The backdrop for Micah’s prophecy is Jerusalem under siege. The northern kingdom has fallen and Assyrian armies threaten to destroy the holy city. Oracles of judgment have been already been pronounced, oracles of judgment against both Israel and Judah, condemning them for corrupt worship practices and rampant social injustice. This passage thus comes as a breath of fresh air, as an oracle of hope and salvation. After setting the scene, Micah prophesies, "But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days." Yes, the city is under siege; yes, the situation looks desperate; yes, difficult days do lie ahead, BUT.....do not give up hope. God has a plan. God is even now preparing our salvation.

From Bethlehem, from one of the smaller towns, shall come forth a ruler who will bring peace and justice to the land. The shepherd-king will come from Bethlehem as David had, then the scattered people of God will return and dwell secure under his peaceful rule. Centuries later, Matthew actually quotes this passage as a prophecy about the birth of a future Messiah, who is Jesus. Micah’s prophecy was an affirmation of hope when the present situation of siege warfare by Assyria would have led the people of Judah to deny such a hope. Matthew frames the birth of Jesus in a similar context of siege in which Herod replaces the Assyrians, in his desire to kill the infant.

God has a curious way of turning the world upside down, of reversing roles, of surprising us with unexpected outcomes. How bizarre it must have seemed to Micah’s listeners to hear that Israel’s deliverer would come from Bethlehem, one of the most insignificant clans of Judah. God is forever exalting and lifting up the little people and little places of this world, challenging our expectations, breaking down barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding, and shattering our false sense of security. Jerusalem was, after all, seen to be the locus and focus of God’s power and presence. People had become complacent and had slipped into idolatrous religious practices. This oracle of judgment lashes out against corruption and abuses of wealth and power. But it doesn’t stop there. While predicting the fall of Jerusalem as just punishment for the sins of the people, it at the same time offers the hope and promise of salvation. With God, all is never lost. With God, hope is always part of the picture. With God, wrongs can be righted, and justice can prevail. Turning back to God is always an option.

Micah’s oracle of hope leads naturally to our scripture from Luke. The Magnificat, or Song of Mary, which we read this morning, underscores how the life of faith is filled with many reversals, so that what appears to be secure frequently is not. Mary celebrates her pregnancy by underscoring how the inbreaking of God can frequently bring the powerful down, while lifting the humble to higher positions. This contrast is very similar to the comparison of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in Micah’s prophecy, and to Jesus and Herod. The story of Jesus’ birth is full of surprises and reversals. The inbreaking of God is a two-edged sword. It can bring down the proud who thought they were secure in their power, while it can also locate power in surprising places by raising up the weak.

Mary was a simple peasant girl, engaged to be married to a respectable carpenter. Her future seemed secure, her well-being assured. Then all of a sudden her world turned upside down. A angel named Gabriel, announced that she would become pregnant, before being married. That was grounds for death by stoning in Mary’s day. Imagine her initial dismay and discomfort with the whole idea. How could she face her family? They would be disgraced. How could she tell Joseph? Surely he would reject her. Here again, we see proof of God choosing to exalt the lowly. Gabriel offers quiet assurance that this disturbing news is actually cause for joy. Mary will bear God’s son who will reign over the house of Jacob forever. But how can she believe this crazy tale? Would you?

To Mary’s question, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" Gabriel, not only responds that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, Gabriel also suggests that if Mary needs further proof and assurance of God’s power, she has only to visit her relative, Elizabeth, who in her barrenness and old age has also conceived a child. To Gabriel’s statement, "For with God nothing is impossible," Mary responds in faith, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then she dons her traveling clothes and sets out in haste to visit her relative. When Elizabeth greets Mary at the door and informs her that the child within her womb has just leapt for joy at the sound of Mary’s voice, Mary‘s remaining fears dissolve and she sings a song of praise: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant."

