Submitted by Kerry
Patton
“This is how the
birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be
married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant
through the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18
How uncertain those
first hours and days must have been for Mary.
She has just been told by Gabriel that she is to bear a son, born of
God, not of man. A revelation that when
her husband to be heard, could have brought her public humiliation, or even death
by stoning! And yet, because Joseph
learned in a dream that the child was of God, he was honorable, and raised the
child as his own. Yes, Mary was
expecting! But we might agree that it
wasn’t what she expected…if you know what I mean.
What was Mary
expecting? Well, obviously she was
expecting a baby. But she must also have
had mental and emotional expectations too, although only Mary could tell us
that for certain what those were. We
know that she was betrothed (engaged) to a man named Joseph. It seems reasonable to think that she would
have expected him to love her, to provide for her and protect her, and that
together, she and Joseph would raise their children in the faith of their
forefathers.
I would tend to
think that the very LAST thing Mary expected was to bring the Messiah into the
world. She seemed as surprised as anyone
to learn of the plan of God for her. I
don’t think she expected that her baby boy would be able to heal with a word or
a touch, or to raise the dead, or turn a few loaves and fish into a feast for
five thousand!
We do get a glimpse
into Mary’s expectations when we find her in John chapter 2 at a wedding when
the wine runs out. She has by this time
witnessed her baby boy growing into a full grown man, and no doubt seen many
amazing things as God worked through him.
She comes to him and effectively asks him to do SOMETHING…whether she
does so with her words, or her countenance…to which Jesus replies: “Woman, why
do you involve me? My hour has not yet
come.” And yet, he is involved, and the resulting action is literally
miraculous. Wine from vases of
water.
And finally, I
don’t think that Mary expected, as she heard Gabriel announce her pregnancy,
that she would stand on Golgotha and watch the son she bore die on a cross for
the sins of all humanity. And yet, that
is the story isn’t it.
Here’s a question…
Are you expecting? No, no. Not in the maternal sense. Do you and I have expectations about what God
might do in us? One of the key things
Mary did when the angel came to her was she effectively said “Whatever God has
in mind, I yield to him.” That is the
key - yielding ourselves to whatever. I
think sometimes, we cannot even fathom what God might do in us, through us, and
to us to accomplish his will in and on this world. But it is my hope that we will all be
“expecting” very soon. You know what I
mean. May God fill us with new
expectation of what he is going to accomplish.
Almighty God, I give myself to you. Work your will in me, through me, and to
me. Be it so done unto me, according to
your will. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
