Mary, the Mother
Mary was born somewhere around 16-20 BC, and though we do not know where she was born, she certainly lived at least some of her teenage years in Nazareth of Galilee. The Galilee of the time of Jesus was not only the richest, fertile farmland, cultivated to the utmost – it was covered in towns and villages filled with working class families and served as the center of many trades and industries; it was important land for the nation of Israel. Galilee was in an area with several very busy roads that accommodated the commerce of the world at that time. Nazareth was a city with one of the great caravan routes – leading from the sea to Damascus. People of all nations, busy with another life than that of Israel, would appear in the streets of Nazareth daily. For Mary, this meant she was accustomed to many thoughts and associations related to the outside world that would be discussed and introduced in Nazareth by these travelers. Mary would have gone to the market and done her daily business in the streets with people from all over – with all kinds of new products and ideas.
But, having said that, Nazareth was also one of the great centers of Jewish Temple-life. The Priesthood was divided into 24 courses, each of which would be called to the Temple for a week at a time to minister to the holy duties in Jerusalem. When the divisions were called, they would gather in certain towns, and would travel from there to Jerusalem. Nazareth was one of these Priest-center cities.
And so, this young woman, Mary, lived in a town not unlike many of the towns we live in, carrying both the traffic of the world and the traffic of those called to minister in the Temple. As in all cities, the darkness and the light coexist – it is true today, and it was true for Mary. Mary would hear all that was offered by the world and by righteousness, and she would be required to choose. R.C. Foster in his Studies in the Life of Christ, notes that the people of Galilee, to include Mary’s family, would be influenced by the cultural characteristics there. He writes that the people of Galilee were known for their impulsive and straight-spoken tendencies. They were not of the sophisticated, but of the working and devout – dedicated and determined in long centuries of OT teaching.
It is well recorded that there were marked differences in the observances of the intrusive “traditional” practices held and demanded by the Pharisees in Jerusalem and Judea compared to those living in Galilee. There were many faithful Jews in Galilee who enjoyed some freedoms from the “keeping of traditions” even in such a thing as betrothal and marriage. The bride was chosen more for character than money, and weddings and wedding parties would have been much smaller with fewer attendants. We are certain, from the offering Joseph and Mary bring for the purification after Jesus is born that they are not among the wealthy. It is assumed that then their betrothal would have been simple and the dowry small.
But what is certain is that from the time Mary is betrothed to Joseph, their relationship was sacred and certain of wedlock. Any breach of this relationship would have been considered adultery. Also, we must note that if the relationship ended at this point, there would be a requirement for divorce. Life seemed certain and secure for Mary, our faithful and devout young woman in Nazareth. She followed a law, she loved her Lord, and she looked forward to a Messiah. I would love to meet her; I know I would like her.
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary just six months after he has appeared to Zacharias in the holy temple in Jerusalem, the center of religious activity for the nation of Israel. The Angel from heaven seems a bit more out of place this time he appears – coming from the presence of God. He visits a little home in Nazareth, privately and when Mary is alone there.
In struggling to understand Jesus in the flesh, we must be brought first to Mary and her life – her calling.
Luke 1:26-28 tells us of the visit: “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
Mary’s service would never be about what she was asked to do; it was simply about who she was. Gabriel greets Mary telling her that she is highly favored, and that God is with her – in other words, the angel gives greetings from God to this young woman. This young virgin who would become the mother of Jesus, the son of God, was not chosen for her position, her beauty, or her bravery. She was chosen because she was devout and righteous in character. And we will see this character all throughout the glimpses of her that we are given in the gospels. She will be perhaps our greatest example of the mystery of suffering and self-sacrificial devotion outside of her son – and while we are given an amazingly brief and simple record of her and her experiences, we have magnificent understanding through her life.
While we could focus on the many aspects of Mary’s service, it is the visit from Gabriel that I will write about today; this encounter is what first introduces us to her heart. From the time Gabriel comes to announce Mary’s service, her awe of his appearance seems to be more about the honor being bestowed upon her than the fact that an angel has visited. Her astonishment is that he declares her to be “highly favored” and “blessed among women.” In his book Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim writes, “but this designation of highly favored came upon her with bewildering surprise, perhaps not so much from its contrast to the humbleness of her estate, as from the self-unconscious humility of her heart.” Her response is an outcome of her humility – and a testimony of her deep belief.
Gabriel gives Mary a rapid “outline” of what will happen to this little baby that she will give birth to. He tells her in short-order of his name, his greatness, his deity, his answer to a prophecy and hope, and his reign over a kingdom that will be eternal and never end. These predictions would have a tremendous impact on her life forever though she had no way to know of all the message would mean. The message does not alarm her in the ways that it might have – had she not already been so deeply rooted in her own faith and the expectation of a promise of a coming Messiah. Mary was already looking for a Messiah; she knew and believed the words of the prophets. Do not miss this; the depth of our belief will dictate our reaction to calls of service. It doesn’t take a supernatural hero to do great things in service to God – it takes a true believer. That’s it. This 16 to 20-year-old never doubted the truth of her faith; she seems never to waver in the belief in the words from God. Her life and her expectations of what life was going to bring her were wrapped up tightly with her family (who most likely had arranged this marriage) and her husband-to-be. She was suddenly and abruptly asked to change the entire course of her anticipated life. All the current plans would be interrupted by this messenger and the expectation of her service.
When our expectations for our lives are realized differently than anticipated, all of us can face disappointments and grief. We need not to underestimate what Gabriel’s visit meant for Mary, her commitment to serve God even if loss would come to her is extraordinary. I have seen young women make major mistakes in life for fear of losing a relationship. The reality of her service to God would jeopardize all that she had. In fact, Matthew 1:18-19 says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” There is no question that the faithful acceptance of such a service would jeopardize everything that Mary expected to bring her happiness in life on earth.
Like Mary, our life may take us to many places we have not anticipated. It may call us to move somewhere far away, our life may not ever include a husband or a child, we may lose a husband or a child, or we may face illnesses or, worse yet, spiritual sickness in our family. Our call to serve cannot be impeded by our circumstances of life and the relationships in them. And we cannot allow circumstances of life to dictate our desire to do whatever it is that God calls us to. Our commitment to a life of discipleship and service and an understanding of what we are a part of does not hinge on our parents, our friends, the young man we may or may not marry, where we live, who we live with, or even what we are asked to do. Our service and discipleship depend on us and us alone, just as Mary’s did. Mary was young and all alone with no one to consult when her God required her service. Had Mary not understood the promise of a Messiah and her absolute faith in her God, she may have been very tempted to say, “wait a minute – if this happens, Joseph will for sure leave me, and no one else will have a young woman with a child.”
The importance of our relationships can be a danger if we are not careful. I have seen young women choose young men who were not spiritual in mind and heart and make them a partner for life – because the “relationship” is more substantial in their lives than the one they have with Christ.
I have seen women of all ages – mothers – place the selfish desires of their children over their own service. Stopped, delayed, or hindered to serve in the kingdom because of unnecessary attention to a child who is unreasonably doted on, or to children who have placed unreasonable demands on them. Or mothers who waver and compromise their own faith and truth for a grown child who has gone astray. Our very relationships that can save us – can also stunt us spiritually. It is true, so very true. I have seen Christian women form relationships with friends or work that have consumed their time and threatened their service.
A very young Mary puts her spiritual relationship with her God first – even if it impacts every other relationship on earth she has. She is not daunted or delayed; her response is a direct acceptance and is one that indicates her willingness to serve. She is young but determined in the hope of her salvation. I would like to meet her; I know I would like her.