Joy prepares her first Christmas cookie of the season! Hello, all--
As you may recall, about three weeks ago I was invited to preach at the international church here. With the Advent season starting the next week, the phrase kept repeating in my mind "Let every heart prepare Him room...." Here is an abridge version of the message. If you choose to read it, I hope the Holy Spirit uses it in some way in your life.
When I was very young, our church did not celebrate Advent. Our Christmas preparations and celebrations all focused upon the manger. As an adult, I have felt drawn to a time of preparation in my own heart. Calendars are useful for marking time and for relating the events of the past with the present and future. So, each year, with the coming of the Advent season, I am drawn again into God's story and I find myself on the road to Bethlehem.
You see, before a young Jewish couple could search for a place with room for the infant Son of God to be born, God Himself had to search for a heart with room to bear this most precious and awesome gift. He did not choose a woman wise from experience or revered by the community. Instead, He looked to a young girl, engaged to be married, a lowly bondservant, by her own estimation. Human nature being what it is, we are often people of extremes. Some venerate and hold Mary up to the point of making her God. Others shy away from her. Yet there she is…popping up throughout the pages of the New Testament.
From the angelic announcement of her destiny, to the visit with Elizabeth, to the birth of Jesus, his childhood trip to the temple, his life, ministry, death and resurrection—Mary is there. She is involved in Jesus’ first public miracle: turning the water to wine at wedding in Cana. And we find her at Pentecost in the Upper Room, receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit. I like to think of her as the 13th disciple.
So, what can we learn from this young woman-girl, chosen to be called “Mother” by Jesus? God found room in her heart to play a pivotal role in history.
One passage that tells us so much about Mary’s heart is her song of praise when she went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Mary had recently been visited by the angel Gabriel who told her of God’s plan that she would bear His Son. Elizabeth herself was miraculously expecting a child—John the Baptist. You know the story—Elizabeth’s child leaps in her womb at the sound of Mary’s voice and Elizabeth recognizes the work of God in Mary’s life. Mary responds with what has become known as “The Magnificat”—a hymn of exaltation and rejoicing at the works of God.
The passage is found in Luke 1:46-55, a remarkable song. Let's look at the passage in three main parts: Praise, Purpose and Perspective.
First, Praise. Mary’s first words are full of adoration. “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” At the first opportunity this young girl has to share the wondrous miracle that is taking place in her life, words of praise tumble from her mouth like water released from an open dam. You almost get a sense of gushing here, like she has just been waiting to express the joy of her heart with someone who can receive it and share it. I can relate to that feeling. At the time Tony and I were dating, my mother was very dependent upon me. We actually became engaged on the phone. Hmmm...when was it? Tuesday, July 15, 1986, 9:20 am. Now it’s a story for another time, but I might say that Tony and I had met 7 years earlier. And we had lost contact for 3 years. And then God brought him to teach at a school operated by the church where I was on staff. And almost 2 years after that, we began to date. So I was a little….well, okay, deliriously happy about our engagement. However, I knew that my mother could not share my joy. For her, it meant the loss of income and companionship. So she was not the first person I told about the engagement. Instead, I waited until I could visit a motherly-type woman in our church. When I got to her house, I spilled the news in a flood of excitement. I wanted the first person I told to be someone who would be happy with me.
“My soul exalts the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” In these two words, “soul” and “spirit”, this verse captures the full meanings of the Greek and Hebrew words that encompass the whole of the mind, will, emotions, disposition and personality. A phrase that most closely expresses their meaning is “heart-life.” It also gives us the key to the Scripture’s admonition to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). A heart that exalts the Lord, that focuses on praise, that has eyes turned off of self and on to the worthiness of our great God…that heart will find reason to rejoice. I would say it is impossible to truly lose oneself in adoring the all-loving, all-merciful, all-powerful Savior and not be moved toward rejoicing.
Mary continues…”For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name.” Did you know that God has regard for you? That he looks upon you with favor and with partiality? Do you know deep in your heart that he has compassion for your situation and circumstances? The word for “humble” here means “cast down in circumstances or in disposition.” No one else may be aware of what the struggles of your heart are, but He is aware. He has regard for you: he sees, he knows, and he is partial to you.
“For behold, from this time on all generations will call me blessed.” I find this to be one of the most interesting statements in this passage. It is most certainly a statement of faith. Think about it. Mary--a young woman, engaged to be married--suddenly turns up pregnant. The Bible tells us that kind-hearted Joseph intended to “put her away quietly.” Saying “yes” to God’s assignment cost Mary dearly in the way people viewed her—people that she loved, trusted, admired. The people in her community probably had several words to describe her, but I doubt that “blessed” was one of them. It’s kind of like being informed that the grand prize you have just won is a free root canal. You may need it. It may benefit you. But there is some pain involved. Yet Mary had spiritual insight. The word blessed means “indwelt by God and thus fully satisfied.” I love that. Listen to it again. To be “blessed” means “to be indwelt by God and thus fully satisfied.” The approval of others pales in comparison. Praise is the backbone of confident hope.