Here again, we note the reversal of fortunes. The lowly servant has been exalted and lifted up, given a key role to play in human history. All generations will call Mary "blessed." because God has chosen to do a great thing through her. Her song goes on to proclaim that God has scattered the proud, has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and sent the rich away empty, while lifting up the lowly and filling the hungry with good things. God is not like the Minnesota Vikings or the Washington Redskins. You can’t go to some play book and predict what will happen next. God often does the radical, the unexpected, the improbable.

Think for a moment about Elizabeth. She is old, well beyond normal child-bearing years, yet God is able to effect something wonderful and fresh through her. The elderly are often thought of as being dried up and over the hill, too set in their ways to do anything new, and too old to be useful. The powerful message in this passage is that God seeks to use people of all ages and conditions to accomplish his will.

Advent is a season of expectation, and this wonderful story suggests to us that our lives are to be as pregnant as were Mary and Elizabeth with the expectation of the transforming experience of God’s grace. When God breaks in to our lives, we too, are changed.

Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah give us a marvelous entry point for the season of Advent. Their quiet faith and interpersonal support reminds us that this holy season is not something to get through, but something which is supposed to get through to us: that what is important in life is faith and relationships. In the Christmas story the relationships are many. Man to Woman, Woman to Woman, Angel to Man, Angel to Woman, God to humanity. Indeed we have our own twofold embrace. Yes, God did embrace us in Jesus, but it took one like us, Mary, to be the handmaid of the Lord. In choosing Mary, God became intimate with us, and helped us to remember that we are made in the image of God. Often, in the frenetic action of this month, nerves fray and we become distracted from that which really is important, which is loving each

other. The beautiful birth stories of Jesus and John remind us to cherish each other. If we can't

cherish each other, then why bother with all the tinsel and trappings?

Advent has offered us the opportunity ro examine those relationships more closely, to wonder at the unfolding of the story, and to marvel once again at God’s choice of Elizabeth and Mary, and even of Bethlehem. Today we have come to the end of advent and tonight we will celebrate in word and song the birth of Jesus, God’s inbreaking, not just into human history, but into our own lives as well. When we claim Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we lay claim to a personal relationship with God. We acknowledge that God seeks to break in to our lives, to transform us by grace and equip us for the tasks to which we are called.

When God breaks in, our world and our life are changed. Clearly God doesn’t always break in to our lives in as dramatic a fashion as he broke into Mary’s, but in every instance, we are changed. God may break in as we struggle with a difficult decision; God may break in with a healing touch for a physical ailment or a broken heart; God may break in through a friend’s wise counsel, through the unexpected love of a stranger, through a community of faith, or we may hear God’s still, small voice urging us not to give up when the going is tough. We never know quite what to expect, but it is clear that when we recognize God’s power and God’s presence, our lives are changed. Think of Mary and Elizabeth. They were not just changed by becoming mothers, they were changed by adding a new dimension to their faith. This God whom they had worshiped, suddenly become so much more real, and so it must be for us as well.

Advent is a season of preparation, a season of honing our faith, and Christmas marks the celebration of Jesus’ birth, of God’s conscious choice to break in to history in a totally new way. How well have we prepared ourselves? When God breaks in, will we recognize Him? Will we welcome Him as Mary did? Are we ready to say, "Let it be with me according to your word."? What have we learned this Advent? What does it mean to each of us that God works through ordinary people? What does it mean that God lifts up the lowly? What’s in this message for us?

Just as Micah’s words were heard as an oracle of hope and salvation, so also should the Christmas story be heard today. God sent Jesus to be the salvation of the world, not just in his day, but in ours. God’s promise is for us. God’s hope is for us. God’s peace is for us. We have come to the end of our advent journey, and are ready to enter into Bethlehem, to receive the news of the birth of Jesus Christ, to give thanks for our Savior. Let us say with Mary, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior." God has broken into human history, not once, but thousands of times, and God will continue to break in, whenever our hearts are ready to receive him. So let us wait expectantly, with hope in our hearts, for God to break in. Amen.