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LUKE 1: 26-38

LEARNING FROM MARY

Have you ever got into a crossroads of life? Should I do this or that? Which way should I turn? Should I do this or not? The Christian life is a constant adventure full of crossroads and junctions.

So how do we do this Christian life when we get these nudges from the Lord? To speak to this person or pray for that person. Or to do this or that?

Well, Mary is at one of these places as the sheer enormity of what the Lord is doing is utterly apparent.

So what can we learn from Mary’s response?

  1. Watch out for fear (verses 28-30)

So the angel went to Mary and says: “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”

It is interesting to note that Mary was concerned about what kind of greeting the angel might be about to give. At work I sometimes play a bit of a naughty trick on one of our staff. I ask her to come to my office – and she then comes in looking sheepish saying: “What have I done now?” And then I might say: “Sarah – take a seat – here’s an envelope and in it you’ll find you have a pay rise!” (or something a bit like that).

We worry because we are fearful of what someone might say. But hear what the angel says in verse 30: “Do not be afraid, Mary”. I think I am right in saying that each time in the Bible an angel goes to someone; they always say: “do not be afraid.”

Now clearly what is being asked of Mary here couldn’t be more enormous:

Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

The natural response to a call or challenge is fear; and from that flow three responses: fight, flight or freeze. Which is your natural response?

What the Lord is saying here is to stop; wait….and don’t be afraid. Maybe we need to ask: is this an opportunity for the Lord – or a distraction?

2. Clarify with the Lord (verse 34)

I want you to imagine you were Mary in this account. Remember, you’re pledged to be married to Joseph. You might want to re-read verses 30-33.

So what does the angel say in these verses specifically in relation to giving birth? The only thing the angel says is: “you will conceive and give birth to a son.”

So you’re going to marry Joseph; you now hear that you will conceive and have a son. What would you ordinarily conclude from that? What I would conclude is that once Joseph and Mary are married they could look forward to having a son. They’ve had a word from the Lord that they will have a son. In a culture where family and having children was hugely significant, this would have been a great joy and relief to them.

But Mary says something quite odd: look at verse 34.

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

Why does Mary say this? No mention has been made of a virgin birth at this point (by the way, the expression virgin birth is a bit misleading; a virginal conception is more accurate). Now this is conjecture on my part but my guess is that Mary knows what we would call the Old Testament. Because in Isaiah 7: 14 the writer says:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel

My guess is that this most remarkable young lady somehow realises that this is about her. Hence her question: “How can this be – since I am a virgin?”

So two things to draw out:

a) A theologian from generations ago said: “we need to be a people of one Book.” He’s talking about the Bible. Read this book. Be regular in reading it. Think about what it says. Do what it says. Make sure you have a Bible within easy reaching distance. Work your way through a book in the Bible. If it takes you a year to read Mark’s gospel; so be it. You will find at the end of your time reading a book in the Bible – you will know it more deeply BUT critically you will know the Lord more intimately.

b) The second thing is when faced with a challenge: do what Mary did: ask the Lord. Lord – what do you mean by this? What should I do Lord? Would you speak to me on this? When should I do this?

3. Do it in the power of the Spirit

When the Lord ask you to do something – it’s not like a mother bird kicking her bird out of the nest yelling: “you’re on your own – get on with it.”

No – the Lord empowers you. This power is the work of the Holy Spirit. Part of the Holy Spirit’s work is to manifest what God desires on earth. Look at verse 35 (which is in response to Mary’s question as to how she will conceive as she is a virgin):

The Holy Spirit will come on you

The Holy Spirit is God at work on earth. There’s that lovely song: There is a Redeemer. And remember the chorus:

Thank you Oh my Father – for giving us your Son. And leaving your Spirit until the work on earth is done.

You may sense that you have something really difficult to do for the Lord. Or you may feel that you’re too old, too tired, so busy in life that you feel worn out – dried up – going through the motions.

I read this week of a pastor who said that he served on countless committees doing an endless amount of administration. He decided that he wanted to serve in the power of the Spirit but asked: how can I if I am always going to District meetings, financial committees and all sorts of bureaucratic gatherings?

This was the answer: It doesn’t matter where you are but what you are. Like Jesus, we are called to do the Father’s work wherever he has placed us. Instead of looking to change things outwardly – we should let God change us inwardly.

The pastor, hearing this, then reported back much later that when he attended meetings and asked the Lord to lead him to people’s needs, to show him what the Lord wanted him to say and do. He went onto say: rarely does a session go by where I do not pray with another pastoral leader or committee member. He also added – wherever I go I am always asking the Father to show me his will so I can do his works.

Well, in all this, the Holy Spirit will empower you. He will guide you. He will comfort you. He will teach you. All you need to do is ask.

4. God will never fail you

So we have a sense of what God wants us to do. We’re nervous but we’ve drawn near to the Lord and as best we can, we have discerned what we are to do. We are seeking His power in what we have to do. But then, doubt strikes. Is this the right thing to do?

Imagine how Mary was feeling. The sheer enormity of what was going to happen. So the angel finishes off with two encouragements. The first is verse 36:

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

Mary would have known Elizabeth and it’s a wonderful encouragement to Mary that the Lord gives her someone who she can share with. Sometimes when we are struggling with something – the Lord will give us someone who’s in a similar position. This is why it’s great to share stories of what the Lord is doing in our lives. It’s such an encouragement.

Secondly the angel says in verse 37: For no word from God will ever fail. If the Lord has said it: that settles it.

God will never fail you. Because that he what he is like. He will never leave you.

And so it maybe as you read this – you are aware of the Lord nudging you. And maybe you are using the circumstances you are in as an excuse for not being used by the Lord right now. Perhaps we are thinking: when I get older – or when I am in this position or that position. That’s when I will be used by the Lord. 

But look what this passage says (and this pattern is endlessly repeated) – God calls us now – saying this is what I want you to do. But not only that, he gives us his Holy Spirit part of whose role is to equip us to do what our Father wants us to do. And the Lord says he will never leave us or fail us. He calls us – he equips us and is with us.

But what do we find ourselves saying? What should be our response?

Look at verse 38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

We are the Lord’s servants; let us serve him in the power of the Spirit because of His great love for us.

May God add his blessing to this reading today.

In the name of our Lord Jesus

Amen


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