CMLC 2024-12-22 Sermon (Traditional)

Howdy. Well, today is the fourth Sunday in Advent. We've had hope, peace, joy, and today

we are looking at the theme of love. And so with that, I decided that it was important

to do some research into love. And so of course to do that, I needed to make sure I found

out the top 10 love songs from the 20th and 21st centuries. With this is discovering

some interesting ones that I've had it seen or heard in a while. There was Edith James,

at last my love has come along. And then there was Unchained Melody, you know, the one where

you're like, what in the world is that till you start hearing it, it's like, oh my love,

my darling, you know that I've hungered for your touch, aka the theme song to ghost. So

and then of course there is and I will always love you. And I would like how in the world

I think she had extra lungs installed at that point. And there was, you know, Endless Love

and Your Song by Elton John, My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, which is how it felt

when we kept hearing that song over and over. A song by Boys to Men that I cannot name in

the middle of church. There is Make You Feel My Love by Adele, who stole it from Garth Brooks,

who stole it from Billy Joel, who stole it from Bob Dylan. And Something by the Beatles,

I know, little known band you may have heard of at some point in there. And Just the Way

You Are by Billy Joel, not Bruno Mars. You know what was not on the list of top 10 love

songs was Baby by Justin Bieber. The lyrics being baby, baby, baby, ooh, baby, baby, baby,

no, baby, baby, baby, ooh, I thought you'd always be mine. It took me a while to learn

that song. I know the lyrics were really complicated, but. And I tease, he's come to faith in Christ

and everything. So I'm really grateful for that. But when you've got hair like that,

you got to make fun of the guy a little bit. The thing is, is that oftentimes what we think

of in discussing love doesn't end up coming across as very deep. It can oftentimes just

be about this feeling or this impression or just thinking that somebody's cute or just

hoping that someone notices you. But isn't love supposed to be something deeper than

that? Isn't love supposed to be something that ends up being something of the nature

of God? And that's something I want to talk a little bit today as we look at the Magnificat,

a different type of song, if you will. This is the song of Mary, the one where she is

expressing what God has done and the Magnificat, Magnificat in Latin being for my soul magnifies

the Lord. So what we see in this example is that Mary has come to visit Elizabeth and

both of them are pregnant. And as we end up seeing this, is that we may wonder how in

the world all of a sudden you come up with some poetic, you know, a song type of structure

that for whatever reason, how is it that people speak this way in conversation with each other?

Well, the reality is that it wasn't just coming out of nowhere. It's sort of like how in our

pop culture, we may think of those catchphrases from different songs that really struck us,

you know, is that, you know, this is your song or make you feel my love. Oh, I've hungered

for your touch. Well, it turns out that this particular passage was based on something

that they had heard for many generations. The song of Hannah. The thing is, is that Samuel,

the prophet, his mother had it had a child before. And when she finally had that opportunity

and she was given Samuel, she starts proclaiming how God has blessed her and has brought her

this hope of a child. And not only that, but so many Old Testament passages that are incorporated

into the song. It's like coming in and singing a medley of all your favorite old songs and

being able to bring that together to be able to see what it was that Mary was expressing.

By the way, I do have to let you know is that there were a few people who think that this

was supposed to be Elizabeth song. That's because some of the Latin manuscripts had

put Elizabeth there instead of Mary. But all the original manuscripts speak of it in the

original Greek as being from Mary. The thing is, though, that this song really could have

expressed what both of them were feeling at that point. But there are some things about

this story that end up teaching a bit about God's mercy, his goodness, but especially

God's love. And there's something about this that always stood out to me was about the

love of Elizabeth and Zechariah. See, the thing is, is that they talk about the Elizabeth

and Zechariah having a child in their old age. But notice that saying that they have

a child in their old age, it's not saying that all of a sudden the Virgin is with child.

This is from the marriage of Elizabeth and Zechariah. This was a normal human child.

