The third characteristic of Mary that we see in Luke 1.26-45 involves her willingness to obey, no matter the cost.When the angel Gabriel delivered the divine assignment to be the mother of Messiah, Mary replied, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." With one word of obedience, Mary laid her future, her reputation, and her life on the line.
Let no one doubt that this was a costly "let it be" for Mary. It was entirely possible that she would be put to public shame, lose her husband to be, be marked as an adulteress for life, perhaps even face severe judicial penalties under the law. For a young teenager to say "yes" to God with such dire consequences in view is astonishing and remarkable.
Apparently, Mary's God was big enough to take care of the fallout. She was going to be the vessel to carry the Savior of the world! This prospect made all other considerations pale in comparison.
God may have given Mary the most demanding assignment in history. By his grace, through faith, she accepted it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we would all learn to accept God's assignments, big and small, with such faithful obedience?
No comments:
Post a Comment