Scripture – Luke 1:26-38 NRSVUE
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel said to her, “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 holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
From Barb Eley
God sent one of God’s most important angels, Gabriel, to a very unimportant town, Nazareth. In this insignificant town, Gabriel had a message for Mary, a young woman of no particular social importance. This extraordinary message was about the unexpected way in which God had chosen to bring the Messiah into the world.
This humble way of appearing in the world was not what people had been hoping for and praying for over centuries. Many thought the Messiah would appear in a blaze of glory, surrounded by armies of angels and change the world overnight. Instead, the Saviour slipped quietly into the world as a baby.
God often uses the humble and the overlooked to accomplish extraordinary things. We do not always understand God’s choices, but God’s wisdom is so much greater than ours. When we think of doing God’s work in the world, we often focus on our limitations and weaknesses. How can we possibly accomplish what needs to be done? Yet our ordinariness may be exactly what God intends to use.
We may not have an angel come to us and explain exactly what is going to happen and what God expects – that would be terrifying! – but God often nudges us in a certain direction, placing people in our path who will encourage and support us. God’s power is not limited by our lack of it. So we are invited, like Mary, to trust God’s choosing and find the courage to say, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord.”
Contemplation and Conversation
When have you felt “nudged” by God? How did you respond?
Did you see the results of following the Spirit’s nudge?
Prayer
Lord, open our ears and calm our minds so that we may hear your call.
Whether the invitation is small or life-changing, give us clarity of spirit
and the courage to be your servants in the world.
Whether we see the results or not, we trust that you are working through us
to bring hope where it is needed the most. Guide us and sustain us with your love. Amen.
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