Dethroning the Powerful
Scripture
Psalm 89: 1-4 read responsively and Luke 1:39-56
Preached by Linda Jo Peters
December
18, 2011 - Fourth Sunday of Advent
Christmas
Joy Offering is received
Psalm 89: 1-4 read responsively
This is a song of praise for God's steadfast love and faithfulness and recalls God's very words in establishing the throne of David and his descendants. It is part of our Advent lectionary reading as we recall that Jesus as the Messiah is given the throne of David.
1I will sing of your steadfast love,
O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all
generations.
2I declare that your steadfast love
is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:
4‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’”
Luke 1:39-56
The Christmas story is often
rendered devoid of challenge and is told as a sweet story about a baby being
born. We can miss the radical claim that
God is found, not as the royal child of a queen, but as the son of an unmarried
peasant. Mary’s song at this encounter
with her older cousin, Elizabeth is an overture to the Gospel of Luke as a
whole. Her lyrics set the tone for Jesus’ radical and controversial ministry
that is to come.[1]
39In
those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill
country,40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted
Elizabeth.41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped
in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit42and
exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb.43And why has this happened to me, that the
mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of
your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.45And blessed is
she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by
the Lord.” 46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor
on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call
me blessed;49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and
holy is his name.50His mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation.51He has shown strength with his arm; he
has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.52He has
brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;53he
has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.54He
has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,55according
to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants
forever.” 56And Mary remained with her about three months and then
returned to her home.
Sermon
I
was searching the internet for a picture of an upside down crown as a symbol of
dethroned power when I came upon this logo for Westside King’s Church in
Calgary, Canada. They chose this symbol to
represent the “mystery of Jesus. A king
who comes not simply to replace those who have come before but to completely
reinvent our imagination of what the world can be."[2]
“There
were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man
had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe
lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with
his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and
lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler
to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to
prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb,
and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was
greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man
who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because
he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man![3]
What
stirs in us to see justice and fairness reign rather than greed and power, is
what stirred in Mary’s womb. What called
her to sing out:
He has brought down the
powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry
with good things, and sent the rich away empty. (verses 52 &53)
May
the Christ stir in you. May a deep
abiding yearning for righteousness and justice to come rolling down like a
mighty stream; be alive and well within your heart. We are disciples of the ultimate dethroner of
the powerful. May he move through you to
make a difference in this world and turn the crown upside down. Amen.
