This Advent season we’ve been looking at the familiar Christmas story through the eyes of angels and today is Mary’s turn to have an angelic visitor.
Last week we saw the angel Gabriel bring a miraculous birth announcement to Zechariah—the elderly couple would have a baby who would grow up to be John the Baptist. Now the same Gabriel shows up with another miraculous birth announcement—this time at Mary’s door. If we pause to look through the eyes of Gabriel, we’ll see some things are similar and some are quite different in how Zechariah and Mary respond to his news.
What is similar is that both are surprised; they never expected an angelic visit. And, just like Zechariah, Mary reacts with fear: “But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid…”
Contrary to the New Age “make-over” of angels as heavenly helpers just waiting to improve our lives, real angels reflect God’s holiness—a purity so incredible and awesome we don’t even have words to describe it. The consistent reaction of human beings exposed to this kind of holiness is fear.
But while their fear is the same, Gabriel sees in Mary something he did NOT see in Zechariah. Mary expresses bewilderment—“How can this be?” But she ends in trust: “Let it be to me according to your word.” You might remember the words Gabriel heard from Zechariah when confronted with the promise of a similar unbelievable pregnancy were: “How can I be sure of this?”
But Mary is different. “Let it be to me according to your word.” It’s only my imagination, but I wonder if Gabriel did not smile at that moment. Mary trusted his word. Actually, it was GOD’S word, not the angel’s—Gabriel was only the messenger.
Mary trusted that God’s word had power. The same power that spoke creation into existence was now creating something new and totally unexpected in her life. She trusted that whatever God spoke would come to pass.
Because of this, ancient theologians consider Mary the first disciple of Jesus Christ. In this way, I think the Catholic church does get it right. We should honor Mary more than we do. She is the model disciple of Jesus Christ. Her self-giving, trusting response to the angel Gabriel is an example of her Son’s future definition of discipleship: “If anyone wishes to be my disciple he or she must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
The most extraordinary event that has ever happened on this planet happened because a very ordinary person did a very extraordinary thing –trusted God enough to give up control: “let it be to me according to your word.” Trusting God and giving up control have been hallmarks of disciples of Jesus Christ ever since.
Are you an ordinary mother? An ordinary father? An ordinary worker? Ordinary church member? Ordinary student? Ordinary retired person? Then rejoice! This God who spoke something impossible into existence for an ordinary peasant girl named Mary may have a word for you as well.
