Preaching Helps: First Sunday of Advent-Transfiguration of Our Lord, series B

John Rollefson

Fourth Sunday in Advent December 22, 2002

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 or Luke 1:47-55

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

Romans 16:25-27

Luke 1:26-38

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord,
forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your
faithfulness to all generations. (Ps 89:1)

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...
(Lk 1:47)

First Reading

Poised on the brink of Christmas, Advent finally relinquishes its bifocal perspective on both the first and second comings of Christ and turns full-face to consider the Davidic covenant's fulfillment in the angel's perplexing announcement to Mary. Mary's trusting response to the angel's annunciation became for Martin Luther the paradigmatic expression of faith: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (v. 38). And Mary's song, the Magnificat, sung in response to her visit with her relative Elizabeth (which is the alternative psalmody for today), becomes the archetypal psalm of faith. It echoes not only today's Psalm 89 but also Hannah's song (1 Sam 2:1-10) and Miriam's/Moses' song (Exod 15: 1-21).

Luther's commentary on the Magnificat, written along with several of his other most famous works in 1521, merits a close reading. Not only does it provide insight into Luther's exegetical acumen, it affords homiletical and pastoral insights easily accessible to an adult study group. Here are a number of memorable nuggets: "this sacred hymn of the most blessed mother of God" (p. 298); "God is the kind of Lord who does nothing but exalt those of low degree and put down the mighty from their thrones, in short, break what is whole and make whole what is broken" (p.299); "[Mary] sang it not for herself alone but for us all, to sing after her" (p. 306); "being herself [Mary] no more than a cheerful guest chamber and willing hostess to so great a Guest" (p. 308); "it is no less a miracle that she refrained from pride and arrogance. ... She finds herself the Mother of God, exalted above all mortals, and still remains so simple and so calm that she does not think of any poor serving maid as beneath her" (p. 308).

And still more: "They delighted in their salvation much more than in their Savior, in the gift more than in the Giver, in the creature rather than in the Creator" (p. 309). "True humility ... never knows that it is humble ... for if it knew this, it would turn proud from contemplation of so fine a virtue" (p. 315). "... there is today in the churches a great ringing of bells, blowing of trumpets, singing, shouting, and intoning, yet I fear precious little worship of God, who wants to be worshiped in spirit and truth, as he says in John 4:24" (p. 325). "Mother of God. No one can say anything greater of her or to her, though he had as many tongues as there are leaves on the trees, or grass in the fields, or stars in the sky, or sand by the sea. It needs to be pondered in the heart what it means to be the Mother of God" (p.326). "We pray God to give us a right understanding of this Magnificat, an understanding that consists not merely in brilliant words but in glowing life in body and soul. May Christ grant us t his through the intercession and for the sake of His dear Mother Mary! Amen" (p. 355). (Luther's Works 21 [St. Louis: Concordia, 1956]: 295-358.)