For the past week or so I have been concentrating on Luke’s Christmas
narrative between Gabriel and Mary. Visiting a well-worn pericope and meditating
on it allowing the Lord to take my thoughts wherever He may lead, is a
beneficial practice. (Note--I am not implying present day inspiration of the
infallible type.)
The angel Gabriel makes a rather startling visit to Mary
with words from which one could fill the pages of a book. The heavenly messenger announces to her, "Hail,
favored one! The Lord is with you." (Luke 1:28) Like I said, well know, well-worn, ho hum, a
little yawn perhaps, but let’s get on to the good stuff right? But let’s pause.
A unique and peculiar favor was set upon
the adolescent by the singular, unilateral decision/action on the part of the
Almighty. The result; she was “highly favored.”
Gabriel’s words to Mary, though I have read them innumerable
times, resounded, “Immanuel—God With Us.” How had I never seen this before? Mary
wasn’t just special, she wasn’t just favored, she was “highly favored” not because
of anything Mary brought to the table, but because God was with her. Mary’s favor wasn’t defined only by the fact
that she was a unique vessel used by the Creator to bring a baby into the world
for our sake, but the very presence of God in an abiding way was her favor. Now
let’s go back several centuries.
When Israel was facing certain destruction from their enemies,
the prophet Isaiah gives prophetic utterance to assure them their doom is not
on the horizon and gives them Divine reassurance. The prophet speaks: ""Therefore the Lord Himself will
give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she
will call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
IN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE DAY, a sign coming
hundreds of years later wasn’t going to assuage terrible fear and shaking
knees. God’s people needed to know NOW that
God was in fact with them, God was on their side. And so Mahershalalhashbaz (no
I didn’t just fall on my keyboard) is born fulfilling the words and conditions of
the prophetic encouragement thus giving God’s people tangible proof that He was
indeed with them taking up their cause.
Back to Mary’s day: The
virgin is told she is highly favored because God is with her and in His
being with her God would come to Earth--God in the flesh—“Immanuel, God With Us”—making
all who embrace Him “highly favored” for God is with us as well.
And that is why we say, “Merry Christmas!”
❤️
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