Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on 17 December 2023, by Hope Antone. The scripture readings that day were Luke 1: 43-55, 59-79.

Reasons for Rejoicing

This is the third Sunday in Advent and it is often set aside as the Advent Sunday of Joy. And so what are our reasons for being joyful? Is it because it is just one week away from Christmas? All the decorations are up. Christmas music is in the air. Parties have started. Yet, we know that none of these can cover or drown the news of war, calamities, terrorism, genocide, that are happening in different parts of the world. 

 

We also know that there are those who face uncertainties in life as they await decisions on their status in Hong Kong – is it to leave the city or to stay? There are those who are waiting for signs and openings of better jobs or suitable careers. There are also those who are waiting for news that illnesses have been cleared or are now under control...  

 

But our Advent theme, “How does a weary world rejoice?”, seems to affirm that it is still possible to rejoice despite the weariness around us. So, today let us look into the stories (and songs) of Mary and Zechariah – to learn from them how they could still rejoice despite the weariness of the world in their time. 

 

In the first place, we can learn from the songs of Mary and Zechariah that rejoicing meaningfully begins with acknowledging our own and the weariness of the world. 

In the Magnificat, Mary acknowledged her “lowly state” as a servant, which is a mark of her humility. Her rejoicing may have come later. I would imagine that when the angel told her that she would conceive a child outside of marriage, she would have been shocked, surprised, even afraid. Only later could she really sing this song, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Being joyful does not necessarily happen so quickly. It can happen after sometime, when we have reflected on an experience, even a negative event. The Magnificat seems to show that Mary had already come to terms with her being an ordinary young woman, called to do an extraordinary mission – i.e., to be the Theotokos or God-bearer, as the Rev. Judy Chan preached last Sunday. 

 

More than just singing about her own blessedness, Mary sang about the Mighty One fulfilling his promise to Israel – showing strength with his arm; scattering the proud in their imagination; bringing down the powerful from their thrones, and lifting up the lowly; filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty. In a way, this is a description of what happened to her. 

 

In the Benedictus, Zechariah rejoiced by blessing God for looking favorably on his people, raising up a mighty savior who would bring their liberation. Not mentioned in the song, but which we can glean from the preceding verses, is that after Zechariah had confirmed the name of their son, John, he was able to speak again, after having been muted for nine months.  

 

If you remember, on the first Sunday in Advent, the Rev. Phyllis Wong preached on the angel’s visit to Zechariah, informing him that his wife would conceive. While they had been praying for a child during their marital life, they now have advanced in age and have probably accepted their childless state. Thus, he asked the angel, “How will I know that this is so?”, but the angel Gabriel muted him for not believing his words. As Pastor Phyllis said, his time of silence was probably a time for deep listening to God’s Word and world; and for a serious reflection on his own life, now transformed with the forthcoming baby.      

 

Similar to the Magnificat, the Benedictus spoke of God’s acts of liberation. In addition, the Benedictus includes some words addressed to his son, John, highlighting his role as a herald who would prepare the way before the Lord. 

 

So rejoicing meaningfully therefore begins with acknowledging our own and the weariness of the world. It is when we come to terms with our need, not only personal but also communal need, in our situations of gloom and despair, that our longing for hope, peace, joy and love becomes clearer. 

 

In the second place, we can learn from the songs of Mary and Zechariah that rejoicing meaningfully happens through connection with one another. In many agrarian and communal cultures, pregnancy is a shared expectation of a happy event. And happiness is something that is shared by the community. Yet pregnancy and childbirth could also be quite dangerous in their time and even now. While a time of isolation was important, especially as the pregnant woman would need to adjust to changes in her body, visits by affirming and supportive friends and relatives would be quite helpful.  

 

It is said that Mary traveled for three days to visit her cousin Elizabeth. It was with Elizabeth that Mary shared her song, the Magnificat. Two women shared similar and also different stories about bearing a child – one in her advanced age and having been in a state of barrenness; and another in her prime age but even before her marriage. One child is to be a herald, preparing the way for the other child. Both births were foretold by an angel; and both were related to the bringing about of salvation and liberation to a people who have been in a state of oppression. 

 

In Elizabeth’s case, her neighbors and relatives shared the extraordinary events that accompanied the birth of their son, John. Since news traveled fast even in their non-digital world, they were aware of Elizabeth getting pregnant in her old age, and of Zechariah becoming muted for his unbelief in the angel’s words. They must have offered help – whether through material help or practical advice from their experience of having conceived and raised their own children; sharing stories of what to do and what worked – as when you have some cravings or when you have certain health issues to deal with while pregnant … They must have been there to offer psychological help not only to Elizabeth but also to Zechariah who now had to learn to communicate differently during his state of mutedness. And that is why they were there on the eighth day since the baby’s birth – for the naming of the baby and/or for his circumcision, which were rituals in their faith community. 

 

There is another level of connection that is happening here as well. Circumcision of the flesh was their common ritual – but John as the herald before the Christ – was to live out the circumcision of his heart, which later led to his life in the wilderness and his ministry of calling people to repentance.        

 

So, rejoicing meaningfully happens through making connections, not only with one another as a community, but also to the deeper meanings of shared rituals, beliefs and history. 

 

In the third place, rejoicing meaningfully involves allowing ourselves to be amazed … to be surprised, to marvel, and to wonder … to experience unexpected delight even from simple things. That must have been Elizabeth’s experience when she felt the baby leaping for joy in her womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting during Mary’s visit. 

 

During Zechariah’s stage of mutedness for nine months, he must have been able to observe and even experience those moments of delight – at the development of the child in the womb; the preparations that the whole household must do for the coming of the child. He must have continued to study God’s word, and to marvel at how God’s promise was being realized...

 

It is said that when one loses a sense, the other senses become even more sensitive and sharper to receive and process incoming stimuli and messages. 

 

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Zechariah regaining his ability to speak. He could speak again, after writing on the tablet, confirming what Elizabeth had already told the community: that their son would be called John. When he came out of mutism, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, that he burst into song … 

 

Some authors/theologians think that what happened to Zechariah was a reflection of what was going on in Israel at that time. That his having been muted signified the silencing of the prophetic voice for centuries; and that his regaining his power of speech signified that prophecy had begun to sound forth again. For centuries, the Jewish people thought that God had rebuked them, punished or disciplined them – allowing them to fall into the hands of Rome. So perhaps, that was the bigger surprise, meant for a bigger scale and not just in Zechariah’s life: the silence of prophecy is being lifted and God is doing a new thing with them and in the world. 

 

And then Zechariah turns to his child and addresses him: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (vss. 76-79)

 

Now I just want to add that the darkness that is usually associated with the time of weariness of the world is not always bad or sad. For not all darkness is of despair or sin. The darkness of the night is needed for our bodies to sleep well. The darkness of the womb is needed for new life to grow, develop, and simply wait for the fullness of time… 

 

And that is what Advent is like  entering into the darkest part of the year and waiting for the coming light…  

 

So now, there are really many reasons for rejoicing. And I think our church, as we celebrate not only the Christmas season but also our centenary, calls us to choose from a hundred ways or acts of service. Such acts of service can be our reasons for rejoicing despite the weariness of the world we are in right now. May it be so. Amen.