|
 Dear
Saints:
I
take no credit for the following. It comes verbatim from the NRSV
Student Bible published by Zondervan. As I read it I realized it
speaks to a much broader audience than our Saint Matthew Confirmation
class in which this Bible is used.
Indeed,
it addresses all of us who go by the name "Christian," and
offers us much to reflect on as we enter into Advent with our eye
towards Christmas.
It
is entitled "Saying Yes to God". It challenged me as I
read it. I hope you'll find it challenging as well.
Mary
received the greatest honor God can pay: He chose her to mother his
son. Probably a teenager at the time, Mary had done nothing to
deserve such favor. Yet her simple response spoke deeply of her
humble faith. "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be
with me according to your word" (Luke 1.38). Without hesitation,
Mary said yes to God's plan to take over her life.
Saying
yes to God usually involves sacrifice. It did for Mary, who endured
the doubts of her fiancé and scorn of neighbors who saw her
pregnant before marriage. Saying yes meant bearing the pain of
childbirth. It meant fleeing to far-off Egypt to protect her baby
from Herod's soldiers. It meant raising a child she did not
completely understand. (Once during his ministry she came to take
charge of Jesus, thinking him out of his mind [Mark 3.21].) Most of
all, it meant watching her son die on the cross.
Our
last glimpse of Mary, though, shows her among the disciples after
the resurrection, praying for the Holy Spirit Jesus had promised
(Acts 1.14). Mary had begun her relationship with Jesus by holding
his tiny form in her arms. In the end she realized she must let Jesus
hold her. He was not only her child, he was her Lord. To that, too,
Mary said yes.
To
what is God asking you to say yes? What sacrifice may be involved?
Your
co-worker in Christ,
Pastor
Larry |
