Today we celebrate the feast day of Mary, Mother of Jesus, which occurred on August 15th. Mary is a figure who attracts a wide variety of attention both within Christian churches and beyond- in the Eastern Orthodox Churches she is described as “Theotokos”- God bearer, and in the West this is described as Mother of God (Mater Dei in Latin). In Islam Mary is regarded as having the highest position among all women, and the Quran mentions her on numerous occasions, even naming a chapter after her.
There is much of the Christian tradition around Mary that seems to emphasise her meekness and submission to the message of Gabriel, as our gradual hymn put it, “gentle Mary meekly bowed her head”. This strikes me as a bit at odds with the image of Mary that we get in our Gospels – Mary who, with the rest of the family, wants to have a quiet word with Jesus about the direction he is going in, Mary who directs the servants to fill the water jars for Jesus to turn the water into wine (despite his indication that it was not yet his time), Mary who watches Jesus crucified as a sword pierces her heart, Mary who is with the apostles when Matthias is chosen to replace Judas and was in the room at Pentecost. Even her response to Gabriel, “Let it be with me according to your word” could be interpreted not as weak submission but as a claiming for herself of the divine promise, a kind of first century “Bring it on!”
Mary’s “Yes” to God comes in the midst of doubt and confusion. Her initial reaction to Gabriel’s news was to be perplexed, and to ask “How can this be?” And Gabriel’s response is to demonstrate impossibility – her barren elderly cousin Elizabeth is already six months pregnant, for nothing is impossible for God. Despite Mary’s doubts, she agreed to participate in the bringing into the world of God’s kingdom, a kingdom where the powerful are brought down from their thrones and the hungry are fed, the humble are lifted high, as Mary will proclaim when she is later greeted by Elizabeth.
Unlike the self named “Son of God”, the official title of Caesar Augustus, who would exercise his power through edicts like the census, forcing the poor from their homes, the true Son of God’s reign would be characterised by compassion and humility. The true royal birth would take place not in a palace but a stable and witnessed not by ambassadors and dignitaries but by shepherds, the nobodies of the Roman Empire. Even at Jesus’ birth the kingdom of God looks different to the normal ways of exercising power. This same pattern would continue throughout Jesus’ ministry, where he would demonstrate God’s kingdom values of compassion and inclusion by healing those afflicted by disease or demons forcing them to live on the margins, feeding the hungry and challenging the rich and powerful political and religious figures, teaching that power would be exercised through service rather than military might. Although she was not always certain of Jesus’ methods, Mary would continue to be there until the end, to see the cost that her Son would bear for this kind of kingdom. Mary continued to say “yes” to a God whose kingdom was radically different to the power structures of the time.
Just as Mary responded to God in her own time and place, giving birth to a kingdom that was radically different to the culture of her time, so we are called to listen and respond to God in our own time and place. It might be that God’s call to us may seem confusing and perplexing, leaving us wondering too how these things can be, we may feel that we are too old, like Elizabeth, or that what God is asking seems impossible, like Mary. Perhaps, like them we are able to respond with the emphatic “Let it be with me according to your word,” so God is able to birth in us a new way of living and relating to others, a way that challenges our self-centred and fearful culture. A new kingdom that serves those on the margins, rather than the powerful and privileged, a kingdom that exercises power through service rather than decree.
So as we celebrate Mary’s example of faith and witness this day, may we take on for ourselves her example of saying “Yes” to the radical kingdom of God, and see for ourselves the new life that that kingdom will bring.