Last week we looked at the call of Abram, a different kind of call; one to be the father of the nations, rather than to proclaim a message. This week we’re looking at a similar type of deal, except now it’s the mother of the nations, Mary, mother of Jesus.
In this section we see how God uses the most unlikely people to be a part of his message. He uses those who are lower on the social ladder and those who are not great and powerful to inhabit the most extraordinary roles. Mary is one of the most well known people in the bible. Her story is well known to Christians and non-Christians as her situation flies directly in the face of all of our commonly held beliefs about how biology works.
God’s call to Mary comes in a rather spectacular way; through the message of an angel called to give Mary the news. When we look at this story there are a lot of mixed emotions about the situation that she is in. First off it is pretty amazing to be chosen for this task. There’s a lot of responsibility in being the mother of Jesus. Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend some time with a pretty brand new baby, and it is always amazing just how dependent they are on those around them. It doesn’t take a lot to harm a baby, and there’s nothing that they can do to stop you either. God in his most fragile state was the responsibility of the young girl Mary. I’m nervous enough caring for a normal baby, never mind a baby who is also God!
Second, let’s have a look at the social situation. This message was severe enough to bring about death. A baby is usually the by-product of a sexual union. Given the fact that Mary was not yet married, was waiting for the ok that she hadn’t been sexually active, this was a major conflict for her. It wasn’t just that it was going to be hard for her to deal with a new baby, but it was a cause for being ostracized at the least and affecting her entire manner of life.
Third, it was contrary to everything that she had been taught. It was brought about as a result of the fact that she had found favour in God’s eyes. Combining this with the previous ideas, it doesn’t seem like a positive reward for being faithful to God. When we think of rewards we think that things are made easier, or we receive something positive as a result of what we have done. In this situation, it was the opportunity to serve God in a more difficult manner that came as a result of her faithfulness.
Looking at the difficulties that Mary would face, it would appear to us that she might have some hesitation in accepting the call to be the most blessed among women, but we see the exact opposite happening. Without the declaration of ineptitude, the desire to run away or the excuse of being too young, she accepts the call of God. She proclaims that she is a servant of the Lord. Never does she expect that she will do this on her own, but neither does God tell her that he will be there with her. Her faith, the very same which caused her to be in great favour with God, is what gave her the ability to accept this call. Even as a young girl she shows greater faith than old men who have studied God’s word for years. She doesn’t require a detailed list of what’s going to happen, she doesn’t ask for a step by step plan. She trusts God completely and as such takes up the responsibility that he has put before her.
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