Mary and Jesus: The most privileged among women from Stephen Sizer

Some 8 year old children were once asked what love is:

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.”

“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.”

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot because people forget.”

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”

This morning I want us to stop and listen, and consider three lessons we can learn about love from Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please turn with me to Luke 1:26-38. I want us to see that while Mary may have been the most privileged among women, we can be privileged too.

1. No matter who you are, the Lord can use you

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-27)

Remember the last time you filled out a job application? You listed your education, your skills, your work experience. Then you hit the final question: “What is it that makes you uniquely qualified for this position?” How do you answer without appearing arrogant? Employers assume your availability, but what they really want to know about is your liabilities. Most employers hire on the basis of competence. They look at your skill set and maybe your personality type. Only the enlightened ones care much about your character.  But God doesn’t operate this way. Mary teaches us God is not as interested as your abilities as He is in your availability.

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Esther: An Introduction

Esther 1:1-11:   The Arrogance of Xerxes and the Context for God’s Sovereign Providence.

The story of Esther is quite remarkable. It belongs to that dark period in Jewish history when God’s people were enslaved and scattered right across the Babylonian empire. It has the fairy tale atmosphere of a 1001 nights, tinged with the deadly smell of Hitler’s gas chambers. After Auschwitz Concentration Camp, probably the saddest place I have ever visited is the Jewish cemetery in Prague. The cemetery is surrounded by high walls and it took a while to find the entrance. Inside 12,000 grave stones compete with one another for every inch of earth. As I stood there quietly reading the inscriptions that date back to the 16^th Century, it was as if the clock had stopped when the Nazis invaded, never to start again. The gravestones are all that was left of what was once a thriving Jewish community.
In one of the eight former synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, is a museum. Inside there is an exhibition of letters and pictures drawn by Jewish children deported to various death camps. Each picture is a profound, silent epitaph to an unspeakably awful tragedy. Yet, the very fact that those pictures have survived and are displayed is eloquent testimony to God’s sovereign rule. God had not forgotten his people. It is no coincidence that the Book of Esther is still the number one favourite story in Jewish families.

The event is retold every year during the Feast of Purim in late February or early March. The Feast of Purim commemorates that first horrifying attempt at the extermination of the Jewish people, and how God providentially rescued his people. There are clearly strong parallels in the dramatic reversal of what seemed the disastrous fate of the Jewish race in the 5^th Century BC and the 20^th Century AD. During the Feast of Purim, in some Jewish families, children draw an H on the soles of their shoes – one for Haman and one for Hitler.
The one dictator boasted that his empire stretched a thousand miles, the other boasted that his empire would last a thousand years. But the sovereign Lord God enabled the Jewish people not only to survive but walk over both. History has a habit of repeating itself. Human nature is as unchanged as is the providential purposes of the God of heaven and earth. All that we are going to learn about from the Book of Esther on Sunday evenings this Summer, should remind us we are not merely learning about ancient history, or even the history of the Jewish people, but a much wider and more pervasive conflict

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

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Jesus and Women: Elizabeth from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Elizabeth: Strong in Faith and Character (Luke 1:5-25, 39-45)

Well, we have just witnessed the wedding of the Century, or at least one of them. When I meet a couple planning to get married, the first thing I have to do is ensure there are no legal impediments to them getting married. I am required to ask them a series of questions. How old are you? Where do you live? Have you been married before?
Are you related to one another? In the reading of the banns and at the very beginning of the marriage service we ask publicly if anyone knows of any reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now.  You will be relieved to know that I don’t ask the lady about her foundation, mascara, lipstick, cosmetic surgery or hair colouring. But in 1770 things were very different. In that year Parliament passed an Act which specified additional impediments to marriage. These applied not only here but throughout the British Colonies including among our cousins in North America:

“All women, of whatever age, rank, profession or degree, whether virgins, maids or widows, that shall, from and after such Act impose upon, seduce or betray into matrimony, any of his Majesty’s subjects by virtue of scents, paints or cosmetics, artificial teeth, false hair, Spanish wool, iron-stays, bolstered hips or high-heeled shoes, shall incur the penalty of the law now in force against witchcraft… and that the marriage upon conviction shall be null and void.”

