Sunday 21 December 2008

Background

Luke's account of the announcement of Jesus' birth tells thestory from Mary's perspective without losing any of the sense ofawe or wonder of the event. On Mary's question and the angel'sanswer hangs the miracle and mystery of the Incarnation (when Godthe Son came to earth in human form as Jesus).

Luke stresses the virginity of Mary, not in order to highlightMary's innocence or purity, but to emphasise the nature and extentof God's power. Jewish girls were usually betrothed at about 13 andfor all legal, but not domestic purposes, were considered marriedfrom then on. A year later, they would be taken into the home oftheir betrothed and expected to begin normal married relations. Anysexual contact prior to being 'taken home' would have beenconsidered a violation of the marriage customs.

Mary's betrothal to Joseph is what links Jesus to the line of David(an ancient Jewish king). Mary's virginity is contrasted with herelderly cousin Elizabeth's barrenness by the angel as a way ofstressing that there is nothing that God cannot do. The creator ofthe heavens and the earth can surely create a baby ifnecessary!

The emphasis throughout Luke's account is on the nature of thepower exhibited by God's miraculous involvement in the life ofhumanity. Christmas does not celebrate the birth of a normal manmade special by what he did; neither does it celebrate the birth ofa half-divine son of a god who has toyed with a woman who has takenhis fancy. The stories of the Greek and Roman gods and theirnumerous offspring would undoubtedly have been known to Luke and sohe takes care to avoid the language of visitation and divine-humanintimacy. He uses instead the language of 'holiness' to set thismiracle apart and to more accurately describe the nature of God'spower and spirit. God is holy, so the child to be born will beholy.

To Ponder

Where have the miracles in your own lifebeen?

Where do you see the holiness of God in action,making the impossible possible?