Podcast of "This Old House" (MP3)
2 Samuel 7:1-17
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Romans 16:25-27Luke 1:26-38
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen
Today as in the ancient of days, there are two ways of looking at the word “house.” One way is as a building, the place we call home that has most of our stuff. But there is another that is more important historically, the house as a family, a clan, a people. If you are looking for a modern way of looking at houses as family, the English Monarchy is worth consideration.
Since 1901, the British monarchy has been led by the House of Windsor. The first member of the House of Windsor to ascend to the throne was King Edward VII. The Son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, his reign marked the end of the House of Hanover, Victoria’s family name, and brought on the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Albert’s family name. Edward’s son George V changed the family name to Windsor in light of anti-German sentiment at the onset of World War I.
Today the House of Windsor is led by Queen Elizabeth II. In a bit of anti-German sentiment at the onset of World War II, Elizabeth’s husband Phillip Battenberg from the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg adopted the Anglicized name Mountbatten so today the descendants of Elizabeth II who do not have royal title carry the last name Mountbatten-Windsor.
This family is the current ruling house of the United Kingdom. While there are no real governmental duties accorded the Queen, there is still a mystique about the royals which accords them a place in the nation. Not so long ago, this was not true. Not so long ago there was power in the monarchy that had not been contested since the Sixth Century when the first kings of England were rooted in the monarchs of House of Mercia. Many houses, but one land.
By the time of our reading in 2Samuel, King David must have had a sense of accomplishment. I’m not saying that he was full of himself, but by the generous blessings of the Lord God he had done many tremendous things in his short life. While a young man, the youngest son of eight, Samuel anointed him King in preparation for the day when he would assume that mantle.[1]
Later in 1Samuel David is described as being “skillful in playing [the lyre], a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence.” The man who shared these good words with King Saul added “and the LORD is with him.”[2]
I don’t have to tell you of the story of how while still a young man, not yet a king, David would slay the Philistine Goliath of Gath using a sling and a stone. To wed Saul’s daughter Michal, David defied death and presented proof of the slaughter of 100 Philistines in battle. When Saul tried to kill David, he spared Saul’s life and proved to him that he was loyal to his king not once, but twice.
After becoming King of Judah, David’s great success blossomed further. He defeated his enemies. He reunited the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. David established the capital of the united kingdom at Jerusalem and after repelling the Philistines yet again he returned the Ark of the Covenant, the very dwelling place of God on Earth, to the capital city. As the Lord directed, David constructed a grand palace of cedar. David defeated all of his enemies, united the people of Judah and Israel, and his Lord and continued to bless him.
In 2Samuel we read the words of the Lord, “I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.” These, and many others, are the exploits the Lord brings to light.
This is just the beginning of the House of David. There will be many more successes. In this beginning of our reading, David begins to wonder what comes next for his house, his rule. His wonders begin with the fact that his house is a luxurious palace and the house of the Lord is a tent. His servant Nathan tells David to do what he pleases because the Lord is with him. (That pretty much sounds like something a servant would say, doesn’t it?)
Well, as we read the Lord isn’t seeking better accommodations. David is the last person the Lord needs to give him a hotel upgrade. The Lord has lived in tents and tabernacles so far and so far so good. The Lord doesn’t want David to make him a house, the Lord has selected David and the Lord will as the prophecy says, “make him a great house.”
Speaking about Solomon, the son who will be king after David’s death, the prophecy reveals, “He is the one who will build a house for my Name.” The Lord’s prophecy concludes, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.”
So Solomon will build a house for the Lord. Solomon will build a grand temple. But first, the Lord will build the house, the Kingdom of David. The Lord does not promise the temple will stand forever, but David’s kingdom will be established forever.
One of the amazing truths of the faith is that the house the Lord builds to fulfill this prophecy is a young woman named Mary.
As for Mary, on the whole, we Protestants don’t really know what to do with her. Mary bore God into the world. How’s that for a concept? She bore God. It’s too big for me to get my head around. Jesus is coming, Advent means coming, and the virgin’s womb is where Jesus is coming from.
Ultimately, there is very little I can tell you about Mary. I can tell you that she was a particular person, the one and only. When we talk about the Virgin Mary, Mary the Mother of Jesus, we know who we are talking about.
