There is little doubt that this is one of the most powerful prayers in all of Scripture. We have few recorded words from Mary. Most of those words are “What does this mean?” “How can this happen?” and then that great and wondrous line “With man all things are impossible, but with God all things are possible. I am a servant of the Lord God. Let this thing you have said happen to me!”. This revelation leads her to bust out in an uncontrollable and dangerous prayer. The other recurring phrase that is so admirable is “and Mary pondered all these things in her heart”.
When I reflect on my own life, I must admit much of my conversation with God revolves around “What does this mean? How can this happen”. I wish I could say it always resulted in me exclaiming with the confidence of Mary “with God all things are possible”. Situations and events come into our lives that cause us to be ‘confused and very afraid’. Standing from our side we see the impossibilities – of what can go wrong. We see the looming ‘reality’ of immanent disaster or failure. This is devastating to the soul. It threatens to extinguish hope; it imprisons joy and enshrouds us in a heavy curtain of darkness.
Mary was not a great theologian. As a young girl that was not her lot. Her lot was to be a wife and mother. Girls were thought not able to learn or participate in religious activity without their fathers or husbands. She did not have a lot of life history to draw from. It is believed that Mary would have been between 13 to 15 years of age. However, a lot of wisdom and faith poured out of that young life. What is the secret of this kind of faith and walk? It is not a secret at all. It all sits in the statement “I am a servant of the Lord, let this thing you have said happen”. This is not a statement of passive resignation, but a declaration of active yielding.
The key in our life is this posture of active yielding. We actually share something powerfully in common with Mary. We carry the presence of God within. Although she was indwelt with the incarnation of Christ, we are indwelt with the person of Christ in the Holy Spirit. This is no less significant. Here is the deal: even with the fact that Mary bore the seed of God and gave birth to the babe, she still needed the death and resurrection of Christ to be her cover as well. In that, we too are recipients of the Angel’s message “Greetings, the Lord is with you; you are very special to him”.
Mary's Song
46And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 50His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
What are you facing? What causes you to be afraid, to be confused, to question “how can this be happening”? God’s presence is as real and tangible to you as it was that day to a young frightened girl. His answer is the same to you as it was to her so long ago: “Greetings, the Lord is with you; you are very special to him”.
Let us pray, With man all things are impossible, but with God all things are possible, I am a servant of the Lord God. Let this thing you have said happen to me!”
Anyway, I was just thinking…
Neil
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