which we did every two to three years, we met via Skype.  I needed her. Just like, I think Elizabeth maybe poured into Mary- Mary needed Elizabeth, and I needed my mentor.  You wonder why I said all that, I know that was a little long, but I said all that to say as I thought about being here today, I thought about well, “Where are the mentors here?” 

You know, I I had no idea that people did that kind of thing. Where people would show up for someone regularly and spend time and show them what they know about God  and invest in their life and their family. I had no idea that people would actually do that. But she did. I mean, and in turn, after a few years, I started doing that for the others. And I just wonder what is happening here, with you all here. Where are the mentors here? I think that we need you in order to develop and grow. 

You know, the title of this sermon, I had to turn in early because, you know, things need to happen. I turned in, “God is continuing to do great things. What about you?”  

I apologize if that came off kind of like, whoa. Um but really, what? I’ve always been about action. You know, what’s happening??? Let’s re-examine, let’s see! What is God doing? And what is ours to do? What is God doing? And what is ours to do?

So I just went over a couple of things that were happening in my life, Mary’s life Elizabeth’s life, there are things happening. Are these just random things? Or is God at work, orchestrating things behind the scenes, orchestrating events, bringing people together, making things happen, making connections happen, moving in the world. I think God is doing great things. I can see it in all of these interactions. Whether I said, “God did that. (or) God did that. God did that (other thing) through this person.  God did that – through that angel.” You know, I I believe that God is at work. Maybe it’s because I have eyes of Faith. I believe that God is at work, always has been at work, and continues to be at work, even right now. Even when Zechariah and Elizabeth were praying and in their elderly age, still didn’t get the answers to their prayer. Was probably shunned or questioned by their Community wondering. I didn’t what’s up with them?

But they, they remained faithful to God even though they didn’t know what was happening. They didn’t know why. God did not provide (them a child). Yet, they remained faithful. They didn’t try to take matters into their own hands, which I found out that at that time sometimes people with means would go and buy uh, a boy from a family who maybe doesn’t have enough means to care for (all) their children. They would go get one and raise them as their own. And so they could have maybe done that. They didn’t, though, it doesn’t say that they did that. It just says that they remain faithful to God in the ways that God called. For Zechariah that meant continuing to serve in the Temple until one day God showed up. And for Mary, you know, we don’t know a lot about her early life, but She was a female. She was not yet, married. She was, probably didn’t have the same means and education and respect that the couple did. But, she remained open to what God was doing.

So, my question for you is, how are you growing in your faith? What are you praying about these days? Do you recognize the work of the Spirit in your life and then in the lives of those around you? Do you give words to point this out to others? What you see God doing at work in your everyday lives? 

How are you Discerning God’s commissioning to you? Yeah, I said “God’s commissioning to you” like what is God asking you to do? There is something specific. I mean, we just heard about everyone in here has a name, it’s true. We all have a name and a fingerprint that’s unique to us. What’s God set aside for you specifically- that only you can do? Maybe it’s the relationship that only you can talk to the person. That only you can, you know, give your story to. Or, there are so many, I don’t know your lives. I wish I wish I knew more about each one of you, actually. I like to spend time listening to people, but I don’t know what unique things God has called you to. I don’t know. Um, but I but I know my story. And I I know that I’ve tried to remain faithful to the things that God has called me to. And I’ll I’ll just leave you with one example of how I try to do that. Um, Only because I don’t know your stories. Otherwise, I’d lift that up too. 

You know, I- me being here today, in this role, is an act of faith. 

All right, you don’t know my journey. You know that Mentor I talked to you about that poured into me?  I had to- There comes a point in your life, for me, that I had to recognize, what is God doing? My mentor poured into me and I’m grateful. But, If it. If I stayed with what she was teaching me and what I believed and what I learned and what I taught. If I stayed in that, I would not be here today. I would not be able to be here today. But because I believe that God was doing something more in me that I needed to step out on in faith- I did – and it was lonely. And scary. And you lose your- the people who, acknowledged you but only to a certain extent. No, God is doing more in me. I Just wanted to follow the Lord. 

Maybe God is calling you to do something that you don’t see other people around you doing. You don’t see other people around you talking about.  You don’t see other people around you lifting up- but that’s for them. This is for you. What has God called you to? 

May you be courageous to go, even when you don’t see evidence of it yet. How will you be courageous to look and to say, “I don’t know, but I’m just gonna go see.  I’m gonna go check it out and I’m gonna- I’m trusting God.”  And as you go along the way, people along the way, through the work of the Holy Spirit, they encourage you and you just keep going and you keep following the Lord because something’s happening.  You don’t exactly know how it’s going to turn out. You just know, “I’m here.”  

That’s my one story out of many as to why I believe and why I’m here. I know you have yours too and I hope that you will follow one step at a time because God’s doing great things and we’re waiting on you- too.

Background Video

I thought about NOT sharing this, but it’s the truth y’all and I want you to know (especially those who look for God at work like I do.) I didn’t want to share it only because I want to make myself look better than I try to present… but it’s all God.

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You can find the rest of my sermons here! https://sejanashines.com/preaching/