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Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What would have happened if Mary said “no?”
Would we ever celebrate Christmas? Would the Lord have ever taken on flesh, died on a cross, or been raised?
If Mary said “no,” would we have the promise of eternal life?
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Put yourself in Mary’s shoes.
She’s a teenager, preparing to get married. Out of the blue, an angel appears to her, dropping the biggest bomb imaginable.
“Hail, favored one! Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus… and of his kingdom, there will be no end!”
While that sounds nice – and quite impossible – I’d imagine that most of us would’ve responded to Gabriel, not with the words, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.”
But with something like, “Gabe, how long before you need an answer? Can I get back to you? I know that God has a plan, but this sounds terribly last minute.”
“Besides, now is not the best time for me. I’m really busy planning a wedding. I have to fit into my dress, which won’t fit if I’m pregnant, not to mention how angry Joseph would be! Please, tell God I’m honored, but let’s iron out some of the wrinkles and talk after the wedding.”
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Mary could’ve said, “no.”
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How often does that sound like our own dialogue with the Lord?
God reveals something to us – albeit not through an angel, and certainly not as significant – but instead of saying, “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” we try to rationalize, control, even bargain.
For example, over the Christmas season, an estranged family member may ask you for forgiveness. Our inclination may be to put that person off.
But instead of clinging to hurt feelings, can we surrender and say those words of Mary, “Let it be done unto me, according to your word?”
Maybe this Christmas looks a bit different than we had imagined. We carry sudden grief or sorrow in our heart. Instead of burrowing in the rabbit hole of self-pity, we can invite God into that space, asking him to transform our grief into gratitude.
“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”
Perhaps there’s an unexpected turn of events – someone intrudes into our schedule, an old acquaintance shows up, a family member asks us to alter our plans. We can either stay stubbornly in our own lane, or surrender like Mary.
“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”
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This was Mary’s greatest moment – greater than giving birth that first Christmas, greater than standing at the Cross, or receiving word of the empty tomb.
When she says, “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” she becomes the first – and most faithful – disciple of Jesus because of her willingness to surrender her body, her marriage, and her future into the hands of God, offering every believer a model to follow.
Although we may not find ourselves dialoging with an angel this Christmas, we will encounter the Lord in family members at the dinner table, friends at parties, and in conversations with people far different from us.
Whenever there is a chance for reconciliation, healing, or growth, surrender to that voice encouraging you to do what is right, much as Mary surrendered to the Lord’s plans for her own life.
This Christmas, may it be done unto us according to God’s word.
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Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) The Annunciation, Sandro Botticelli (3) Virginia-Highland Church