I am confident the Act was repealed long before the era of women’s liberation, but so far my searches have not brought any assurances.

So where did these derogatory and demeaning ideas about women come from? The controversies surrounding what hairstyles, clothing and makeup are acceptable, merely typify prejudices regarding gender roles and distinctions that are not only universal but go back centuries, indeed millennia. In Europe at least, we can race them to the cultural norms and prejudices of pre-Christian Roman, Greek and Jewish society.  Kenneth Bailey observes that it is true,

“the Old Testament offers some high points regarding the place of women. The Books of Ruth and Esther along with the story of Deborah the prophetess and Jael, the wife of Heber, are prime examples (Judges 4-5). To this list must be added the remarkable description of a good woman by the Arab sage Lemmuel, king of Massa, recorded in Proverbs 31. However a deterioration seems to have taken place in the intertestamental period, as seen in the writings of Ben Sirach the aristocratic scholar of Jerusalem who lived and wrote in the early second century B.C. For Ben Sirach women could be good wives and mothers and are to be respected. But if you don’t like your wife, don’t trust her (Sir 7:26)… Deed no property to her during your lifetime and do not let her support you (Sir 33:20; 25:22-26). Women (he said) are responsible for sin coming into the world and their spite is unbearable (Sir 25:3-26). Daughters are a disaster. Indeed to Ben Sirach, a daughter was a total loss and a constant potential source of shame (Sir 7:24-29; 22:3-5; 26:9-12; 42:9-11)… A low point is reached where Ben Sirach writes, “Do not sit down with a woman for moth comes out of clothes… a man’s spite is preferable to a woman’s kindness…”[i]

It is not hard to see parallels between these ancient prejudices and the way women are treated in many cultures today. Bailey observes,

“On the positive side, the intertestamental literature incudes the book of Judith that champions a courageous, daring, brave woman who saves her city and people. Yet, with the passage of time and rise of rabbinic movement, the position of women by New Testament times was, on all levels, inferior to men. The question is, Did Jesus reinforce the attitudes toward women that were widespread in his time, or did he seek to reform them?”

That is what we are going to find out this Summer. Today we begin our new series entitled, ‘Jesus and Women: The Transforming Power of Redemptive Love.’  We are going to observe how Jesus encountered women. We are going to discover that Jesus never disgraced, abused, belittled, reproached, or stereotyped a woman. Just the opposite. Jesus raised women to the status God had always intended, fully equal with men. For God created both male and female in his image.  While we may nod in agreement, we need to recognise that read Scripture we are invariably coloured by our own upbringing, cultural norms and stereotypes. For example, when we think of the disciples what image comes to mind? Twelve male Apostles? Yet the Scriptures show that Jesus drew both women and men to be his disciples. They became one extended holy family of sisters and brothers who followed Jesus and ministered to people. In this Jesus was very radical. He invited both women and men to share in his ministry, without shame or embarrassment. We will see that Jesus even depended on women financially.

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Jesus and Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Jesus and Women: The Transforming Power of Redemptive Love. Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18)

What is the most embarrassing thing that can possibly happen to a man? Getting lost and having to ask a lady for directions? Close. Discovering your wife is a better map reader than you are? Possibly. For me, getting a flat tyre and having to call the AA for help because I couldn’t get the nuts off the wheel. That was pretty embarrassing. And wasn’t even anyone else in the car… It’s at times like that, that you appreciate being a member of the AA or RAC. Everyone wishes they were a member… after a breakdown. When you think of ‘membership’ what comes to mind? It probably depends on how exclusive or expensive the membership is, or how badly we want it. There are arts societies, sport associations, health clubs, university alumni and professional bodies. The list of ‘memberships’ is endless, and your wallet is probably full of plastic to prove it. Some memberships are open to anyone who can pay the fee while others are exclusive and by ‘invitation only’. Locally, there is the Virginia Water Community Association, the Royal British Legion, Savill Gardens and of course Wentworth for those with a passion for golf, tennis or physical fitness. For many people, their membership provides a rich social life in which friendships and common interests can be pursued and shared. What may surprise you, however, is to discover that ‘membership’ is a Christian word. It appears in the Bible to describe how we become members of God’s family.

