Mary said, “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be unto me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 NIV
What did Mary “bring to the table” in order for the Holy Spirit to bring forth the life of Jesus within her body? If you said nothing, you would be partially correct. According to Paul, our salvation rest entirely upon faith and none of our good works. Mary did bring two things forward to the angels message. her faith and her body.
Her faith was already present in God as He had revealed Himself in the Old Testament. The angels first words to her was that she was highly favored. This was the status of those who were pursuing God according to His laws written by Moses. These laws already presumed guilt and made a way for forgiveness through the sacrifices offered. But the laws made a pathway for someone to follow leading to blessing and favor.
Listen to Moses words in Deuteronomy 28:1-2 “Now it will be, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, then the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings will come on you and overtake you if you listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” Following and obeying the rules was secondary to listening to His voice. Obedience to the laws was expected after you heard what God wanted for you to do. The break down for most is the decision to follow their own way of thinking and choose not to obey what they have heard. These blessings were for those who were diligently pursuing God by following His voice. He allowed His favor and blessing to rest upon them or in this case, Mary.
Listen to Mary, “I am your servant”. She first tells the angel that she identifies herself as one of God’s children. Mary is saying, I have made a decision in my life up to this point to follow your voice and obey your commands. She was not saying that she was good enough to be righteous before God, rather she declared that she was on God’s team. This is an expression of faith, as well as “according to your word.” Mary’s faith for the miracle of Jesus was directly related to hearing God’s message and believing it.
The second thing Mary brought forth for the miracle was her entire being, her body. Faith was not an intellectual exercise only, it would impact her entire body. Listen to her response again, “May it be unto me”. Mary was offering up her entire being to the message from the angel. If God’s word was true, Jesus was about to be formed inside of her womb. Everyone would notice in her body what God had spoken to her. Mary believed and offered her body to God.
Thoughts to consider
- Have you compartmentalized your exercise of faith to spiritual practices such as going to church, reading your bible or even singing a worship song? Are you limiting the life of Jesus to certain areas of your life?
- How does receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior for salvation impact your entire being, your body?
- How are Jesus words to Nicodemus of being “born again” similar to the experience of Mary?
- Mary’s faith in the message revealed itself in her pregnancy, what are the visible signs in your life of the presence of Jesus within you?
Faith is finds its home within your body. Both are needed for your salvation experience. May God’s message of life found in Jesus impact your whole being. May God’s peace and joy overshadow you throughout this holiday season. May all the promises for God’s children, be unto you (body, soul, and spirit) as God has spoken.
Blessings love Y’all