Luke 1:26-28 - "The Greatest Favor" (12-21-08)

The Angel Gabriel is asking Mary for a favor. This is Gabriel’s second appearance in this Christmas story. The angel had already visited Zechariah and left him speechless. The powerful presence of an angelic messenger left the religious leader silent. He wasn’t able to speak for nine months. Then in the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth, Angel Gabriel came to visit Mary. Mary keeps her thoughts to herself. The angel said: “Greetings favored one” – one who God brings grace
Mary’s angelic visitor comes to ask a favor! Hey, um God wants to fulfill the promise of sending a savior to the world that will be Immanuel and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will reign forever and ever. He will grow and the favor of God is upon him (Luke 2:40). You will raise him as your own child and watch him mature into a man. You’ll even have to watch him die on a cross before all of Jerusalem! Do you mind helping out? Can you help with me with this favor? She was open to doing God a favor.
When the angel said, “Mary, Most favored one”, it doesn’t mean that God chose Mary because of a certain quality. The Latin translation and if you grew up Roman Catholic, you would know is “Hail Mary, Full of Grace”. This perspective leads to a sort of Marian devotion. It lifts Mary up really high because we think that God plays favorites. She is not God’s favorite child or God is not playing favorites! She hasn’t earned God’s favor; God is bringing favored upon her; Mary is the recipient of Grace. The word “favored one” in the Greek is charitoo; is from “charis” and it means grace, endue with special honor:—highly favoured.
What kind of favor is he asking for? My wife helped give some kid a jump in his truck at the store today. I picked up my brother in Niles and drove him to the airport! Doug Haugen was available for pastoral care emergencies while I was gone. We all participate in doing and receiving favors from others.
We have all received a favor or done a favor. It means to do it without expecting something in return. When someone asks, “Can you do me a favor”, you don’t keep a tally of how many they have done and how many you have done for them. Sometimes we may feel that we have lost favor with others or with God. Yet today we are reminded that we have all received favor; found favor
This favor would leave Zechariah and Elizabeth’s life’s changed forever. Their son would be the one who prepare the way for Jesus, John the Baptist, and John would die at the hands of King Herod. The angel’s favor would leave Mary changed forever. Nothing like being a favorite child and the burden and responsibility that calling carries. Pregnancy is never easy or safe from complications. The hope that Gabriel proclaims is a vulnerable hope - fragile, ambiguous, contrary to experience.
So much of our lives is spent operating out of fear. On the way to the airport, signs remind us of the Orange threat level. We are afraid to stand before our relatives who are hurting during this season and offer just our ears like Zechariah. We are afraid to offer a favor to a friend or a family member because we know we’ve been burned before. We are afraid to land at Midway knowing that there is ice and snow everywhere as we land on Friday mid-morning. We fear what will happen as we get older, watching our relatives and friends get sick.
The angel brings a word of comfort by saying: Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. I’m afraid that I have fallen out of favor with God? How can I find favor with God? Being favored also offers a promise. The angel Gabriel said to both Zechariah and to Mary, “Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid. You are the Favored One, God is with you. God is calling you do bear and birth new life this Christmas as we enter the favor of God’s good graces in Christ.
I spoke words of encouragement on Thursday to my sister and family at the funeral of her husband, Larry Ellington, who died in Mississippi on Monday. I spoke the words of Jesus when spoke Jesus words to the disciples in John 14: “Do not let your hearts be troubled; don’t let them be afraid. In my father’s house there are many mansions, If it were not so would I go and prepare a place for you so that where I am you may be also. And you know the place that I am going.”
We have found favor with God and there is room for us all in God’s house. We are called by the one who favors us; who fancies us; and has done us the greatest favor ever! The one who favor you has offered a substitute to take your place. What a great favor! We are called to by God today, who is knocking on the window; who is ringing the bell. Do me a favor, open the door, and let ‘em in; yeah, yeah; yeah, yeah, yeah! Even if you don’t open the door; the messengers of God are being sent to you again in this favorable season. We receive this favor like Mary, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to you word.”

Let us pray: Gracious God, you have granted us your favor and welcomed us back into your favor. We are granted your favor and you call us to share that favor with others. Guide us in this favorable season, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.