HAIL MARY (Part 2)
Greetings Brethren,
Yesterday we saw how Satan
has effectively smeared the reputation of Mary, the biological mother of Jesus
by making her an object of worship and veneration. As a result of this, Protestants,
for fear of falling into the same error, have unwittingly made her the she-who-must-not-be-named
character of the Bible.
However, that approach
will only be playing into the devil’s hands. Mary was, and still is, one of the
most remarkable persons who ever lived. We have nothing to gain by dismissing
her achievement as ‘nothing wonderful’; anyone whom God can risk His entire salvation
plan with has to have SOMETHING special.
Yet “there is no
respect of persons with God” (Rom 2:11). Mary was as much a person like anyone
of us. Mothering the saviour was her destiny; you and I have ours. So it’ll be
profitable for us if we study her life and see the attributes she possessed
that saw her through fulfilling her extremely unique assignment.
We’ll restrict ourselves
to the first 2 attributes today, beginning with the most obvious of them all:
#1- PURITY
Well, she’s not called
“VIRGIN Mary” for nothing.
However, this purity is
only an outward reflection of her inward heart. While we know that virginity is
a key factor in the Messiah’s maternity, it wasn’t ONLY her virginity that made
her to be chosen. We sometimes forget that the average unmarried teenage Jewish
girl back then in 1st century Palestine would been a virgin,
including the sinful ones. So it was not the culture-imposed chastity that
qualified her but the purity in her heart that reflected on the outside.
#2-FAITH
This is one area the
BVM really stands out. It is hard to underestimate the level of faith required
to accept to be/do what has never ever been done by any person in all of human
history. This is more than raising the dead, this is bringing out life from
nothing. It’ll be difficult to imagine how you would react if you were Mary; difficult
because you ALREADY know now that it is possible.
So, what is your own God-given
vision? Do you still doubt that it can come to pass? Mary had NO previous
testimony to rely on, no example to hold unto, etc. Yet she believed.
If Mary could, you,
too, can. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Lk 1:37).
And it’s not just the
miraculous conception that Mary needed faith for. It takes faith to believe
that of all the (seemingly better and more qualified) females on earth, God had
decided to choose her.
Many of us are quick
to disqualify ourselves when God calls. Mary could have complained that she was
too weak, too timid, too rural, not living in Bethlehem, already engaged to a
man, not the best mother-material, have poor communication skills, not
educated, etc.
She didn’t. Instead
her response was, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” Lk
1:38 (CEV).
If you were God, isn’t
that the kind of person you would want to use?
Where is your faith? God
is looking for that simple “YES SIR”/”OK SIR” kind of faith. Not the “Yeah,
BUT”/”I Believe, BUT” type.
Heb. 11:6 says without
faith it is impossible to PLEASE God. And in Luke 1:30 (ERV), The angel said to
her, “Don't be afraid, Mary, because God is VERY PLEASED with you”.
Brothers and Sisters,
FAITH endears us to God and brings about His blessings in every area of our
life.
“And blessed is she
that BELIEVED: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told
her from the Lord”, (Luke 1:45).
AMEN
More Blessings Await
you today, you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.
GREG ELKAN
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