We do know that she is a young woman. Frankly though, calling her a woman is a stretch. She was old enough to be married, but at the time the age of marriage for a girl was as young as ten. Mary was probably no older than twelve or maybe thirteen.
The next thing we know about Mary comes from her relationship to Joseph. Mary and Joseph were betrothed to one another. Being betrothed is more than being engaged, but not quite the same as being married. Joseph had paid the dowry to Mary’s family. If Joseph had died Mary would have been considered a widow. But they had not had their wedding banquet yet. And of course, their marriage wasn’t consummated. So all things considered, Mary was a normal, common young woman.
In this time, she was no different than hundreds or thousands of other young women. Presumably, she was getting her final instructions on how to be a good wife from her mother. She had learned how to keep house and raise children. If she was truly thirteen years old, there might be some relief in the house that she was not going to be an old maid.
She was one of any number of marriage age girls in Palestine; in this way I can tell you that she was nobody special. If those words have sent you reeling, I don’t blame you. I’m having more than a little trouble with how to say this. But Mary, Mary is nobody special. She’s common, she’s ordinary, and she’s selected: and this is the good news. That’s what makes her special.
God uses the most mundane of us all to come into the world.
Let me say that again, God uses the most mundane of us all to come into the world.
Pardon me for saying it this way, but she’s just a girl.
The only thing that is special about Mary is that the angel declared her that she is favored because the Lord is with her. She is not favored because of any thing she has done, or anything she will do. She is favored because God is with her. She is favored because of what God is doing with her and through her.
She had no idea what was happening, she was perplexed, troubled through and through.
So what does the messenger say next, “Fear not!” (Now, who’s going to believe that?) The angel calms her fears by telling her 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.”
Sound familiar? It should, it sounds an awful lot like the promise made to David. The house of David will find its eternal king coming from the house of a teenage girl’s womb.
Mary gives a great response here, allow me to paraphrase, “What, me? This cannot be happening, after all” she says, “I am a virgin.” But the angel tells her what will happen.
For Mary, the Spirit of God is coming to overshadow her. Overshadow is a very powerful verb. Overshadow literally means to block the light. Literally, the power of God will cover her like the moon eclipses the sun. The power of God will overshadow her and her son will be holy; and from this she will bear God into the world.
So here we are, in this house, this House of the Lord. Researching this sermon I found an old joke. A little boy was told that the church was the house of God. He went Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. Finally, one Sunday he said, “When is God going to move in?”[3] From the mouths of babes comes the wisdom of the ages.
Another way to ask when God is going to move in is like this:
“Are we willing to allow the Lord God to shape our lives in ways we never expected, wanted, or imagined?” Are we willing to say to the messenger “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Are we willing to allow the plans of our lives to be interrupted for the messenger from the Lord? Mary said yes. Only by saying yes does Mary make a difference. Because of this yes, Mary’s song is heard and revered.
What is God asking us to do? As the Body of Christ in the House of the Lord, what is our call, our vocation? Are we willing to let God upset the apple cart of our life together? How do we respond when our plans to build the Lord a fine house are nixed? How do we respond when the Lord says we will be made a fine house instead?
Don’t worry about asking these questions, as Mary discovered asking God is fine. Asking questions is not bad, not listening to the answers is. The Lord will not put us into places we do not belong. The story of David shows that the Lord has plans for us. The story of the annunciation shows that the Lord supports those who respond to God’s call with encouragement and power.
This Old House is the glorious House of the Lord. As Christians we are members of that house. The House of David lays one of the foundational stones of the Kingdom of God. Mary the mother of Jesus is the house where the Lord Jesus is first fed and nurtured. We are physically in the house of the Lord and as the children of God we are members of the House of God.
It is said that history is made by people who show up. By showing up, by saying yes, Mary not only made history, but by the fruit of her womb she made the future. The question we are asked today and always is, “How do we respond for the Kingdom of God in the House of the Lord?” By willingly, voluntarily participating in the joy of creation, Mary brings into the world the one of power and majesty, the one who sits on David’s throne forever.
This is our lesson for today; none of us are any more or less special than Mary. Mary was called to be the one who brought God, birthed God into human existence. She was perplexed, she had questions, the only answer she got is God is with you, and she said “Here I am.” Jesus has come. Jesus is here now. Jesus will come again. Advent means coming. Will we say yes when he asks if we are coming too?
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