Expressions of Faith - Advent 1 of 3: I'm what?!?
Special Advent Post #1
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| The Annunciation: I chose the above image for today because it was the closest representation I could find of what I'm trying to say in this blog post. |
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:26b-33
I’m What?
How do you react to an angel’s visit?
Since the chances are that it’s never happened to you, you probably don’t know how you would react.
Mary’s initial reaction is almost the same as the reaction of nearly every other biblical character to have contact with an angel. Verse 29 reveals that she was “greatly troubled.” The King James Version is kinder—it doesn’t have “greatly.”
She did better than her relative, Zachariah—who was “gripped with fear” [Luke 1:12].
The first thing that impresses me about Mary in this passage is her major concern when an angel shows up. She “wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”
I’m not sure that’d be my first thought. I might be more Zachariah than Mary by the angel’s third or fourth word.
The second impressive action by Mary is what follows the passage above.
She could have been as young as 12 and was probably no older than 15. She’s just been told she’s pregnant.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” [Luke 1:34]
I’ve never been a 12-15-year-old female. In spite of that chromosomal limitation, I think my reaction might have more, “I’m what?” than those words Luke reports.
I don’t think it was a fortunate accident that God chose Mary to be Jesus’ earthly mother.
God knew Mary’s heart.
It was easy to do.
It was a lot like His.
Father, during this Christmas season, and through the years to come, help my heart to become more like your heart.
This is one of two Advent Expressions of Faith. Next week: Angels and Shepherds, an Unexpected Pairing
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