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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 Easter? Would the Lord have taken on flesh, died on a cross, or have been raised?
How might the world have changed if Mary said, “no”?
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Put yourself in her 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.”
Which also begs the question, what happens if we say, “no”?
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For example, an estranged family member may ask us for forgiveness. Instead of clinging to hurt feelings or putting that person off, do we live those words of Mary, “Let it be done unto me, according to your word?”
Or do we say “no,” choosing to cling to those hurt feelings, instead?
When there’s an unexpected turn of events – someone intrudes into our schedule, an old acquaintance shows up, a family member asks us to change our plans – do we freely offer our time like Mary? Or do we say, “no?”
When stricken by grief, do we invite the Lord into our doubt and sorrow, asking that he churn our grief into gratitude? Or do we burrow in that rabbit-hole of self-pity?
An entire spirituality of surrender can be built around the word, “yes.” Or, in Mary’s words: “Let it be done unto me according to your word.”
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This is her greatest moment – greater than giving birth that first Christmas, greater than standing at the Cross on Good Friday, or receiving word of the empty tomb.
When she surrenders to God through the angel Gabriel, she becomes the first – and most faithful – disciple of Jesus because of her willingness to offer her body, her marriage, and her future to God, giving us all a model to follow.
Say, “YES.”
May it be done unto us according to God’s Word today.
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Image credits: (1) The Annunciation, Leonardo Da Vinci (2) The Annunciation, Henry Ossawa Tanner (3) Go Be Radiant