Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Meets Mary

Luke 1.46-55 Mount Pisgah Allen R. Hunt
12/10/06 Jolly, Holly[wood] Christmas 2: Mary meets Rudolf

I. So unexpected
I mean, really, who would think that a sound like that could come out of Abby Harlow’s mouth?
Still remember the first time they sang here – each member of the family had own solo, until finally Abby stepped up and belted it out – I was floored – unexpected
We like it when the unexpected happens

That’s why we all like Rudolf – why I watched him every year as a kid
Cried every year – I could identify with the little guy
Rudolf was too small, too weak to be helpful as a reindeer
So it made it all the sweeter when Santa selected Rudolf to lead the sleigh that night
It was unexpected

God is like that – evidently, He likes the unexpected
He certainly likes to use unexpected people to say the least
Hosea – married to a prostitute – and God chooses him to be the prophet to call Israel to judgement for its worship of the false god of Baal
Rahab – she was a prostitute – and God chose her to save the Hebrew spies in Jericho – only family to survive its destruction in fact and God grafted her family into Israel
Gideon – smallest member of weakest family in weakest clan of Manasseh – yet God chose little Gideon to lead a small band of 300 men to victory over the Midianites

But I doubt anyone saw this coming
Who in the world would have picked Mary?
Can you imagine Gabriel’s shock – spokesangel for God – when God gives Him the order to go share the news of imminent motherhood with little Mary?
“Mary?!?!?!”
13 or 14 year old girl
A young girl, hardly mature enough for the task
A virgin, and one merely engaged to a carpenter – poor, ordinary, common
Hardly royalty – who could take her seriously
Not married – embarrassment, scandal – unbelievable really
We know so little about her – one of the singlemost important figures of the Bible
Mother of Jesus, Mother of God as Catholics say – and we barely know her name

You would think God would choose someone a bit more likely, wouldn’t you?
A queen perhaps
Or someone with some stature or status – garner respect of those around her
I mean, this is the mother of God made flesh
And God chooses little Mary – small, simple, young, virgin, not even married, poor
God uses unexpected people

II. That is just how God is
He likes the unexpected
He sees potential in people that no one else sees
He uses unlikely people to reveal His glory
So there is no mistake – it is God who is at work here, not some extraordinary human
Because we do know this about Mary – she was very, very ordinary

Just how God is
He has a special heart for the least, the weakest, the unlikely
Just look at what Mary sings when she discovers that she will be the mother of God
My soul glorifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
For He has been mindful
Of the humble state of His servant.
From now on, generations will call me blessed,
For the Mighty One has done great things for me –
Holy is His name.

His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
From generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
But has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
But has sent the rich away empty.

God has a special heart for those who are lowly, hurting, distressed, hungry, humble
And if we had any question about it, simply look at how this newborn Savior behaves

* Born among livestock, announced to shepherds
* Calling His closest followers from simple, common fishermen
* Healing a man with unclean spirit, lepers, paralyzed
* Preaching Beatitudes – Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the Kingdom of God
Blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied…
Woe to you who are rich for you have already received your comfort
Woe to you who are well fed now
For you will go hungry (Luke 6.30-36)
• Healing daughter of Jairus and woman hemorrhaging for nearly a decade
• Exalting a Samaritan for getting off his donkey and into the ditch with a beaten man while religious people never bothered
• Rebuking the rich fool for tearing down barns in order to build bigger ones and neglecting the condition of his own soul
• Describing the Kingdom of God as a wedding feast that has special places poor, crippled, blind and lame
• Embracing little children at the expense of the adults in the area

Surely this is a God who loves the leastest and uses the unexpected and unlikely
Because He carefully crafts each human being in His own image and in His own hands
Therefore He sees the potential in each one of us that no one else can see
Even in the unlikeliest among us
Each of us – every single one of us has immense value to God – in fact, invaluable
Just for a moment – consider what God might see in you that no one else does
What might He want to do in you or through you?

III. This love for the leastest and the unlikely is why I am so proud of Murphy Harpst home for children out in Cedartown
First came in contact there one day – as I met a little boy who hid under the table at every meal for the first week he was at MH – hording his food because he did not believe that another meal would come in just a few hours
No one but God could have seen the potential in that little boy’s life
Another day with a child who handed me and some folks from our church a note that said simply, “Thank you for caring because no one else does.”
Only God knew of something greater for his future

Murphy Harpst is the last stop, last call for the 45 or so kids who live there at a time – last stop before going to the state mental ward
Ages 6-17 with severe emotional and behavioral needs
Most abused, neglected, traumatized – most sexually and more
Never had a stable place to live – no meals, education, structure
Exposed to sex, porn, drugs, adult behaviors that no child should witness are routine part of their lives
Most arrive with their worldly belongings in a garbage bag
State ranks children in its care from 1 to 6 – MH only gets 5 and 6
All other options have been exhausted
MH takes them in – only non state home of its kind in Georgia – and Methodist
Schedule, educate, structure, feed, teach responsibility and chores, recreation, and spiritual instruction – to help bring hope and healing to the hurting, the unlikely

Kathryn arrived – at age 11
Had been in 9 institutions before MH – first hospitalized at age 6
Violent, aggressive, out of control
Suicidal and homicidal behaviors
Verbally and physically abusive – chaotic life had created a chaotic child
Who described her life as “hell” and “all alone in the world”

MH received and welcomed her – through horse therapy helped her to learn to trust, to overcome her stubbornness with patience, softened her demeanor over time
Slowly but surely Kathryn experienced the grace of God and healing

Want you to meet her today – because God uses and chooses the most unlikely of people
Kathryn – What was life like?
What made the biggest differences in your life?
What do you do now? Admissions agent at MH – first one to receive and meet the incoming children – amazing!
And your little girl’s name? Hope

God loves the leastest, the unlikely and the unexpected
He sees potential no one else will
Santa chose Rudolf
God chose Mary
And God uses people like you and me to do remarkable things
Because He sees possibilities in you and me and children at MH that no one else does

Invitation to communion – reminder of God’s simple unlikely love
And invitation to give – to care for the leastest and the least likely
$219.60 total cost per child per day
$500 two days food
$5000 – 10 months of art therapy
$42,000 – 1 year of horse therapy
$100,000 – provide horse therapist and new barn and re-seeding of 60 acres of horse pasture and riding area
$6MM budget – only $60,000 comes from UMC churches – most from state
We can match that as God’s family here today