The Other Side of “Yes”

Only four praying days left until Christmas. What are you praying for this Christmas? Not wishing for, but praying for? If only our praying ramped up to the same intensity as the pre-Christmas sales as Christmas Day approaches. In any case, it is only four days until we will celebrate our Savior’s birth. Four undoubtedly too short days. But today it is still Advent, and on this Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Gospel reading appointed for our worship together is from Luke, a passage usually called the annunciation. It’s Gabriel who does the announcing. “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” And, among other things, Gabriel announced to her: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

For us today Jesus’ birth anew into our lives is just four days away. But for Mary in this reading, Jesus’ birth is still well in the future. Jesus’ birth is nine months off. If it is to happen at all. If… Because Mary must say “yes.” I wonder why we call this story “the annunciation.” If we really need a multi-syllabic title for this event, it seems it would be more appropriate to call it the story of “the acquiescence.” Because Mary does say “yes.” It wouldn’t be a story worth telling if she hadn’t. “Yes,” she said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Mary says, “Yes, I will do what you ask of me Lord.” “Yes, I will be who you ask me to be.” Mary says “yes.” And even after he’s done with all of his announcing, Gabriel doesn’t leave until he hears that yes.

Mary says yes, and in that one syllable everything changes. Before and after could not be more profoundly different. For Mary and for the world.

Think first about Mary’s own life. We don’t know much about her before Gabriel showed up. What was it like for Mary before, on this side of, her saying that word yes? Before she acquiesced in God’s plan for her? Presumably her life was relatively normal for its day; filled with the activities of a young engaged woman, to outward appearances happy and on track. And she must have had some sense of God’s presence in the world. The appearance of an angel did not send her screaming into the street. But she was frightened. Luke describes her as perplexed, but Gabriel’s first words to her are “Do not be afraid.” He must have seen fear in her. Was she afraid of the mighty angel himself? Was she afraid of a God who was distant and unknown to her? Or maybe she was living with fear even before Gabriel came. Afraid of what life might hold for her in an uncertain future.

I will acknowledge that I am reading more into the Scripture than is probably there, but it’s in service of good theology. This side of her acquiescence, before Mary said “yes” to God, whatever else may have been going on in her life, she was afraid.

And then there’s Elizabeth. Elizabeth, too, six months earlier in some way had said “yes.” Yes, I will be who you want me to be, Lord. Yes, I will do what you ask of me.” What was Elizabeth’s life like this side of her yes? Luke describes her as “barren.” What an awful word for a woman who cannot conceive. And yet what a powerful word for a life that has not yet said “yes” to God.

There is one sort of life this side of saying “yes” to God. It may seem busy, full of activity, but still be profoundly barren. It may appear happy and on track, but also be filled with fear and uncertainty. And then Gabriel shows up and says, “Greetings, favored one”. Or in most lives maybe it’s not the great archangel Gabriel who shows up, maybe it’s just a gentle nudge or a whisper or a restlessness God-wards. Not all encounters with God’s desire are Mary-Gabriel experiences. Again and again in all of our lives we have the choice whether or not we want to be God’s people; we have the opportunity to say “yes” to God’s desire for us, to live into God’s favor. And every one of those choices, every one of those encounters with God’s desire for us is momentous. If it happens once in a lifetime or every other week, every time we say “Yes, Lord, here am I, your servant. Do with my life according to your word”… Every time we sat yes, it is a turning point. On this side of yes, life is barren, confused, restless, afraid….

And on the other side of yes? On the other side of yes, Mary will tell you, is Christmas. Literally. On the other side of yes is the birth of Emmanuel, God with us. God born into our lives. On the other side of yes is God with us. Near to us. Sharing our lives. On the other side of yes is God’s love which casts out fear. With us. On the other side of yes is God’s presence, God’s touch, God’s voice, which fills the emptiness within us. On the other side of yes God’s light shines into our lives, overcoming all confusion and darkness. On the other side of “yes” is our Savior’s birth.

Whether it’s the mighty angel Gabriel or some other voice whispering in your ear, today God’s messenger says to each of us: Greetings, favored one. You have the opportunity this day to offer your life to me.

I don’t know exactly what that means for each of you. I do know that the little “yeses” are just as important, or maybe even more important, than the big ones. Each of you said “yes” when you chose to come to worship this morning. The baptismal covenant reminds us that active participation in the Christian community is one very important way we offer our lives to God. “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.” Will you be an active part of the Christian community? And every time you answer “yes”, on the other side of that yes you will find here… here in this place, here in this community… no less than the living presence of Christ, God with us: offered to you at his table, made real in our common prayers, shared in fellowship and charity. God with us here, bringing light, comfort, peace, guidance.

A few other questions from the baptismal covenant that God’s messenger might be asking: “Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?” Will you make the process of reconciliation a part of your life? Will you acknowledge the real and overwhelming power of sin to enslave you and look to God to save you? Repentance. Confession. Reconciliation. Say “yes” to that process. God is on the other side of that yes, yearning to be with you. Reconciliation. God with us.

“Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons?” Be God’s blessing in their lives Feed them. Speak kindly. Teach young and old of God’s love for them. All persons. The person next to you in the pew. Your family. Your neighbors. The harried stranger in the grocery store. The person somewhere nearby who has no shelter from this wind (-4 degrees with 30 mph winds). The multitudes unseen by most of us who are starving. Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons? Christ is there already. Present in those whom we serve. In serving them, we will find him. With us, too.

Life this side of yes is barren, restless, fearful. When God’s messenger comes to you saying, “Greetings favored one. Will you offer yourself as a servant of the Lord?” Say “yes.” Acquiesce. You’ll be glad you did. Because on the other side of that yes it’s Christmas.