During this Advent season, I've been doing some reading of the more "traditional" Christmas passages. It's always this time of year I long to attend a traditional church. Anyway, I think my favorite passage in the Christmas story is when Gabriel visits Mary and tells her of her upcoming pregnancy.
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her own age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.
I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." The angel left her.
Luke 1:34-38
Her response strikes me in so many ways. First, her immense faith in God. Her quick acceptance of her fate illustrates her complete trust in God. Additionally, obviously God knew of her great faith as he entrusted her with perhaps the most important calling He could entrust to any human-the mother of His son. Second, her willingness to sacrifice in order to be obedient to God. She sacrificed her reputation among her peers (just imagine what people were saying when this so-called virgin was 6 months pregnant). Not to mention-she ultimately sacrificed her son and watched him die on the cross. Can you imagine?
A few short verses with such intense meaning. When God calls me to do something, how willing am I to do it? And more importantly, what am I willing to sacrifice to follow that call-my reputation? My friends? My everything?
I want the kind of faith Mary had-the kind of faith that without hesitation obeyed God and the kind of faith that was so obviously big that God would entrust her with BIG things.
1 comment:
neat post
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