“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.
“May it be to me as you have said.”
Luke 1:38a
More often than not, we read through the exchange between Mary and Gabriel all in one sitting. The advantage of writing the WORD with us this month (you can download our Characters of Christmas bookmark here: https://bit.ly/3snHFR8) is that we can process the sequence of events a little more slowly … which may prompt a new appreciation for each of these familiar characters.
God’s message, delivered to Mary through Gabriel, came with a God-sized blessing: she was chosen to be the mother of God’s son. Gabriel called her “favored” and Elizabeth called her “blessed.”
But this big blessing also came with significant consequences:
- no white wedding dress
- fodder for the rumor mill
- raised eyebrows and turned shoulders
- possible death, according to Old Testament law
This first-century teenage girl raised none of these concerns. She assumed the posture of servant – which meant she acknowledged God as her Lord. Her response simultaneously humbles and inspires me. I hope it does you, too.
There is much we 21st -century women can learn from this first-century teenager. We invite you to read and write along with us in December, and come back to share your take-aways from Mary in the comments.
And if you haven’t yet seen it, we invite you to watch the video teaching on Mary from our five-week study on The Characters of Christmas:
