Consider the Mother of God
“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But…Could she even have imagined, when the angel came to tell her she’d been chosen by God, that her heart would, could ever hurt this badly? Could she have comprehended when she obeyed and received the invitation of God Almighty that it would not exempt her from agony in raising this son to watch him die for the sins of the world? Did she realize that the honor of carrying the Light-seed of God, His very Glory, could also bring anguish and despair, could break her heart into a million pieces, too?
How can this be?
“How can this be?” she had asked the Angel, Gabriel, when he’d announced to her that she, though a virgin, would conceive and bring forth a Son. It must have been awe-inspiring, mystical, with trepidations – a decision had to be made.
Later, I wonder, as she watched Him arrested and beaten and hanging on a cross, was she asking that same question again? How can this be, my sinless Son?
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
Did it feel like favor when all seemed lost?
My low-church Protestant background eschewed anything that could remotely be considered “Mary worship” and we have missed the beauty of this admirable woman.
Last Christmas, I had a renewed regard of Mary and what she represents for us. She was a girl who was called by God and she struggled to understand and comprehend – and was troubled by it, perhaps sensing it could hurt her and would be beyond overwhelming. But she said yes. She said yes to the gift and blessing of God in her life, yes to whatever will be, yes to the joy of His birth and the mystery of His life and the agony of His death before her very eyes.
Mary, did you know? And if you had foresight, would you, for the Glory, do it all agin? Yes, I think she would.
I don’t worship her, I am not praying to her, but I am of the generations who call her blessed (Luke 1.48), and I wholeheartedly do. She was humble, she was obedient, she said yes to God.
May it be said of us, too.
Let it be to me according to Your Word, O LORD.
LOVE that you are writing about her. I feel MUCH the same way. She has been made too much of in some circles and not enough in others. I still remember watching “her” in the Passion of the Christ for the first time and just having a heart ache like none other…the “mommy” inside of me, aching so badly for her as she watched Him beaten and bloodied…
I want to say YES like her…despite what may come…despite how uncomfortable it might be…despite my fears or expectations…
GREAT blog as usual…
I agree, great blog. I feel Mary’s pain and I see her in a whole, new way now. Thank you Jeanie.