Know.Grow.Show.

Mary was given the express privelidge of bringing the Son of God into the world.
She was “highly favored” of God to be selected for such a comission.
Surely she lept for joy with this assignment. Or did she?
Luke describes mary as a “virgin espoused” to be married. Mary even asks the angel Gabriel how she is going to cincenve a child ”seeing I know not a man.” So let’s think.

Virgin.

It is likely she had no plans or provisions for a baby as of yet. Learning about surprise pregnancies can be daunting to say the least. I’m sure most young mothers are fill with a coctail of excitement, joy and fear. The experience doesn’t exactly gain a lot of good press does it. Hence epidurals. I’m sure this was as far from her plans as a thing could get. No bride-to-be longs for the day when she walks around with shame as eyes pierce through the atmosphere as they gaze upon her enlarged abdomen. The social aspects of what God is calling her to is simply intimidating. Imagine the things she had heard from the women in her life about those unwed mothers. The filet of reputation that was feasted upon at the Sunday afternoon lunch table by those proper church ladies. And now, her. She was on the choping block. We know people must have talked, as they always will. Later in Jesus life, the pharisees wanted to cut deep our Messiah, and they brought up the well known story of his birth. In their exchange, they strike a blow to Jesus with, “Well, at least we’re not born out of fornication. We have just one father.” (see John 8.41). So, if the story was noted by pharisees 30 something years later, it must have be rigorus during Mary’s pregnancy.

Espoused.

What 12 year old girl in the world doesn’t dream about her prince charming? Would Marry have been any differnt? The courtship would have been like any other. Filled with stories of moonlit dancings in the streets, and extravagant memories of butterflies in their stomach on the day of the engagement. And now, Mary is going to have to go to her love, her betrothed, the one she promised herslef to, and explain to him this situation. She was a virgin. She was pregnant. Two mutually exclusive truths, yet in this case mutually complementary. What man in his right mind would buy that. (we understand God would speak to Joseph as well, but it wasn’t until after he purposed to divorse her. it must have been a tough time for a while, and keep in mind Mary did not know Joseph would ever get that message from God.) Culturally at this time engagements were as binding as marriage. It was a preperation time, and still the union wasn’t consumated until the wedding. Divorce was required to break an engagement in these days. Also, according to Jewish law, unfaithfulness on the part of a wife was punishable by death.

Was God going to ask her to give up her man? Her wedding? Her reputation? Her friends? Her right to go to the synagogue and worship him? Her life? Would he set her at odds against her whole world? Many uncertainties were circling the could of Mary’s life this night. Yet, notice her response…

“Behold, the handmaiden [servant] of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word.” (Luke 1.38)

That’s faith. May God grant it to me.

We tend to believe this gospel of prosperity that is so prevelant in our culture. What a joke. Obeying God, following his word, and serving him was directly responsible for hardships in Mary’s life. It was God who told the disciples to get into the boat and into the storm. It was God who sent Abraham up on the mountain to sacrifice his son Isaac. It was God who sent Joseph into slavery and prision. Let us not say that God will always make things more pleasureable in our lives. We find joy in serving him, and fulfillment that isn’t found anywhere else. However, we cannot say that will come through easy times and worldly gain. To say that, is to display biblical and spiritual ignorance for all to see.