October 6, 2024 – LWML Sunday Text: Luke 1:38
Dear Friends in Christ, The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was passed by Congress on September 16, 1940. It required all men between the ages of 21 and 64 to register with the Selective Service. Then on December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor happened. Congress then amended the act to require all able-bodied men ages 18 to 64 to register with their local draft board for the duration of World War II. In practice, only men from 18 to 45 were drafted. Thirty days after the Pearl Harbor attack, 134,000 Americans enlisted in the military. More than 16 million served during the War. Of the over 16 million service members, 6 million of them were volunteers. You may remember the famous recruiting poster with Uncle Sam pointing at you and saying, “I Want You for U.S. Army.” Today in our text God points his finger at Mary and says, “I want you.” God calls on Mary and in faith and trust she is . . .“READY TO SERVE” Every time we make confession in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds, we remember the Virgin Mary. Mary would have been around 15, a virgin, living in Nazareth, and engaged to Joseph. Then she was brought a message that would change her life. Gabriel, a messenger of God delivers Mary’s job description: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31). This sinner, Mary, was not worthy of God’s grace, but God had chosen her to be the mother of Jesus. God was going to fulfill his promise. His Son Jesus would be sent on a mission to save the world. God’s Son was going to pay the debt of sin for you and me and all people. After years of waiting, it was going to happen. Mary, of all people, was about to be the mother of the Messiah. Now Mary was a little perplexed and we are not surprised. Things just don’t add up. “How will this be, since I am a virgin,” (Luke 1:34) Mary asks. An answer is received. This child would have no human father. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). This child was not conceived and born in sin. This is God’s Son. He is sinless and our Savior. Mary responds in faith. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38a). Mary was ready to go. Ready to accept the angel’s message. Ready to serve. Why was she ready to serve? She trusted and believed God’s Word. It was all going to work out according to the Word of the Lord. Mary came to serve. Her son Jesus came to serve. The task of Jesus was even bigger. He explained it to the disciples: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He taught and healed people, then went to the cross and rose from the grave to bring us salvation. He was a true servant. Jesus made the impossible possible. He opened up eternal life to all who believe in Him. Jesus accomplished His mission on that first Easter morning. Death and sin and devil had been conquered. He provided the greatest service the world has ever seen. Mary served. Jesus served. What about us? Do we trust the Word? Can God count on you to work in his Kingdom for His mission? God has redeemed us for this very purpose. Paul wrote it this way: “(Jesus) died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (1 Cor. 5:15). We stand ready to serve with joy. Today we are celebrating Lutheran Women in Mission, the LWML. Their motto: “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Since 1942 the LWML has encouraged and equipped women to serve. They are active in mission ministries, and they support global missions. With their mite box offerings, they have a goal from 2023-2025 to receive $2.35 million dollars to fund mission projects in the U.S. and around the world. You can go to lwml.org and look at these impressive missions that they support. God called Mary and she was ready to serve as she spoke to Gabriel, “I am the servant of the Lord.” God sent His Son to serve, and He gave his life for us. May our response as baptized children of God be one of service as Martin Luther expressed it: “that I may be his own and live under him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.” Amen.