CHAPTER 1

LENT 1

You Have Found Favor

The Mystery of Grace

LUKE 1:5–38

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not,Mary: for thou hast found favor with God"

(Luke 1:30, KJV)

How does the lifelong journey of discipleship that's condensed and intensifiedin Lent begin? That's the first question we'll look at together. But beforesketching an answer, however, let's be clear on what this journey involves.Here's a definition that will guide us throughout the following chapters:Becoming a disciple involves coming to understand, own, and live the gospel—thatis, the good news that God has acted in Jesus to save us.

It's an ongoing navigation between two poles. The negative pole is what theChristian tradition has called "mortification," that is, "putting to death"those parts of our selves that don't conform God's will as it's disclosed in theBible. Discipleship (in part) is a lifetime of unlearning those attitudes andhabits that come all too naturally to fallen human beings, that appear sonatural and wholesome, that are so enslaving.

The positive pole, "vivification," is just the opposite. It's the slow processof being "made alive" in and through Christ. It's the Holy Spirit-enabled anddirected practicing of those habits and virtues through which our minds arerenewed, our bodies controlled, our selves transformed. It's a process throughwhich our consciences become guided by principles like moderation, patience, andgenerosity as we learn to love God with our whole hearts, our neighbors asourselves, and within the boundaries of such love, to enjoy the gifts of God'screation.

Finally, this journey of dying and living is one that we take with others,beginning and ending in community. Becoming Christ's disciple begins and endswith sisters and brothers alongside us, struggling with us, bearing our burdensas we bear theirs, forgiving and being forgiven, praying with us, for us, andperhaps sometimes instead of us. It's a journey undertaken in and with theChurch as the Church hears in Word and sees in Sacrament God's promise andcommand.

With that in mind, we turn to the text that will occupy us for the next twochapters: the angel Gabriel's announcement that Mary is to be Jesus' mother.First, an overview: although Mary is present only in the opening two chapters ofLuke's Gospel, there, she is central. This is unique among the New Testament'sfour Gospels. In the earliest and shortest Gospel, Mark, Mary is mentioned byname only once, and in her only appearance she is in fact one of Jesus'opponents.

In Matthew's Gospel, oriented as it is toward Jewish Christians, Mary ispassive, caught up in the events that revolve around Joseph, who is the maincharacter of the opening chapters. We may even say that the scandalous situationin which she finds herself—unmarried and pregnant—is the focal point of conflictearly on in Matthew's narrative. It's both an obstacle that only God can at onceaccount for and remove, and a foil against which Joseph, the righteous servantof God, displays his upright character.

The Gospel of John is totally different again: never named, the mother of Jesusappears at a wedding where water is transformed into wine (chapter 2) and at thecross when Jesus' mission is accomplished (chapter 19). In this Gospel, theanonymous woman is lost in the symbolic way she's tied to the coming of whatJohn calls "Jesus' hour." At the wedding she is present when the hour hasn'tcome; at the cross she's present when the hour arrives. Mary ties both scenestogether.

Even though much of Luke's Gospel closely resembles Matthew and Mark, hisportrait of Mary is different yet again. His Mary is the most sharply drawn ofseveral characters—Gentiles, women, children, and the poor—who didn't fit easilyin proper Jewish society. In Luke, stories and descriptions involving thesekinds of people are always significant and sympathetic. Luke wants us to noticeand to feel for them because they're on the margins of the community of faith.His Gospel isn't for saints, but for sinners.

Luke's audience—embodied in a character named Theophilus, to whom the story isaddressed—is made up of people attracted to Jesus' words and example, butconscious of their place on the periphery of organized faith. Luke has good newsfor these people whose relationship to God is unclear, whether they live amongGod's chosen people (such as the shepherds in Luke 2) or are obvious yetsympathetic outsiders (such as the faith-filled Roman officer of Luke 7).

Mary, a young, single woman with a pregnancy that would have provoked questions,is one of those people on the margins. She's one of God's people who appears toalmost all to be trapped by social convention in a scandalous situation. Onlyshe and Elizabeth apparently know that what looks like scandal is, in fact, thegreatest of all miracles. From this perspective, Mary truly is a three-dimensionalcharacter. Only here is she in the narrative's foreground, the onearound whom the conflict seems to revolve.

She's introduced in Luke's second announcement story, which opens with thewords, "In the sixth month" (1:26). Were we simply to jump in there, we mightconclude that this refers to the sixth month of the year, but we'd be wrong. AsLuke makes clear a few verses later (1:36), the "sixth month" refers not to acalendar but to Elizabeth's pregnancy. Luke uses this little phrase to tieMary's story to the first announcement story: Gabriel's announcement thatZechariah and Elizabeth are soon to become the parents of John the Baptizer(1:5–25). To understand Mary's story, we must begin with Zechariah andElizabeth's.

