Mary, the chosen

In the first chapter of Luke we read about the encounter between Mary and the angel Gabriel, who gave her the news that she will give birth to Jesus even though she was a virgin. Mary has been credited with extraordinary faith for two millennia because of her accepting response to this news (Luke 1:28).

We tend to forget that when angels appear, in the Bible at least, people are deeply frightened; they become weak with fear. Yielding, with a compliant response, can almost be expected; how else would a teenage girl react to the overwhelming presence of a mighty angel?

It is true that the "Magnificat" (Mary's song recorded in Luke 1:46-55) reveals Mary's faithful heart. The song, sung in response to Elizabeth's affirmation (Luke 1:42-45) and long after her meeting with Gabriel, is a hymn of thanksgiving and praise to the God who chose her. Her own words reveal that she was a passive recipient of God's favour and little action was required of her to accomplish His plan. God's choosing her preceded Mary's response of faith to Him, not the other way around ...

We often forget Jesus' other earthly parent--Joseph. He too was chosen, though his required response was rich with action. Joseph will be the focus of my next blog.