(First of all-sorry- I took yesterday off of work and literally took the day off. I spent it with my kids-so I guess really I am not that sorry. I did spend some time thinking about this post though, but thinking was as far as I got.)
Luke 1:26-38,46-55
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
I love to consider Mary and the position she was placed in. I also love her response-she was willing. I think often times we tend to elevate Mary to some kind of saintly status. I do think God chose her because He knew she would be willing, that she would trust God, that she was the perfect person to be the mother of Christ.
God knew exactly what He was asking of exactly who He was asking. He did not attempt to find a willing party by auditioning or interviewing multiple people. He did not fret over whether Mary would do an "OK" job or if she would be too overwhelmed or inconvenienced by the task.
The same is true of each of us. God does not ask us to do something that He wonders if we will be capable of carrying out. The problem then lies with us. We are the ones that worry about the impossibility or inconvenience of the task God has asked us to take on. God knows exactly who He is asking. So if God is asking you to do something, no matter how impossible it seems, no matter if it would cause you to be inconvenienced--He has not made a mistake. He has chosen you to do that specific task, just as He chose Mary to be the mother of Christ.
Keep this in mind:
For nothing is impossible with God.
Our response should then be:
I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true.
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