Luke's first announcement story is full of rich allusions to the Old Testament,found in even the plainest of phrases. Consider the opening: "It happened in thedays of Herod, King of Judea." At first glance, this looks like astraightforward way to anchor Luke's story in everyday history. When we lookdeeper, though, we find that Luke uses it also to ground his story in biblicalhistory.These opening words look very much like the opening verses of the Old Testamentprophetic books Jeremiah (1:2, 3) and Amos (1:1), a resemblance that's bothdeliberate and significant. It's a technique for Luke to situate his story intwo ways. First, he signals to his readers that his story happens in the realworld—their world—and not in one of the many legendary worlds of Greekmythology. Second, he invites readers to anticipate that the story will be abouta mighty act of God similar to those in the Old Testament, from the days of thekings and prophets.

Moving past this introduction, there are even more hints of older biblicalstories in the way the main characters are described. The couple, Luke tells us,is childless—Elizabeth is barren and both she and Zechariah are old. What asparse description! And yet, to an imagination familiar with the story ofScripture, these few words offer a rich and compelling image. For through them,Luke has mentioned at least five sets of biblical parents whose children aremajor characters in the corporate life of God's people. And recalling theirstories helps us understand the significance of what's to come.

Zechariah and Elizabeth's predicament calls to mind a narrative theme that runsthrough the Old Testament, in which God miraculously compensates for age andinfertility. Standing behind this old, barren couple Luke intends for us to see,first and foremost, Abraham and Sarah (Gen 18:11). Of course, Isaac and Rebekah(Gen 25:21) and Jacob and Rachel (Gen 29:31) are also there, as are Manoah andhis anonymous wife (Judg 13), and Elkannah and Hannah (1 Sam 1).But the place of these parents in Jewish history is unrivalled not simplybecause of their extraordinary conceptions but also because the childrenconceived went on to serve God and God's people in powerful ways. They werechosen by God to advance God's plan for God's people. Abraham and Sarah boreIsaac, the "son of the promise," through whom Abraham would become a nation thatin turn would bless the world. Rebekah became the mother of Jacob, who lent hisname, Israel, to an entire nation; Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife, gave birth toone of that nation's twelve tribes, Benjamin, and was grandmother to two more,Ephraim and Mannaseh. And though she's never given a name of her own, Manoah'swife gave birth to Samson, the strong man who saved the Israelites from theirenemies, the Philistines. Elkannah and Hannah, finally, were the parents ofSamuel, Israel's last and greatest judge. And Samuel, in turn, instituted themonarchy, anointing not only Israel's first king, Saul, but also its greatestking, David.

In just that one sentence, Luke shows his audience that his characters aren'tsimply historical or literary devices. Instead, they stand at the end of a longline of biblical history Through just a few words, Luke tells his readers thathis story isn't new. So when they meet Zechariah and Elizabeth, they understandthat the next chapter in the story of God's dealings with Israel and the humanrace has begun.

The Old Testament traces continue as the plot unfolds. Zechariah's encounterwith the angel in the temple appears to draw from two streams. The first streamis the commission of the prophet Isaiah to take what would prove to be anunpopular message to the people (Isa 6:1–13). But where Isaiah's message wouldlead to judgment, John's would lead to restoration. The second stream flows fromthe book of the Prophet Daniel, in the repeated name of the angel Gabriel. Thisis no accident. Gabriel is named only four times in the Christian Bible—twice inDaniel (8:16; 9:21) and twice in Luke (1:19, 26). Gabriel is that angelicmessenger charged with interpreting Daniel's visions about the end time. Hispresence in Luke's Gospel signals that what was future for Daniel is nowpresent. In the ministries of John and Jesus, the Day of the Lord has come.

And Gabriel's description of John likens him to two or three great biblicalfigures. Like Samson the judge, John will take the vows of a Nazirite,abstaining from alcohol (compare Judges 13:7 and Luke 1:15). Like Elijah theprophet, he will teach the people (compare Malachi 4:5–6 and Luke 1:17). Johnhimself will stand in a line of judges and prophets sent by God to God's peopleto herald their salvation.

And Zechariah's response to Gabriel's strange declaration reminds readers ofAbraham. When God promises Abraham that he'll have an heir of his own, aphysical son who himself is but the beginning of numberless descendants, as wellas a land in which these descendants will live, Abraham's question is shockinglyblunt: "How am I to know?" (Gen 15:8). Similarly, having heard Gabriel'sannouncement, Zechariah recovers from his initial terror enough to ask, "Howwill I know that this is so?" (Luke 1:18). Both the patriarch and the priestseek certainty before they trust in God's promise.

Finally, when Elizabeth finds that she is pregnant, she withdraws from publiclife with these words: "This is what the Lord has done for me when he lookedfavorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people" (Luke1:25). Her declaration recalls not only the similar situation of Sarah (Gen21:1), but also the very words of Rachel at the birth of her son, Joseph: "Godhas taken away my reproach" (Gen 30:23).

