A Hand Maid of the Lord

(See Luke 1:38)

Just for the sake of excitement, let's try to imagine that we are entirely unacquainted with this story. Put out of your mind all murals, mosaics, statues, and pancakes that bear the image of the girl Mary. Wipe clean the spectacles of your traditions, and look on Mary with fresh, untainted eyes.

The narration is a whirlwind, rushing so quickly that what's said is almost lost. This girl is given no more than a passing sentence's worth of introduction. She is told incredible things by a fearsome being, and then she's making this huge statement, declaring her life, her dreams, her reputation all forfeit for the sake of God’s call.

On the one hand, God promises big things, such things that will make her the most blessed among women. On the other hand, this is really hard. She must give up, at least in the eyes of others, her reputation and honor. She must expect gossip, slander, malice--we know how women talk about women. Joseph might put her away, leaving her to face the fear and pain of pregnancy and motherhood alone.

Yet she replies with words that thrill our souls, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

We are not shown Mary's life before this point. But her self-description is a telling one. The Lord’s servant. The English word servant is not strong enough. In Greek it really means bondslave. One definition of slave is this: a human being who is owned as property by and is absolutely subject to the will of another; bondservant divested of all freedom and personal rights; a person who is completely dominated by some influence, habit, person, etc.

These are big ideas--owned as property; absolutely subject; will of another; divested of all freedom; completely dominated. Abhorrent ideas--repellent to the American freedom-obsessed soul. Even so, every man, woman, and child is a slave either to righteousness, or to sin. Mary knew her Master and actively, willingly, and joyfully served Him.

But you must see that Mary's submission did not begin at the moment of crisis. She was not bullied or frightened into this. Had she not been obedient to God's law, would a "just man" want her for a wife? The virgin birth was an ordained means to bring God glory--her habit and practice of obedience preserved for her the honor of being the mother of her Savior. Were she not righteous, would she be addressed as a partaker of grace, as a woman richly blessed, having found favor with God? Would she be able to rejoice in song?

Mary was a sinner in need of a Savior--she says so herself. Yet how many of us can describe ourselves as divested of all freedom and personal rights, the Lord's to do with as He pleases?

Jenny Lawrence