Favored? For What?
Luke 1:26-38 ESV
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from
God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin
betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And
the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said,
“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she
was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting
this might be. 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.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am
a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will
come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And
behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and
this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing
will be impossible with God.” 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.
---------------
This Scripture is referred to as the Annunciation or the
Announcement to Mary. God’s eye came to rest on Mary, a humble woman.
Enter the angel, Gabriel. Angels really DO exist! The name
Gabriel means “Hero of God.” Gabriel, sent from God. Gabriel, sent to Mary, a
virgin engaged to a man, Joseph. Gabriel, comes with a greeting for Mary, “O
favored one, the Lord is with you!”
In this announcement from Gabriel proceeds some negativity
in the worldly realm of Mary. Mary is a virgin, engaged, and she is now told
she is to give birth to a son. What? How?
But God is the great one that overturns all of the apple
carts. Out of this worldly negative comes a heavenly positive. Mary’s child is
to be born of God.
Mary is favored and chosen by God to give birth to Jesus.
Jesus both Man and God.
This unheard-of birth is prefaced in the Old Testament by another
angel pronouncement of birth. Not a God/Man birth, but a lead-in, to the birth
of Jesus through Mary. God does fantastic births throughout time.
Genesis 16:11 ESV
And the angel of the Lord said to her, (Hagar,
servant of Sarai)
“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has listened to your
affliction.
Through Mary came Jesus. A unique human being. Jesus, both
God and Man. Jesus, both Spirit and Flesh. Jesus, born of Mary and born of God.
Mary is giving birth to the One present, and part of, God’s
whole creation. God’s being as Jesus IS the work of the Holy Spirit. This birth
is a sign of God’s salvation activity, in and through Spirit and Man.
(Jesus speaks these words after his Resurrection and before
his Ascension into heaven)
Acts 1:8 ESV
But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”
This same Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks to us, his disciples;
is the same Holy Spirit coming to rest on Mary. In this passage, the Holy
Spirit is referred to as the “Power of the Most High,” others refer to as the “Glory
of God.”
And this “Glory of God” is the same God in the Holy Spirit that
Moses witnesses in the book of Exodus.
Exodus 40:35 ESV
And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting
because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the
tabernacle.
Moses witnessed the Glory of God resting on and in the
Tabernacle; and upon Mary rests the Glory of God. The Holy Spirit, once again,
with Father and Son, present from eternity. The Holy Spirit resting with the
People created of God for God.
And Mary accepts all of this as a humble servant of God.
Mary accepts God’s call in obedience to the Word. The Word of God announced
through the angel Gabriel.
But… Now, come on!
Favored One? Favored for what!
Just look at this situation…
Mary is disgraced by pregnancy out of wedlock.
Mary travels to Bethlehem while pregnant. This is on foot
stuff. Not in a car. Maybe riding on a donkey. While pregnant, Mary travels!
Mary gives birth to Jesus in an animal stable. Not a clean
hospital, or even the back of a taxi cab. No! Mary gives birth in a nasty ol animal
shelter.
And then, after giving birth, Mary has to go back to Nazareth.
No time for a baby shower. No time for the mother-in-law, or mother to come
over and help with the baby. Nope! Take a ride, or walk while carrying a baby
back home. Sorry about your luck, Mary!
Once home, Mary raises Jesus. Does she raise Jesus like a
King? Not any kind of earthly king, that’s for sure!
Then, once she has raised Jesus, she gets to watch her
humble son, loved by humble, needy, sick, poor, people… but… hated by the
powerful people and the religious leaders of the day.
Mary gets to see her son, Jesus, taken by the priests and
rulers of his own people, to be brought before the Roman rulers in hopes of
killing her son, Jesus!
Mary gets the privilege of watching crowds make fun of her
son, Jesus.
And then… Mary gets to see her son, Jesus, hang on a cross
and die naked in front of the crowds.
The favor of God? For what?
This favor of God, for Mary, in this world, was certainly no
life of happiness!
Forget about all this Prosperity Gospel stuff! Not for Mary.
Not for the disciples. Not for believing Christians. That’s a worldly fantasy!
Some in the church and many in this world view God’s favor
as pleasure, prosperity and easy living.
But the real “Favor of God” is our call to something beyond
ourselves. God’s call is a call to bear the bruises of this sinful, selfish,
evil world. God’s call turns us from ourselves as we repent and turn to God, so
that we can see and live something outside of ourselves. God’s call is to live
in the grace and love of God, as we witness to the grace and love of God to all
those God gives to us each day of our earthly lives.
The “Favor of God” comes in God’s calling and choosing us.
Yes! We disciples of Christ are called by the Holy Spirit,
out of the waters of our baptism, to live in this world of sin, death and
destruction; to witness to a different world, a different Kingdom. This new
Kingdom is fulfilled and freely given to us through Jesus’, life, suffering and
death; to live with God into eternity.
So… Yes! Mary was called and favored!
And…
You are called and favored out of the waters of your
baptism, freely given by God.
You, baptized disciple, are favored for something new and
eternal.
You are favored and called to something beyond yourself.
You are favored to life with God in eternity.
You are favored to an existence with God in God’s Kingdom
that is totally turned upside down to the reality of this earthly kingdom that
you live in for this brief moment of time.
God will reside with us in Jesus forever. God has been made
known. Heaven and earth sing praise to God!
Jesus… ever and always present…
Holy Spirit… may I be favored with your call.
Come, Lord Jesus, come… today… tomorrow… and forever!
Amen… Yes! It shall be so!
The link below is a wonderful Hymn about this very Gospel Scripture... enjoy!
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