At Easter, I shared about a pen and ink drawing from our Lessons & Carols Christmas service that made me consider in new ways the pain of the Father’s choice. I ended up purchasing it at an auction for a local RUF ministry. That evening I also came home with a second painting.
It’s an oil-on-canvas representing the visit of Gabriel to Mary that my friend Nicole Perri painted. It hangs in my den, directly across from the spot where I read my Bible and pray each morning. When I see it, it reminds that I want to be like Mary, willing and open to receive from God whatever he might bring to my life.
However, as I reread the story in Luke this morning, I was struck by Mary’s acceptance of God’s surprising plan for her life. It didn’t come all at once.
Mary Ponders
The story begins:
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:28–29)
Mary’s initial response was not joyful delight. She was greatly troubled as she attempted to discern what this angel was saying to her.
It’s somewhat surprising, isn’t it? You are favored. The Lord is with you. Isn’t that what we’d all like to hear? However, it’s also difficult to imagine a heavenly creature appearing to us. Perhaps whatever he said, we might feel “greatly troubled.”
When faced with the Lord’s plan for our lives, we’re promised these same truths. No matter what happens: You are favored. The Lord is with you. Sometimes these truths are difficult to understand in the struggles we face. When a loved one is deathly ill, when a friend betrays us, when we’re lonely, when ministry efforts don’t go according to our plan, our circumstances can cloud these truths.
I find Mary’s initial response of being “greatly troubled” encouraging. Often, our lives do not turn out the way we expect. There’s room to ponder and wonder at what the Lord is doing as we attempt to discern his plans for us. We’re also allowed to question and ask God to give us understanding for what we simply can’t comprehend.
Mary Questions
The passage continues with this response from Gabriel:
And the angel said to her, “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. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:30-34)
Gabriel comforts her fears and explains what the Lord is doing. Mary is still confused, rightly so. In an instant, her life changed dramatically. She was in the midst of planning a wedding, and now she gets the news that she’s going to be a mother. And, she’ll become pregnant before the wedding. And, the boy will be a king.
It’s a lot to process all at once. In her uncertainty she questions how all of this will happen. Gabriel doesn’t rebuke her for her question, he gives her an explanation.
When our lives take dramatic shifts, we can go to the Lord and ask him questions. We can seek him for understanding. This isn’t a sign of faithlessness, but a sign that we believe he is at work in all things, that he is sovereign over all our circumstances. We’re invited to pray and seek discernment (Phil 1:9).
Mary Accepts
Gabriel responds:
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:35-38)
Mary hears from the Lord, and she accepts his surprising plan for her life: Let it be to me according to your word. Mary’s humility is what I long to see in my own heart. She’s a servant of the Lord, willing to do whatever he asks of her. She entrusts herself to fully to God.
Mary’s response isn’t something we should only ponder at Christmas. It’s a way of living every day. When traffic delays us, when people disappoint us, when pregnancy surprises us, when both hardships and blessings come, may we be women who accept God’s will as best. There’s no greater status in the kingdom of God than that of a servant (Matt. 23:11).
May it be to me according to your word. Let that be our daily prayer, for this season and the entire year.