“I am the Lord’s servant – may it be to me as you have said” Luke 1:38
“I am the Lord’s servant – may it be to me as you have said” Luke 1:38
We all want to experience encounters with the Lord, but this one has to be one of the most pivotal of all – to bear the Promised One – to have a part in the salvation of humanity! Who did God choose to encounter – a very young woman for sure, but one who had walked with the Lord her whole life. Mary’s song later in the chapter is full of Old Testament references – she knew her bible. God encountered a woman whose face was toward Him.
All Jewish women hoped to be the mother of the Messiah – and now it was to take place. But what a circumstance! Could it be any harder?
You have to think that when an angel speaks to you and declares you highly favored by God, that something grand, profound and probably difficult is on the horizon. Mary was greatly troubled at this, and who could blame her as Gabriel outlined what was to take place. She asked the obvious question – how will this happen as I am a virgin? You can see all the implications to Mary’s life in what Gabriel says next! It’s a kind of ‘good news, bad news’ scenario. The good news is that you will bear the Messiah – the bad news is that it will cost you your dreams and your reputation and maybe even your family. The immediate will look bad, but the far reaching will be wondrous!
Look at her response to this encounter – just look at it! “I am the Lord’s servant” – “I am the Lord’s slave” (American) – “I’m willing to do what he wants” (Living) – “I belong to the Lord body and soul” (JB Phillips). Her response to this encounter was commitment, dedication and availability. Later, in the Magnificat, there is worship – “My soul praises the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (vs 46, 47).
Why does the Lord encounter us? Often it is two pronged – a personal encouragement or guidance, but also it comes with a ‘so what’ clause – what will we do with what He has said? We don’t live to ourselves – we have to take the whole thing. Gideon would be given courage, but he had to stick his neck out with Midian. Paul would meet Jesus wonderfully, but he would be given the massive calling to the Gentiles. Samuel heard the Lord speak directly to him, but he would have to preside over the decline of Saul’s reign.
My friend Allan MacLeod said: “I also learned to change my questioning of the Lord, so as not to ask, ‘Why Lord?’, but ‘Lord, what do you want to accomplish for your Glory through this situation that I don’t understand?”
O Lord meet with us this Christmas – and help us to say as a result – “here am I – send me!”
Pastor Leon Throness
