Fourth Sunday in Advent: Gospel, Luke 1:39-45                       

Luke 1:39-45

I love the account of Mary receiving heavenly news of her role in the Messiah’s birth. It’s difficult to imagine, especially as a man who cannot experience the joy of carrying a human baby; just what it must have been like to know that God was visiting and taking up residence in your womb. I hope that doesn’t come off in a crass manner because it is the most magnificent message any human being has ever heard. Martin Luther quipped that the virgin Mary conceived the Christ Child through her ear. Oh, the power of God’s Word.

And here words heard become exultation from the recipients. Both Mary and her dear cousin Elizabeth hear the Word of the Lord and Elizabeth feels the movement for joy of her child in her womb. What sublimity. Both women give verbal expression to their joy and expectation. And the world has been ever blessed to join in with their celebration. As we enter into days of the nativity and on its heels, the Epiphany, let us rejoice with full hearts hanging on Gabriel’s word and the words of these holy women. “Unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given,” wrote George Frederic Handel quoting Isaiah. Unto us! For us!

God has let us in on His great plan and we who are its recipients by grace now look to its full consummation as the One born of Mary will most surely come again. To paraphrase the Savior’s mother, “May it be done to us according to Thy Word.” Amen!

Blessed Christmas!

A note to my readers: I am coming to the end of nearly four years of weekly meditations on the Lectionary. Nearly 600 of them by my count. I have the privilege of some extended time with my family through Christmas and on into the new year for which I am grateful to God. This will be my final devotion of 2024 and I will be taking January 2025 off from writing. My next devotion will be sent out on Tuesday February 4, 2025 and will be the first of the week’s readings pointing  to the following Sunday, February 9. God be with you all during this blessed season and thank you for walking with me each week. May God grant us all wondrous blessings in the coming year. I am grateful for you all.