Why Mary?


This hectic season can be so filled with the things that must be done—buying gifts, mailing packages, sending Christmas cards, baking goodies, making deliveries and of course the parties and overeating. With all of these distractions, it's easy to lose sight of the true meaning. Therefore, this year I have tried not to get caught up in all of the doing, but have tried to take more time in the reflecting. I hope you have done so too. 

This week I will share some of my thoughts on the characters of Christmas. Each day I will let you know what God has taught me through these people, so get ready to grab a cup of tea and join me for just a few minutes each day.

Today we start with Mary, the mother of Jesus, just a plain ordinary teenage woman who was going to be married when suddenly her life was turned upside down by a visitor—the angel Gabriel no less. Mary had been chosen not because was rich or beautiful or popular, but because she had found favor with God. The Bible doesn’t really tell us why she had found favor, but we can surmise that it was  because she loved God with all of her heart and desired to be obedient to Him, in other words, her attitudes and actions were pleasing to God. We tend to put Mary on a pedestal, but there is no need to since we can all find favor with God if we  love Him and are willing to obey what He asks of us. 

Even though Mary was surprised by the announcement of the angel, and asked questions about how a virgin like herself could have a child, she was open to hear what God was telling her. In fact, after the angel declares, “Nothing is impossible with God,” Mary answers that she is God’s servant and desires for everything to happen as she had been told. Is that your attitude? Do you like to be associated with the term servant? If you want to be favored by God, it appears that’s the way we should think of ourselves.

Mary didn’t have all of the answers, because God usually doesn’t give them all to us in advance, however she was willing to be used by God to raise His Son, the long awaited Messiah. Mary didn’t run out, bragging to all of her friends about what had happened to her, but went to visit a cherished relative and gave praise and honor and glory to God for what was about to happen.

It could have been a precarious situation for Mary; after all she was unmarried and pregnant. People probably talked about her behind her back. Her friends may have deserted her. Her family might have disowned her, yet through it all, this young woman was unwavering in her faith in God and the promises that she had been given.

How do you react when God give you a task? Do you jump right in and let Him know that you are excited about the plans He has for you or do you hesitate and tell Him that you are too busy or too tired or not qualified enough? Do you sing praises to Him and thank Him for what He is going to do in you and through you even though it might not be what you wanted for your life?

When we search through the scriptures for the times when Mary is mentioned, there aren’t too many occurrences other than the birth of Jesus in the first few chapters of Matthew and Luke. We see her  at the temple with her family, at the wedding where Jesus changed water into wine, when she and His brothers came to see Jesus, at the crucifixion of Jesus and then after His resurrection when she was praying with the disciples. Mary didn’t have to be mentioned much in the Bible, because she was not the important one—Jesus was and is the one we should adore. 

Mary had completed her job, raising the Son of God. Once her job was finished she didn’t have to stay in the limelight. She was satisfied being a follower of the Son of God. Are you satisfied with the role God has given to you? 

So why did God choose Mary? She was pure and simple in her faith. Let’s strive to have a heart and a faith like hers.

Luke 1:46-50
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
   of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
   holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
   from generation to generation.
 

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