Expecting

When Mary and Elizabeth, her cousin, were pregnant, the whole town must have talked about it. After all, "expecting" encourages all of us to talk about what might happen...

What do you suppose the folks who knew Mary and Elizabeth said when they found out that the women were expecting (Luke 1:26-38)? I imagine that there were quite a few conversations about it in the town square! Let’s listen in to one of their friends who has just heard the news.

“Have you heard? Elizabeth is expecting!

Yes, Elizabeth! Old Zechariah’s wife!

No, I haven’t seen her myself. She won’t let anybody see her. But she sends Zechariah to the store with lists of things to buy.

Oh, she wants their usual groceries – milk and bread and peanut butter – but she wants other things, too… things like pickles and ice cream. Pickles and ice cream! And I saw the delivery truck from the furniture store at their house just last week. They carried in a crib. A crib! Now, I don’t think that she’s going to plant flowers in that crib, do you? Of course, she’s pregnant.

Well, you don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to. I guess I can’t blame you for that. As old as she is, that baby is a miracle!

And have you heard that Mary is expecting, too?

Yes, Mary… Joseph’s fiancée. But she says that Joseph isn’t the father. She claims that an angel visited her and told her that God would be the father!

I don’t know if she’s delusional. She seems sane enough to me! But that’s quite a story, isn’t it? God fathering a baby. That’s as unbelievable as Elizabeth getting pregnant at her age!

You don’t think that baby will be the Messiah, do you? That would be a miracle, too! I’ve seen a lot in my day, but these pregnancies make me wonder whether I’ve seen anything at all. Elizabeth and Mary are expecting. Will wonders never cease?!”

Well, I don’t know if anyone said exactly those things, but they might have! We all like to discuss it when someone that we know is expecting. That’s because when someone is expecting, the world is full of possibility! “Expecting” moves us beyond hope to preparation. After all, when we hope, we’re not really sure of anything. When we hope for something, we trust that it will happen someday; but the details aren’t clear. When will it happen? Where will it happen; and how? Hope looks forward into the future; but it can’t see clearly. But expectation – that’s a different kettle of fish! Expectation has a face, a name, sometimes even a timetable! We can actually do some things when we are expecting. We may hope for snow and dream about walking through a winter wonderland; but when we expect snow, we get out the snow shovel.

When parents are expecting a baby, like Elizabeth and Mary were, they know what kinds of preparations need to be made. They need to provide a crib for the new baby so that she can sleep safely, clothing to keep him warm, and opportunities for play so that she can grow and learn and mature. Nine months pass quickly with all the preparation that accompanies expecting a child. But new parents also need to prepare to be flexible. They need to prepare for the unexpected. After all, each baby is different. Some are quiet, and some are… not so quiet. Some babies are shy, while others are outgoing. Some babies are easy to care for; while others will push every limit that you try to set for them. Any new parents who believe that they are absolutely ready for that new baby are kidding themselves!

As we expect the birth of the Messiah, we’re just like new parents. We know that he’s coming; and we’re getting everything ready. The sanctuary is decorated; the candles are in the windows; many of us are reading Advent meditations each day. But exactly what will happen when he gets here… We don’t know that just yet. Just like new parents, we only know what’s going to happen in very general terms. We know that the Messiah is coming to save us; to bring us good news of God’s love; and to offer us peace beyond our wildest expectations. But exactly how we will experience those things… Well, that’s usually a big surprise.

This baby turned out to be a big surprise to the people who lived in his day. When he grew up and told them that he was the Messiah, they expected him to set up the Kingdom of God by force. They expected him to become a king just like the kings that they had known in the past. They expected him to dress in royal robes, eliminate all his enemies, and judge from a golden throne. Instead, he dressed in what the common people wore, he loved his enemies, and he told us not to judge at all, but to show mercy. Oh, this Messiah conquered, all right, but not by making war. He conquered by rising from the dead after he had allowed his enemies to kill him. Sometimes – especially where God is concerned – our expectations don’t match the reality that God has planned for us.

As we expect the birth of the Christ child again this year, maybe we should add something to our preparations of greenery, wreaths, trees, and candles. Maybe we should get ready for something else: something new that will change our lives. Maybe we should get ready to be encountered by a Messiah that defies our expectations. Maybe we should get ready not only to be comforted, but also to be challenged. Maybe we should get ready not only to receive God’s love, but also to show it to others. Maybe we should get ready not only to talk about the peace that Jesus offers us as citizens of the Kingdom of God, but also to live it.

“Have you heard? We’re expecting – expecting, just like Mary and Elizabeth! Oh, I know that it’s unbelievable; but it’s true! Will wonders never cease?!”