The second section of Mary’s song centers on Purpose. She boldly proclaims the Word of God, quoting directly two verses from the Psalms, and giving a prophetic glimpse of the work of the coming Messiah. There is a feeling here that Mary knows that this monumental event, the coming of the Son of God as a baby, is not about her. It is the fulfillment, the culmination of God’s promises of help, victory and salvation.
“His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him,” she begins, quoting Psalm 103:17. “He has done mighty deeds with His arm.” In Hebrew, the arm is a symbol of strength, power, ability, and glory. What imagery for us who know “the rest of the story”—that the Sovereign Lord, full of strength, power, ability and glory-- would willingly stretch His arms the length of a cross to accomplish redemption.
“He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.” These prophetic words speak of a Savior who will turn things right—bringing down the proud, all those who trust in themselves as “self-sufficient.” The words here, too, bring to mind Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
The final section of this passage shows Perspective. Mary perceives a “grand scheme of things.” The Holy Spirit has revealed to her heart that what is occurring is a fulfillment of the ages. What was promised centuries earlier is now coming to pass. Verses 54 and 55 say, “He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” Mary has not lost sight of the fact that He remembers His people. They are a fixture in His mind. All His activities throughout history have a backdrop of His lovingkindness. He has promised, and He will not forget. When you are discouraged, or weary, or disappointed, remember: there is One who is remembering you. He bears you in mind. Always.
So then, even if the framework of Praise, Prophecy and Perspective is helpful for understanding these verses, we are still left with the question: What kind of heart prepares room large enough to embrace a destiny of God’s design? I would suggest five qualities from this passage, that might help us prepare Him room in our hearts this Advent season.
First, Mary had a heart that refused offense, even if offense was understandable and well-grounded. Can’t you imagine the snide remarks, the condemning and knowing looks, the cold shoulder treatment that she must have endured? I have lived a few years now. I am old enough to know that life will offer plenty of opportunities to take offense. I can receive the offense, and let it grow into festering anger, bitterness, disillusionment, self-pity, and envy. Or, I can refuse it. I can give my hurts to my Savior, who understands them so well. When I do, my heart grows a little larger. I have given Him room.
Second, Mary’s heart showed that she had a God-given wisdom to recognize real, lasting, eternal treasures. More than once we read of her in the Scriptures, “Mary treasured these things in her heart.” She refused to be caught up in herself, or her circumstances. Her focus is always outward and upward. When we embrace the call of God with total surrender, we are free to see and experience so many treasures that we would otherwise miss. We “prepare him room” by giving Him full control and by treasuring the fact that He would choose us as His vessels. Our hearts are enlarged by the size of the treasure that we hold.
Third, Mary’s heart was focused on the purposes of God. She was fulfilling her role, but the design was His. Our hearts are large enough to receive Him, and to share Him, when we live with the realization that in ourselves, we are like the grass that is here today and gone tomorrow. But in saying “yes” to every leading of the Holy Spirit, we take our place in history. We become “indwelt by God, and thus fully satisfied.”
Finally, God chose a heart in Mary that could bear the cost. Love costs something. It is willing to extend itself, to bear the hurt, to persevere in the face of sorrow and personal loss. The joy of tenderly cradling a newborn Son would turn to anguish as He was bruised, crushed and despised. There is a price to be paid in following Jesus with a whole heart. Many of you know it well. A financial price in leaving careers, real estate, or lucrative jobs to come to Vietnam. A relational price in leaving family, friends, vibrant church communities. A personal cost in the separation from tradition and culture or in relinquishing our own plans. But in bearing the cost, we prepare Him room, for we must open our hearts to His comfort.
Like Mary, a heart with room for Jesus does not depend on social standing, age, education, or ability. It is realized through joyful surrender and trust. God delights in using for His glory those who are small, insignificant and ill-prepared for ministry according to the measures of the world. Gladys Aylward was born in England around the turn of the 20th Century. Her family was poor, and she had to discontinue her schooling as a girl in order to work as a maid. As a young woman, she received salvation through Jesus, and shortly after learned of the ministry of China Inland Mission. She felt the call of God to go to China. She eventually made it there, only to be rejected by her superiors and sent home to England. Still, her call persisted, and though it took her 10 years of working and saving, she made it back to China. Miraculously, the Lord opened one door after another for her to share the Gospel. From merchants, to villagers, to prisoners to orphans—Gladys rose to every challenge, empowered by the Holy Spirit. For about the next 40 years, Gladys ministered the love of God to people of every age and walk of life. Once called a “foreign devil” by the Chinese, her name became “Ai-wei-deh”, which means “Virtuous One.” At the end of her life, Gladys Aylward wrote these words. They show a voluminous heart.
“My heart is full of praise that one so insignificant, uneducated, and ordinary in every way could be used to His glory for the blessing of His people in poor persecuted China.”
You and I can be like that. We can fulfill our role in God’s plan and design. We can say “yes” to all that God has for us, and trust Him in all that we face. This Advent season, we are all on the way to Bethlehem. It is a time when we can ask the Lord to once again to work in our hearts anew that we might “prepare Him room” in our lives.
Grace and peace!
