Listen HERE
.png)
Mary’s sweet surrender.
I’ve read and read through Luke one more in the past few weeks than ever in my life, and it hasn’t gotten overdone in my heart. Here Mary speaks for the second time since Gabriel’s appearance. The heavens had been silent for some 400 years, according to biblical timelines and scholars, and we are privy to the first conversation from God’s to His faithful servant, Mary.
After inquiring to learn more about how this could happen, how this would happen, Mary responds. But, we should be certain of something extraordinarily important, first. Before Mary opens her mouth with her response for Gabriel to hear -and for Dr. Luke to pen, she has resolved full obedience to the Lord in her heart. Her declaration forthcoming would be null and void without a heart’s commitment preceding. Oh, what a blessing to her, to us! Mary’s sweet surrender. Mary’s surrender was complete, and it was sweet.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:38
In this verse, the term handmaid is sited, according to strong’s entry, Strong’s G1399 – doulē (doo’ lay). It looks and sounds much like our current word for doula, doesn’t it? Here, it’s defined:
Luke 1:38, one who worships God and submits to Him (the Lord)
Blueletterbible.com
Pecking Order
In the pecking order of life, and life style, Mary was lowly. She wasn’t royalty nor was she in the mix thereof. She didn’t come from money. She had no riches to lavish on herself or her home. Her days were not filled with exceptional activities and outings, but rather ones ordinary and mundane. In all of these ways, when it came to how people lived, Mary was at the lower part of the pecking order.
Forever Blessed
However, she wasn’t just like every other woman. Mary was very special in God’s eyes. She was favored. She was blessed. She was obedient. And she was chosen by God to become the Mother of Jesus. Mary knew she would continue to be called blessed for all of life to come; forever blessed.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Like 1:38
Simple Surrender
Not only is Mary’s resolve sweet and complete, it’s simple. Mary knows both who she is and who God is. I like how the Contemporary English Version of the Bible states this verse.
Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
Luke 1:38 CEV
She resolved in her heart to fully trust God’s plan. And, here’s the thing we too often don’t think about, Mary chose-still chose- obedience when she had everything to lose. Her surrender was a simple surrender, too…”I am the LORD’S bondservant,” & “Let it happen as God has said.”
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:18–21
Everything to Lose
Before Joseph’s dream but after learning of her pregnancy, Joseph was in a quandary. He was a man faithful the law and faithful to His God. He had made a decision to honor both:
Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
Matthew 1:19 NLT
Why was Joseph going to “put her away secretly?” Because that’s who he was. He knew the law stated that Mary would be killed if she was accused of adultery, and being pregnant-knowing he wasn’t the father-would put her in the situation to be accused of and suffer the consequences thereof . But God.
Not only did God choose Mary divinely, He chose Joseph, too. Not just any man would have a heart tender to God’s voice, willing to hear and obey even the most impossible instructions.
Everything To Lose
So when we consider Mary’s her response to the Lord of complete surrender, and so willingly so, don’t think it was an easy way to go. Mary had everything to lose and indeed her very life.
Today my heart is completely overwhelmed for another friend. Recently I told you of a friend who became a widow as her husband, a transplant patient with a long history of struggling with physical needs – always able overcome them somehow, met Jesus. Today, another friend walks in her shoes. Her year has been one that Job could have related to. When I try to put myself in her shoes, as I tend to do when others are hurting or going through things I can NOT understand, I break. I know God is able, and we were praying God WOULD answer prayers as OUR hearts desired, yet when everything you have is in the balance of suffering and obedience, it’s not an easy sacrifice. Somehow, Mary shows us even with everything at stake to lose, it’s still good and it’s still ok to surrender to God’s will.
Very Hard
I bet most of you know very hard things in your own lives, too. Mary’s surrender wasn’t because God had something easy to take her through, it was because God is faithful and worthy of our obedience from love.
Friends, may you grow closer to the Lord and learn to love Him more and more. When hard times come, may you ,and I, be willing and desire to surrender completely to Him. Oh, it will look like it’s impossible, and we may think we could even die in the process, but God. That’s all I can muster to say in this hard day, But God.
