Willing Consent

      By Fern Horst

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38a)

With those words, Mary's life changed forever.

Raised in a town called Nazareth, Mary's life up to that point was likely very similar to any other young girl of her age who lived there. She was not yet married, but was betrothed to Joseph and was awaiting her wedding. We can imagine that she was looking forward to being a wife and, eventually, a mother. Life would be normal, having babies and raising them, and then she would grow old and pass away, only to be forgotten in time.

But with a short visit from an angel, and Mary's consent to being God's agent to give birth to His Son Jesus, her normal life ended. She would indeed become both a wife and a mother, but not in that order. And that very event - the birth of a baby named Jesus - would make her known to most everyone who lived after her.

We know the outcome. That baby became our Lord and our Saviour, alive today in our hearts and lives.

We often think of Christmas as being about family togetherness, and indeed it is a special time for many families. But that focus has evolved over time. The first Christmas was about a poor yet unmarried couple, traveling on foot to fulfill the government's demand to be accounted for, at the time when the woman was about to give birth to a difficult-to-explain pregnancy. It was anything but a scene of merriment and feasting with family and friends.

The true meaning of Christmas, which we all know but often forget, is that God gave us the greatest gift ever - His Son, who would become our Saviour. He is the heart and focus of the Christmas story.

Less important, but very significant, is the willingness of both Mary and Joseph to be God's vessels in this world-changing event. I can imagine that Mary's words, "be it unto me according to thy word," brought great joy to her Heavenly Father.

What has God asked of you? Perhaps unwelcome singleness, divorce, or widowhood? It may be something else that He has entrusted you with for the sake of furthering His Kingdom - a request He's asked of you for a season, or it may be for life. What has been your response? "Be it unto me according to thy word"?

Let's not forget Mary and Joseph's example when they consented to what God asked of them even while they realized it could bring a social stigma on them both. Having the advantage we do of knowing the outcome of their willingness, we can take heart that when we consent to God's difficult request of us, it will never be in vain.

When we encounter a Christmas season that is less than idyllic, let's let it be a reminder of the struggles the characters in the first Christmas experienced, and allow it to bring us closer to our Lord and Saviour Jesus, whose birthday we are celebrating.

A very blessed Christmas to all, whether you are celebrating Jesus' birthday with Him alone, or with family and friends!

© 2007 Fern Horst

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