A Series on Living in the Wilderness: Part
2
(Click on the link below to read the
verses.)
Luke 1:26-56
[This is Part 2
in a series of looking at people who lived in the wilderness. Not necessarily the
wilderness of nature, but the wilderness of life. In fact, there are times when
we all feel like we are living in the wilderness. During those times, it’s
important to remember that the Lord is faithful. That He loves you and is
always with you.]
Getting married is
one of those milestones of life that some people dream about for years.
Every detail of the ceremony has to be perfect. Friends and family are invited to celebrate with you. Those same people bring gifts to help you get started on your new life together. It’s a beautiful celebration of love.
Mary, who was
engaged to Joseph, may not have had all of those same hopes and dreams, but she
most certainly wasn’t expecting to be visited by an angel. And definitely, was
not expecting the message that he gave her.
30 But
the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with
God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son,
and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great
and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David, 33 and he will
reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” NIV
On the surface,
this is an amazing promise! But Mary’s mind must have been racing and reeling trying
to figure out how she, a virgin, would have a child. How would she explain this
to Joseph, her parents, her neighbors, her synagogue? Also, in that culture, an
unfaithful woman, could be divorced, or even stoned to death!
A baby… changes…
everything. Obviously, Mary didn’t know the specifics of how this would change
her life, but she embraced it in faith.
38 Mary
responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come
true.” And then the angel left her. NLT
The angel left
her. She was alone with this new knowledge. I would imagine that Mary must have
had conflicting feelings of shame, confusion, fear, her life spinning out of
control, doubt (did she really see an angel or, if she did, will his promise
come true). Whatever she was feeling, she knew that her life would never be the
same.
Because of this, Mary
lived in a wilderness for nine months and likely longer. The wilderness of an
out-of-wedlock pregnancy, of escaping to Egypt, of the anger of Pharisees and
religious leaders directed at her son and finally, of the crucifixion.
But in the beginning
of living in that wilderness, Mary responded with these words.
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me. NLT
There’s a song called “A Baby Changes Everything” by Faith Hill. It tells the story of how Mary may have felt about being a teenage girl that was unprepared for everything that was going to happen. But the final line is about how that baby changed the singer’s life.
My whole life has turned around
I was lost but now I'm found
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
The same could be
true for you and me.
Copyright
(Below is a link
for the above song if you’d like to listen to it.)
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