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.” Luke 1:30-33
So much happens in these four verses:
An angel
He speaks to Mary
She has found favor
and with God, no less
She will conceive a son
The angel gives her the name to call this boy
He will be great
He will have the throne of David
He will reign over the house of Jacob
There will be no end to His kingdom
He tells her about her coming son, words that any mother would be proud to hear, but would wonder if all of these things could be true.
Beautiful and amazing is this young woman who is to be the Christ’s mother, innocent and gentle in her spirit. She had questioned the angel, and then graciously accepts those deep and powerful words by responding thusly:
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 1:38
As I wait in this Advent time, I ponder the magnificence of this proclamation. Would I be able to understand and accept these words had they been spoken to me? Could I grasp the future that these words speak? An angel naming my baby? Me, a young and vulnerable woman, having a baby of God’s, not of man? How could this be? To me, if I were Mary…I don’t know. I just don’t know. Yet, when Mary went to visit and stay with Elizabeth, there was immediate confirmation by and through Elizabeth:
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:41-45
I do understand something though. God can do anything for He created everything. He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. The angel says in Luke 1, verse 37: “…For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Could I? Would I? Oh, God, grant me a heart that so beautifully wraps around Your Truth; accepts the words of Your messengers; opens myself to Your will. Would I? Could I? I pray so, my LORD. I pray so. I pray with my whole heart and every ounce of my being. I pray with my heart’s ears and eyes open to You, to You alone. Thank You for giving us the most wonderful gift of all. O LORD, in Your Son’s Holy Name, the Son of the Most High, I pray. Amen
Photo by David Hewitt from FreeImages. (with added graphics)
Photo by Deborah Krusemark from FreeImages (with added graphics)
Orange rose photo – https://pixabay.com/users/alexas_fotos-686414/ (with added graphics)
“Trees Covered With Snow” by Pixabay on Pexels (with added graphics)
Photo from http://ziongwinner.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-was-jesus-born-part-1.html (with added graphics)
yes, beautiful perspective. I often pray to have a heart like Mary (and Joseph too), that says “yes Lord” to anything knowing the Father is good and faithful. Thank you for this post.
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I have always prayed to be who wants me to be. Mary is an inspiration to all of us.
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Linda this is beautiful, I think sometimes we rush past the implications of Mary’s story and her reply! Would “I”, Could “I”, indeed a profound thought, and we know the end of the story, she had no idea what was before her.
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“Could I? Would I? Oh, God, grant me a heart that so beautifully wraps around Your Truth; accepts the words of Your messengers; opens myself to Your will.” I wonder this about myself too….
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Would I? Could I? Questions I’ve asked myself many times. Have a blessed Christmas, Linda.
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May embody Mary’s beautiful yes to God!
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I love the way you have highlighted this part of the Christmas Story to us today Linda. Very thought provoking, “Would I? Could I?”
May you have a very blessed Christmas,
Jennifer
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Everything about this story fills me with awe and wonder. Thank you for your wonderful retelling.
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Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy, joyous Christmas season filled with blessings. ❤
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And to you and your family as well, Kathleen.
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