See, the thing about normal human children is that they come from the love of two people

with one another. Now, of course, sometimes children are born in various circumstances,

but that being the standard is the point being is that this was from their relationship.

There was still an affection, a love, an intimacy with these two people after all of this time.

Even though they had wanted a child and hadn't been able to have one, there was still a love

and an affection and a closeness between them that they were able to have a child when the

time finally came. How often is it that we allow circumstances in life to determine whether

we share love with one another? How many times is it that things might distract us, whether

it be whether or not we've had the right experience at home or whatever may be happening with

the kids or whatever issues may be coming up with the pets? I know that there was one

family I knew where apparently they went to Disney World and one of them forgot to buy

some tickets in advance and they were stuck outside the gate not sure that they could

get in and had to wait two hours for the next cohort to go in. Things like that where you

realize that tension, that struggle can end up putting so much weight on there, on that

relationship. But can we as people be able to love one another beyond circumstances?

Is it something where we're looking that we have to be impressed in order to feel that

affection or even more than that is beyond the circumstances around us, even the things

that are happening within us? The times whenever things are stuck in our hearts, stuck in our

heads, things that we cannot get past and then we end up discovering that it affects

and changes everything that we share with one another. And even the single guy knows

that that's how things need to be able to be is to still show love even when life around

you and life within you may be in turmoil. But see turmoil within a person it may be

difficult to tackle, especially because of uncertainty. The thing is, is that we find

uncertainty around us can also end up making it difficult to love one another. And that's

something that we end up seeing when we look at love being more than just convenience.

You see, when Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, there's something that we're not sure about

in the store. It doesn't tell us whether she and Joseph had already made up yet. We actually

don't know for sure that Joseph hadn't yet welcomed her back into his home and continued

with the betrothal, the engagement. The thing is, is that Mary may have been going to see

Elizabeth when she was the most uncertain of what was going to happen in her own life.

Was she about to find herself as an unwed single mother in a world that frowned down

very sharply upon that at a time whenever if someone who was female was not married,

that she might end up being subjected to jobs and vocations that would never be something

we would be hopeful for. The thing is, though, even in the midst of her uncertainty, what

is it that she is going to do? She is going to spend her time loving and encouraging her

cousin Elizabeth. And more than that, even in the midst of this time is what is it that

she is expressing with God at that moment is that it's not spending the time saying like

some of the Psalms of my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Or why is it that the

nations rage, but rather coming forth and speaking that my soul magnifies the Lord?

Because the thing is, is that if we only end up showing love at times when it's easy and

convenient, then is it truly love? Love is something that is oftentimes going to have

to deal with the struggles and the suffering of life. And what we end up end up seeing

with Joseph as well is that even though Joseph couldn't prove to the world, my wife is having

a child by God is that the love that he ends up having for Mary is something to still suffer

the opinions of others around. But even in addition to loving Mary is also loving God.

Because that's the thing with this is that loving one another, it's more than just convenience.

It's our calling. It is what it is that we are pulled to not just because God has given

it to us, but he has called us to share that with one another as well. Because the thing

is, is that the love of God, the love of God can oftentimes be a struggle, even in the midst

of life. But it's not in spite of the life that we are experiencing. It's in the midst

of the life that we are experiencing. See, the thing is, is that Mary is not here, discussing

her pregnancy as something to be dreaded. It is not something that she is spending her

time focusing on the inconvenience and the suffering, but rather the joy of what is being

brought into the world of who is being brought into the world. That's the thing about love

is that when that love is continuing to be shared is that it is looking at the joy, the

hope to bring peace into the world. That is the thing that we end up sharing because it's

something that comes from God. I can honestly say there have been so many times whenever

I would see the things that my own mother had had to go through and knowing that my

mother has had to see both of her children go through cancer and to realize that she's

been there for the hospital visits at two different times in her life, three decades

apart and that not once was there ever a question that she was grateful to be there for us.

