Mary

The first two chapters of Luke are dedicated to a young woman from Nazareth, Mary. She was a virgin, engaged to Joseph who was a descendant of King David. The angel Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ...for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus..." Mary's response, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever He wants. May everything you have said come true."

"You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what He said," Elizabeth told her. Mary responded, "Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl,... For He, the Mighty One, is holy, and He has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear Him. His mighty arm does tremendous things!... He has satisfied the hungry with good things... And how He has helped His servant Israel! He has not forgotten His promise to be merciful." After Jesus was born, everyone who saw the new baby were very excited, "but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often."

Mary had received the most exhilarating news. She was to be the mother of our Lord! What an awesome privilege to a woman of God. But with this privilege came many heartaches. Heartaches that no other could ever carry, and joys that no other could imagine. Mary was the only one at the birth of Christ, who was also present at His death. "She saw Him arrive as her baby son, and she watched Him die as her Savior."

How awesome it would have been to have received such a privilege. Many times we think of the wonderful privilege that God gave to Mary. How many times to do we truly think of the struggles, responsibility, and heart ache that this privilege brought. In the beginnings of the moment, before the truth was reveled, it seemed like nothing could go wrong. How exciting to be the mother of the true King. What her dreams for her son must have been like! He was the one who was to conquer their enemies. He was the one that would save them all. The catch is that no one can know the the path that God is going to take. He does things differently than we anticipate. What we think is best for us; often is not. No one knows the method of God. But she entered the task with this response, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept what ever He wants."

Mary knew the ways of the Lord in that, she knew the scripture and she knew His love. She quoted the Old Testament as she praised God for giving her such a gift. She knew Him enough to know He would help her through what ever was to come. She was willing to be available to God. She was an ordinary young woman that relied on her Lord. As I look at Mary, I have to look at her faith. She was a mother like I am a mother. She was called by God to raise His Son. She had the good fortune in raising a King, and "she quietly treasured these things in her heart." I must ask myself: Am I available to be used by God? Am I willing to be His servant? Does it matter what pain I must endure, in order to serve God? Even through the pain, am I still going to praise Him as my Lord? Can I look past the "right now" and see His good deeds working for His glory? Can I embrace every moment and cherish Him in my heart?