Saying ‘Yes’

Paul Walton
24 December 2002

Preached at Wesley Hospital Chapel

Tonight, I would like to take this opportunity to briefly talk about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Who is Mary? Is she a saint made out of plaster? A beautiful young woman whose face was just made for a holy picture? The Queen of Heaven?

Who is Mary? Is she just an ordinary person, who happened to be the mother of Jesus, someone who fades into insignificance once the birth of Jesus is over?

Catholics and Protestants have had very different ideas about Mary. As a Protestant, I always find that the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent challenge the view of Mary that I have inherited. Mary is significant. In the year AD 451, the Council of Chalcedon named Mary Theotokos; this means ‘God-bearer’, or even ‘Mother of God’. This came to be because Mary said ‘Yes’ when the angel came to give her the ‘good’ news: ‘You will conceive in your womb and bear a son…’

Every year, I wonder afresh what would have happened had Mary said ‘No! Find someone else, don’t write me into this terrifying story.’ Well, you might say, that’s easy. God would have found someone else. But that just puts the question off. God needed a Mary. In the mystery of Christmas, God needed a Mother. It was impossible for God to become human without Mary.

Mary said ‘Yes’. She could have said ‘No’, but she said ‘Yes’. ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’

God needed Mary to say ‘Yes’. And that to me is very significant. Mary is the person who says ‘Yes’ to God. God needs us also to say ‘Yes’. And us? We really need to say ‘Yes’ to God.

This Christmas time, as we sing carols and give and receive gifts, let’s not lose sight of Mary. Let us thank God for her example, the example of the wonderful woman who said ‘Yes’ to God. Amen.