The thing with it is that realizing that love is not there in spite of the life that we're

going through. Love is there because of the life that we are experiencing. The thing for

Mary is that she was believing the promise not just of the child himself, but that God

loved her. That's a thing that we end up struggling with so many times is the idea that whatever

circumstance we find ourselves in is God just forgetting us, but the belief that God could

actually be loving us in that situation that we may see. We end up seeing it referenced

in 1 Timothy 2 when they're discussing that women would be saved through childbirth and

we wonder what kind of a comment is that. That's the way in which it's supposed to happen

and to realize no, the point is whatever circumstance you are in, whether you are male or female,

Jew or Greek, whatever it may be that you see slave or free is that you are saved even

in the circumstance you are in. That doesn't mean that we accept every single thing that

ever happens to us, but it means that we take the time to consider what may God be doing

at this moment in this situation. And more than that is to realize that Mary recognizes

that God is doing something for all of Israel because it is so easy that in our world we

become such narcissists, we become such inwardly focused people that whatever box we have seen

for ourselves is all that we look at. Instead of pausing to see what it is that God may

be doing in and through us or through the people around us, for the world around us,

for our family, for our friends, for our community, because God is changing the situation of his

people. At that point, Mary realizes that in a world where the people are oppressed day

after day is now to bring someone into the world who is going to change all of that.

You know, it's no longer allowing for power to be in power or wealth to be in power, but

rather to provide for those who are in need is more than just to be able to take that

time to say, okay, we just want the Roman government to change, but rather not just looking at

wishing government would change, but rather is saying what's changing in our hearts. Because

the thing that Jesus ends up coming and doing in his ministry is to love. That's the thing

that time and time again keeps coming out, because that's the thing that's actually going

to change that world in which they live. It's not to end up looking at the world around

them and continuing to just get angry that why haven't things changed and why, when are

we going to finally get what it is that we're looking for and how to make sure that all

the circumstances are what you're looking for and waiting that there's no more struggle

ever again. But rather is to realize that love is something that happens within us, not

because of the things that are surrounding us, but rather because God has first loved

us and to realize that we have been given everything. Because what is it that truly

changes whether those who are in power truly keep their power whenever we no longer spend

our time looking to them for our worth, for our hope, or for our direction? Because it

was more than just the subjection to the Roman authorities. It was that God's love went beyond

herself, beyond Mary, to save us from sin, death, and hell. Because that's the thing

about love is that love ends up creating sacrifice. Is that God is looking at us and seeing all

the things that we are doing all the ways in which we have made so many mistakes and

ruined things around us and yet still loving us. And isn't that the thing that we end up

seeing about love is to look at something and be able to say that was terrible. And

how can I still love them? That's the hard part about love is that love is not just for

the ones who are worthy. Because the problem is is that none of us are. Love is free. Love

is given and love is to sacrifice, not because we're the ones who create that worth, but

because God has given it to us. And that's the thing about love is that it looks at the

things that we have done wrong and takes them to make something beautiful. Because in the

midst of the sacrifice that this child has come to bring is then we end up seeing light

and life and salvation. And that's the same thing for you as well. I don't know what it

is that right now makes love as difficult as it may be. What it is that drags you down,

whether it be the things around you or the things within. But what I know is that the

love of God is still for you. It's still forgiving you and loving you. And that's somewhere in

the midst of this that we can find the hope, the peace, the joy, the love that comes from

God to share it with others around us. So that rather than wishing that the right song

would play on the radio to brighten up our day, or hoping that we'll finally receive

what we were looking for under the tree is that instead we will bring the best gift that

there is to bring the love of God to a world that truly needs it. So whether it be loving

people in spite of our circumstances, finding opportunities to continue to deal with the

turmoil in our hearts by recognizing the love of God for us, or seeing that God is loving

us in the midst of these things, rather in spite of them. May we this season see that

God's love is truly ours to share with one another and to bring light and life into a

world that desperately needs it. Thanks be to God.