Mary accepted God’s amazing assignment
Daily Scripture
Luke 1:34-38
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
God’s messenger promised that Mary would have a baby. But biological reality (Mary was a virgin) surely ruled pregnancy out. People in Mary’s day didn’t have all of our medical knowledge, but they understood the basics of human reproduction well enough to know a virgin could NOT be pregnant. So of course Mary struggled to believe the angel’s words—but in the end she did. Young as she was (probably early to mid-teens), Mary knew she served a God who is free to do very unusual things. And the angel underscored that: “Nothing is impossible for God.”
- Mary didn’t try to hide her puzzled questions (verse 34), but she was open to the angel’s answer. Her final response was an awe-inspiring model for us: “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” What does it take for you to respond to God’s call as Mary did? Do your life experiences help or hinder you from fully believing and trusting the good news about God’s incredible love for you? What helps you trust that God is with you and for you through all the ups and downs of life?
The Journey: A Season of Reflections
Today’s Insights was chapter 5, “Here Am I, the Servant of the Lord” from The Journey: A Season of Reflections, by Adam Hamilton. Copyright © 2011 by Abingdon Press, and available on our website for 24 hours by permission of Abingdon Press. If you’d like to buy the entire book of reflections, you can click here for a direct link to the Cokesbury sale page, as well as other Journey resources.
Prayer
Lord God, from darkness to light, anguish and grief to hope, from death to life—you are always the God for whom nothing is impossible. I praise you for the joy and hope you offer me. Amen.