The apostle Paul writes,“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,  so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5)

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The Cross from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

When a hospital consultant reveals a serious medical condition that will probably shorten your life without a major operation, it can be a little unsettling. The imminent risk of a stroke is like a living death sentence. It changes your outlook on life. Your priorities. Then, just as suddenly, to be given the all clear is like being given your life back again. Although from now on, whether due to a mis-diagnosis or a miracle, you are grateful. Life feels good. That is how we should feel because of what happened that first Good Friday.

The Cross. It struck fear in the hearts of the world. It was Rome’s means of control. Excruciating torture. Prolonged agony. Humiliating death. According to Roman custom, the penalty of crucifixion was always preceded by scourging.  After this initial punishment, you carried your cross, or at least the transverse beam of it, to the place of execution.
Besides the physical pain there was also the psychological torture. Because crucifixion was a public form of execution.

The crosses were located by the roadside or at a crossroads. There was no hiding. You were exposed to the jibes and insults of the people who passed by.  Stripped naked, you were bound to the cross with cords and fastened with nails like these here.
Roman nails, 2000 years old. You can place them in your hands after the service.

Finally, a placard called the titulus bearing your name and your crime, was placed above your head. You would not die of hunger or thirst, but might hang on the cross for several days. To breathe, you must stretch upward and stand to take the weight on your legs and off your arms and chest. So if your legs were broken, death would come mercifully swift with asphyxiation. In this way it was possible to take down the corpse on the very evening of the execution such as a Sabbath.  But your corpse could not be taken down, unless specially authorized in the sentence of death. Permission would also be necessary for a burial. It is remarkable that all of this the Bible records with the simple words, “Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.” (John 19:16). This morning the children have had their own activities. They were finding out why today is called “Good Friday” Now it is our turn. Lets examine John 19:16-29 and draw out three simple reasons why today is indeed a good day. Continue reading →

The study is published in the April issue of Psychological Science, Dr. Sandra Murray, a professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York recruited 222 couples as they applied for their marriage licenses in Buffalo, N.Y. They were, on average, about 27 years old, with family incomes of about $40,000 to $70,000 a year. One hundred and ninety three couples “finished at least three of the seven waves of evaluation, she said. (Eleven separated or divorced.) Participants completed surveys about themselves, their partners and their marriages every six months for three years.”

A less-than-ideal partner can be seen as a reflection of one’s ideals predicted a certain level of immunity to the caustic effects of time. The couples who initially idealized their partner extremely experienced no declines in satisfaction in their partner. As long as both spouses have a positive attitude about their partner, they have likely to have a successful marriage and be very happy together.” (Source: Contracept.org)

Is there an alternative to irrational optimism and rational cynicism in relationships? I believe there is. In our series on the privileges of church membership the last sentence reads:

“To uphold the standard of marriage entrusted by Christ to his Church and to care that children are brought up to love and serve the Lord.”

Upholding the standard of marriage does not mean wearing rose tinted glasses any more than reinforcing Victorian stereotypes or giving in to more contemporary secular prejudices. When we address such a controversial subject as marriage, we have to acknowledge we bring a certain amount of excess baggage. In any church family there will be singles who are content and those who are not. Some will be happily married and others not. Some may be living together, some will be separated, some divorced and some widowed. We also bring with us the subconscious baggage of our parents marriage, happy or otherwise. And we may already have witnessed in the marriages of our our children or grandchildren, sadness and heartache for the same reasons. We each come to God with different needs, different hopes and longings, for ourselves and for those we love. So let us invite the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to teach us how, whatever our background, whatever our past experience, we can start again and live in right relationships as God intends. Please turn with me to Mark 10:6-9 and lets discover how Jesus speaks into our contemporary debate about marriage.

Jesus on Marriage from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

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