The Wind Cries

Luke 1:26-33

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 he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, 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, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

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A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterdays life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Somewhere a king has no wife
And the wind, it cries Mary

"The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix

We are currently in the sixth month of the year according to the Jewish calendar. That makes the date of our dear Savior's birth nine months away. It seems like the wrong time to consider Christmas, but a nine-month pregnancy being what it is, the time is upon us to consider this passage.

So imagine you're a teenage girl. I don't mean eighteen or nineteen either, I mean thirteen, maybe fifteen if you're an old maid. You're a virgin because you've followed society's rules. Then you hear these magical words, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Can life get any better than that?

Then you hear these words, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” Have you ever noticed when people, even angels say “Do not be afraid” it's time to duck? Those may well be the international signal for “Look out!”

Mary was in for something different. She was a good girl, she did the right things the right way and suddenly everyone is going to think she's a whore! It's logical, it's sensible. Then again, God's wisdom is our folly and vice-versa. You can't blame her for thinking “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you” is a cruel hoax.

Mary was told of her son's future. She was told that he would be great, the Son of the Most High. She was told that he would have the throne of David and reign over the house of Jacob forever. She was told of his infinite reign. It must have been a reassurance, but still...

Mary's life suddenly featured a broom sweeping up the broken pieces of yesterday's life. It wouldn't be easy. She would eventually be shipped off to her cousin Elizabeth's house. There she would be blessed by Elizabeth and her child. It wouldn't be easy, but she would be blessed.

By her blessing the world would be blessed.

Her pregnancy would not be easy. She would be doubted by her betrothed and by her people. She would be forced to ride in the dead of winter in the wilderness. She would give birth in a cave and her baby placed in a feed trough. He would fulfill what the angel promised and more.

"And more" happens next week, Holy Week. Mary wasn't told about this. Surely it would have broken her heart then as much as it did thirty-some years later. And as it was on Easter Sunday so it is today, the wind cries Mary.

The Good Doctor

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Luke 1:1-4 (NRSV)

Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

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Doctor Doctor, gimme the news I got a
Bad case of lovin' you
No pill's gonna cure my ill I've got a
Bad case of lovin' you

"Bad Case of Lovin' You (Doctor, Doctor)" by Robert Palmer from "Secrets"

Robert Palmer's music always had a bit of style and panache that is missing from so much music. "Doctor, Doctor" is one of the best examples before he hit the huge hits that came off of the discs "Riptide" and "Heavy Nova." "Bad Case of Loving You" was one of those songs that provided an introduction, a sign of what was to come.

The first four verses of Luke's gospel do the same thing. They provide an introduction from someone who meticulously studied the teachings of Jesus. Luke was not one of the original apostles as Matthew, Mark, and John. Historically, Luke is known as "The Good Doctor." Through the gospel that carries his name, he gives us the cure in the love of Christ.

One of the mysteries of this gospel is to whom it is addressed, Theophilous. The name itself was not uncommon in ancient Greece, and the honorary "most excellent" shows that Luke holds him in high esteem. Perhaps Theophilus is Luke's patron—the person who provides the capital and influence to write, publish, and circulate the gospel. That would make Theophilus like a foundation or publisher who provides a large advance to get the work going.

But there is one other thought about this name. Theophilous means "God Lover." In the day, the gentiles who worshiped the Lord were called "God Fearers." What if this honorary title was directed not at the one who commissioned the work, but to all who would hear it for millenia to follow?

In Luke's words, the Christian congregations of the Greeks, Romans, and Gentiles have wonderfully been transformed into not just "God Fearers" but "God Lovers" too. Proverbs teaches that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but moving from fear alone to love is a movement from God's slaves to God's children.

This is the movement that begins the gospel. This is the first big hit that signals what is to come. This is the first note of what becomes a tremendous body of work. This is true of "Doctor, Doctor" and it's true of the introduction of Luke's gospel.

The love of God is an ill that no pill can cure. In fact, the grace, peace, and love of God is what cures the ills of sin. Thanks be to God.