Does the Christmas Story Really Say That?
In the Christmas story we all have heard about the Virgin Mary being spoken to by the Angel Gabriel. God’s message to Mary is a surprising one. Certainly, Mary had no clue that she was God’s #1 pick to be the mother of the long-promised Messiah. Understand, for centuries Jewish families hoped and prayed that the Messiah would come through their offspring. After all, who would not be delighted to have a “Hero” in the family. I don’t think that many truly understood the actual mission of the Messiah, but they still dreamed this honor would fall on them. With this thought in mind, it is easy to understand the opening words that Gabriel had for Mary. Gabriel said, in Luke 1:28: “Hail favored one! The Lord is with you.” (NASB)
Being “favored” by God is always a blessing. Yet, when we look at the events that God would bring into Mary’s life, the word “favor” seems to be a bit out-of-place. Consider with me as we ponder what is waiting for Mary: Favor #1—a scandalous and unplanned pregnancy, Favor #2—a long arduous trip late in her pregnancy, (When Caesar Augustus announced that a census was to be taken of all in the Roman Empire, Mary and Joseph were required to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. While the distance of this trip would be about 70 miles as the crow flies, there would be winding roads and rough spots to traverse. They would be lucky to travel, by foot or by donkey, about 20 miles a day. Thus, this would be a strenuous journey of perhaps four days.) Favor #3—once Mary arrived in Bethlehem, she would have her baby in a strange, unknown town without any family and friends around to help, Favor #4—Mary faced a life filled with gossip and innuendo, not to mention that as they traveled, following God’s commands, Joseph and Mary undoubtedly faced hardship and poverty (remember, they had left family, friends and respectability), Favor #5—while we do not know when Joseph would die, when Jesus began his ministry, there is no mention of Joseph, so Mary would be a single mother for some length of time, Favor #6—The calling of Jesus as Messiah was filled with uncertainty and misunderstanding by Jesus’ siblings. History tells us that Jesus had a number of brothers and at least two sisters. At one point in the ministry of Jesus, his family came to bring him home because they thought he had lost his senses.
It is obvious that Heaven does not equate “favored” with “easy." Perhaps you have heard of the “Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale.” This scale has a list of 43 stressful life events that can lead to emotional and mental breakdown. Stressful events are given a numerical value. Scoring above 300 points indicates that one has an 80% chance of having a breakdown. (For example, losing a job would tally 35 points, getting married equaled 50 points, moving to a new location was worth 15 points, and, believe it or not, going through the Christmas season garners 14 points.) Some have scored Mary’s life after God gave her the message that she would give birth to the Messiah, and her score totaled 424 points.
Mary was not chosen because she understood everything, she was chosen because she had a faithful and courageous heart that would surrender to God’s plans. Again, let me say that when God told Mary she was favored, He was not predicting an easy life or journey. He was telling her that she would never be without his presence, help and approval. Just like Mary, we are called to follow God in a challenging world. God calls us to be fearless in our discipleship. We must realize that we live in a world that promotes fear. Our world understands that when people are afraid, they will give up anything and everything. People today will sell their freedom if they are promised safety and security. Little do people realize, when they bow to the false-god of fear and apprehension, they have traded one tyrant for another. Just like Mary, God calls to us and tells us that we are favored. The message of Christmas centers on the fact that God loves each of us with an outrageous love. That love prompted God to come to Earth as Jesus, the God-Man. Jesus sacrificed his life, showing us what amazing favor God wants to bestow on us. Stop and consider the amazing present God has for you and me. This Christmas season, in the midst of difficult challenges, allow your life to be transformed by the promise of God’s favor. Keep looking up!