Holidays
Christmas cookies. Fruitcake. Pine needles. Carpet stains. Credit card bills. In-law visits. What do all of these elements of Christmas have in common? That’s right—they last forever!
Christmas may be over for now, but there are also lessons that can be learned that will last us forever as well. In the next few devotionals, we will examine some of the central characters of the Christmas story as related by Matthew and Luke, and draw some conclusions about their, and our, reactions to the central figure, Jesus the Christ. Hopefully, this series won’t seem to go on forever!
Aside from Jesus, his mother Mary is the most exalted and misunderstood person in Christianity. She has been hailed as Mother of God, Co-mediator with Christ, Perpetual Virgin, and a host of other unbiblical epithets. The truth is that she was a simple, poor, obscure young lady who was given the task of bearing and raising the Son of God. Women react quite differently when the axiomatic rabbit dies or the test strip turns pink, depending on their circumstances. Mary’s reaction to an unexpected, potentially disgraceful, and ultimately unique, pregnancy gives birth to a powerful lesson about humble submission to God.
Mary was possibly quite young, teenagers being of marriageable age in that culture. She was very poor, as evidenced by her purification offering (Luke 2:24, cf. Leviticus 12:8). She was pure, a virgin at the time of her betrothal (Luke 1:34). Mary was also well versed in the Scriptures, referring to at least 11 Old Testament passages in her song of praise (Luke 1:46–55). She also contemplated spiritual matters when troubled (Luke 1:29; 2:19, 33). Mary was well on her way to becoming the proverbial Proverbs 31 woman.
One of the greatest character tests that could befall any woman came into her tender young life. You might say that she was genuinely “touched by an angel.” It had been 400 years since God had spoken to Israel, yet suddenly one of His chief angels appears to this small-town girl and makes this startling announcement: “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31–33). Yipes! An unmarried woman having a baby is bad enough, but an unmarried virgin? Who would believe it? Not only that, but how do you tell people that you are pregnant with the Son of God? This is too much to handle in one day, even from the lips of an angel of God.
The penalty, although rarely if ever enforced, for adultery was death by stoning. Add to that the same penalty for blasphemy (“My baby is God”) and you have a dire predicament. Also, what would her beloved betrothed think? We know what he thought: “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). In one fell swoop, Mary could be the talk of the town, fodder for every oriental Oprah, Jewish Jerry Springer, and Gentile Globe. Not only that, but she would have lost the love of her life over a misunderstanding. Perhaps the worst part was knowing that this baby would be cruelly mistreated (Luke 2:34, 35). No wonder she “was greatly troubled at his words” (Luke 1:29).
Have you ever been troubled by the Word of God? Would such responsibility, and the attendant liability, make you want to flee like Jonah (Jonah 1:3)? How would you expect a poor young girl to react to such news?
Mary may have pondered and wondered but, like Abraham, she did not hesitate to assent to the Lord’s will: “‘I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said’” (Luke 1:38). She humbly accepted her position before God and … well, we know the rest of the story.
The Holman Bible Dictionary describes humility as “a personal quality in which an individual shows dependence on God and respect for other persons.” It means accepting our position before God and others. This can only result in trust and its corollary, obedience. Trust means relying on God’s goodness, especially when the task seems difficult or even deadly. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). When we think we know best, we know nothing. Humility acknowledges that God, even when He interrupts our plans, is wiser than we are. In the most unlikely, inexplicable, imponderable circumstances, there is no other response than to treasure His Word in our heart and ponder it. Then act on it!
Our next installment will feature Joseph, the righteous man who became Mary’s husband and the forgotten father of the Messiah.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 807 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Alan Allegra or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 807 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.