Luke peppers his story with references to the stories of the people of Israel,and that communicates two ideas. First, God is acting again. Readers shouldn'tbe surprised by John's arrival—after all, God has done similar things in thepast. Second, God is acting in the same way as in the past. Throughout thehistory of the Hebrew people, God made promises and brought them to fulfillment,sometimes in miraculous ways. God is doing the same here.

Luke's second announcement story seems at first like a continuation of the firstone. In both, the main characters are introduced: Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:5)and Mary (1:27). Next, a condition preventing conception is described: Zechariahand Elizabeth were old (1:7) and Mary is a virgin (1:27). Both Zechariah andMary are "troubled" by the angel's sudden appearance (1:12; 29). Gabriel callsboth characters by name and offers them words of comfort (1:13; 30). Bothannouncements follow the same pattern: a child's birth is predicted, his name isgiven, his future is foretold, and the role of the Holy Spirit is described(1:13–17; 30–33). Both Zechariah and Mary question Gabriel's words and receive asign, and then Gabriel departs (1:18–22; 34–38). These aren't accidentalintersections; there are just too many of them.

But despite the parallels that pull us into the two stories, a new list ofcontrasts exposes the uniqueness of the second one. First, look at Gabriel'swords to Mary. His announcement to Zechariah is a response to prayer (1:13). Hisannouncement to Mary, on the other hand, comes from out of the blue—entirely bydivine initiative (1:28). Elizabeth's conception is like a miracle of healingand is foreshadowed in the infertile parents of the Old Testament. Mary's,however, is without biblical precedent and is better understood as a miracle ofcreation. Gabriel greets Zechariah by name; but for Mary, adds the title,"Favored One."

Then there are the sharp contrasts between the promised children. John, we aretold, will be great in God's sight (1:15). Jesus' greatness is unqualified(1:32). John would be made holy by his vows (1:15). Jesus, says Gabriel, will beholy from conception (1:35). John will prepare the way of the Lord (1:16–17).Jesus will reign on David's throne as the Son of God (1:32; 35). John is filledwith the Spirit from his conception (1:15). Jesus' very existence is by thepower of the Spirit alone (1:35). The contrasts clearly intend to highlight therelationship between John and Jesus as that of herald to King. The former comesas the King's representative, a vitally important—but only preparatory—role.Having prepared the way and the people, when the King comes, his mission iscompleted. John, though older, will serve his younger cousin.

The main characters are also different. Zechariah is a priest; Elizabethdescends from the line of priests. They are old, married, righteous andchildless. Taken together, these qualities mark them as exceptional. The reasonis simple: God should have rewarded an old, priestly, righteous couple with manychildren and even grandchildren for their piety and obedience. Theirchildlessness doesn't fit the Old Testament ideal of an upright married lifeblessed by God. That they haven't been so blessed is a public disgrace and areproach because it calls into question whether the apparent righteousness ofthis couple is, in fact, true. Without children, it will always be possible fortheir neighbors to wonder whether Zechariah's and Elizabeth's holiness is asham.

Now look at Mary. She is obviously not a priest and, though Elizabeth's cousin,her lineage is unclear. Where Zechariah and Elizabeth stand out as part of thedeep biblical tradition of infertile parents, everything about Mary is, well,normal and nondescript. She's young, engaged, not renowned for her piety, and(presumably) fertile. And yet it's Zechariah who can't believe the announcement(1:18), while Mary declares herself ready to be a part of the divine plan(1:38).

Luke opens his Gospel with two stories with two sets of parallels—one linking,the other contrasting. On the one hand, the similarities are clearly designed toshow that the God who opened the wombs of Sarah, of Rachel and Rebekah, ofManoah's wife, and of Hannah is acting again, both in Elizabeth and in Mary. Inthe Old Testament, God miraculously compensated for barrenness and age, so thatspecial sons might be conceived and born in the usual way: Isaac, Jacob, Josephand Benjamin, Samson, and Samuel. Both John the Baptizer and Jesus standtogether in the Bible's tradition of improbable pregnancies, promised sons, andthe fulfillment of God's plan.

On the other hand, something new is going on with Mary, setting her apart fromboth Elizabeth and the other famous Old Testament mothers. But Luke doesn't tellus what it is. When he records Gabriel's greeting, "Greetings, favored one! TheLord is with you!" (1:28), Luke wants us to be baffled. Is there something aboutMary we don't know? What has she done to deserve God's favor? Who is she to havemerited such a title?

As we read on, it's clear we aren't the only ones who are surprised. Maryherself is troubled and confused by Gabriel's words. Yet when he speaks again,he offers no explanation for the title. He says, "Do not be afraid, Mary, foryou have found favor with God" (1:30). In other words, Mary is the Favored Onesimply because she's the recipient of God's favor. That's no explanation at all!Although Mary may well have been calmed by the angel's second speech, herconfusion (and ours) only grows. Then the angel continues. Mary will conceive ason. She will name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of God and reign on hisfather David's throne forever. "How can this be," responds the bewildered girl,"since I am a virgin?" (1:34).