Growing up Lutheran, there was always some suspicion about Mary. In our neighborhood, my Catholic friends' parents had Mary statues on the dashboards of their cars. She was in their prayers and on their front lawns. And we were taught that if you wanted to be a good Lutheran, and we did want to be good Lutherans, we had to be a bit standoffish to mother of Jesus.

We would gladly talk about the Apostle Paul, Moses, and Ruth, but we didn't talk about Mary that much at all. We were afraid of being like my friends in the neighborhood. This morning I am going to fight against those Old Lutheran urges and no longer give Mary the cold shoulder. Our Advent question for today is "Who is this girl and why is she so favored by God?"

Luke, the author of this gospel, takes us to a humble home in the town of Nazareth. As we prepare for the coming the Savior, the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary raises our anxiousness for our Christmas celebration. Luke begins with the phrase, "In the sixth month." This was the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist, which was foretold in this very same chapter of the Bible by the very same angel.

This time though, God's messenger was sent to a girl named Mary. Who is this girl? We are told that Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. This meant that they had gone through a public ceremony to be husband and wife, but according to custom, they were not living together yet. She was also a descendant of King David. She lived in a second city in a second-class region of Palestine. Mary was also a virgin. Luke includes that word twice to emphasize the dramatic miracle that was occurring through Mary's pregnancy. The virgin was with child.

The angel Gabriel addressed Mary. "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!" Mary was scared. Wouldn't you be if an angel appeared? Every time an angel appears in these Christmas accounts the angel has to calm fears. People who saw angels were very afraid. Mary was no different - Why is the angel here? What did I do? What is happening to me?

Gabriel tried to calm the young girls fears though. "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God." And so our Advent question rings in our ears this morning. Why is this girl so favored by God? The word "favored" has the idea of "grace." Grace is God's undeserved love. Grace is given to the unworthy, of which Mary was included. Mary never earned God's favor. She was a sinner and was totally dependant on God's grace for salvation.

So are we. We are just like Mary, sinful in every way. As sinners, we have wandered off the narrow road repeatedly. We caused the division that drove a wedge between God and us. We brought the misery of sin upon ourselves. Every hate-filled thought, all our griping and complaining, our half-hearted worship - our sin made us slaves to the devil. And Mary was our sister in sin.

But God freely and lovingly showed his favor on Mary. He gave her his gift of undeserved love, which came through the very child she would give birth to in Bethlehem that first Christmas night. That precious boy in her womb would eventually remove the eternal fear of death for Mary and all people. Her offspring was perfect. Mary's child grew to be a man who died as the Son of God on the cross of Calvary for our forgiveness. This Son of God and Son of Man, Jesus Christ rose from death and he replaced Mary's trembling with extreme confidence.

We also have had the sting of death removed. We have been given the comfort of salvation through Christ. Grace does not come from Mary - she doesn't dispense it to people when they pray to her. Rather God sent his grace to Mary, for her benefit. This is extremely important in the discussion of Mary. The focus is always on what God did for Mary in giving her a Savior through the very child she raised.

What a miracle! The virgin would give birth to son and she would name him Jesus, which means, "the Lord is salvation." The Jesus was a common name given to a very uncommon man. The angel Gabriel said that he would be great and called the Son of the Most High.

"How will this be since I am a virgin?" Mary asked the angel. It would happen by the work of the Holy Spirit. She would be pregnant by supernatural means. Ever since the fall into sin, people were conceived and born in sin. Mary's child would be different. Jesus shared our humanity but not our sinfulness. How could this be? The Angel made it clear. "For nothing is impossible with God." God operates over the laws of nature.

Instead of how, it is more important to ask why. If you are listening to Christmas music this time of year, I am sure that you have heard "O Holy Night" at least once. The poet, Placide Clappeau, put it this way in that beautiful song: "Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother and in His Name all oppression shall cease." Why did share our humanity? God sent his Son to be a man in order to free us of from the slavery of sin, death, and the devil.

Mary's response to this glorious message of the angel is inspirational. "I am the Lord's servant." As Lutherans we should not distrust Mary. She served her Lord. When you read through the gospels you see her protecting the Christ child. You read about her taking Jesus to the temple for worship. You hear her encouraging her son in his ministry. And you observe painfully as the mother of Jesus weeps at the foot of the cross watching her son die for the sins of the world.

Don't distrust Mary, but rather imitate her. As she did, place yourself at the Lord's disposal so that he might use you. Don't think that serving God will be inconvenient for you. Take the attitude of Mary. Her heart was changed by the gospel message brought by the angel. Being a humble, pregnant virgin was probably not all that convenient for her. She faithfully followed God's will though. Be God's servant no matter what the cost!

Mary clung to the promises of God. She knew she was unworthy. But she also knew God's grace. This Christmas season, as you gaze upon the nativity scene, take a long hard look at Mary. She is our sister. She believed God would forgive her sins through Jesus. She believed that heaven was hers. Imitate Mary by clinging to God's promises. This can be a difficult time of year for some people. Remember that you are highly favored by God because of Jesus. In dark and lonely days, be comforted with knowledge that God's grace is for you. The Lord is with you.

Who is this girl and why is she so favored by God? She is Mary and she is blessed to have been the mother of her Lord and Savior. Respect and imitate Mary for her life of faith. Praise God that he gave his grace to her and us. Amen.