BE IT UNTO ME
REFERENCE: Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)
26 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 women29 but when she saw him she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary received an unexpected visit from an angel whose message was threefold. She was highly favored; the Lord was with her and she was blessed among women. At such an announcement, she began a thought process that continues in mankind even today.
In anticipation of Mary’s anxiety, the angel calmed her fears so that he could have free range to explain the message. When we are gripped by fear, nothing seems clear-cut about God. We must first dispel fear, to be receptive to God’s message or messenger. Take note that it was at the juncture where the angel assured Mary that there was nothing to fear, that he was able to give her the details about his greeting. Fear is the main tool that intercepts what God wants to impart to us. At that point, it was no longer about Mary’s feelings. Now, the focus was on the Promise that she carried.
Mary listened attentively, realized the vastness of the message and then questioned its possibility. According to medical science, Mary should not have conceived. If ever there was a time when a mother or fiancé should have legitimate doubts, it was then. If ever friends and neighbors would back-bite, it was expected then. Mary was between a rock and a hard place. She did not understand, but, in the face of any seemingly impossible situation, there is always the probability of the fulfillment of God’s purpose. What would she say? What could she say? None of her explanations would seem credible.
Mary’s marching orders would be delivered by the Holy Ghost. Isn’t that just like God? When He leads, everything for our journey is preempted by Him, in anticipation of our obedience. Possibly, had we been Mary, the conversation would have been:
Angel Gabriel: Hi Mary, you have much favor in your life. I have not seen another woman with such blessing. It must be because the Lord is with you.
Mary: What are you up to now and why are you speaking to me of all people you could have appeared to?
Angel Gabriel: Calm down, Mary! God is giving you high favor. Just be patient. I’m about to explain the whole thing.
Mary: I am listening, closely.
Angel Gabriel: Do you remember the lessons your mother taught you about the Expected Messiah?
Mary: Yes, as a matter-of-fact, we are waiting for Him. We listen to the news daily, to hear, if by chance, someone has seen Him.
Angel Gabriel: Well, His coming is imminent. YOU are the one to facilitate His entry. YOU are the chosen vessel.
Mary: Will you repeat that? Either I did not hear clearly, or I misunderstood.
Angel Gabriel: YOU will give birth to Him and you will call Him, JESUS.
Mary: Wait a minute, now. Repeat that!
Angel Gabriel: I said, you will have…
Mary: I heard you! Oh o-o! May I please have a drink of water and while you are at it, a change of clothes too?… And when is this supposed to happen?
Angel Gabriel: As a matter of fact, it will be any day now. The Holy Spirit will empower you. Also, your cousin, Elizabeth, is pregnant. She will deliver her baby in three months’ time.
Mary: Since you claim to be an angel, I take it that you know my nosy neighbor. She had told my mother to keep close tabs on me because she was leery of that Joseph. You and I both know that I have kept my commitment to the Lord. How will I explain? Will they believe me? My relationship with Joseph is doomed for failure. I know you can find someone else who is not engaged. I just can’t handle this right now. Can you come back later? I need time to figure this out.
Angel Gabriel: Holy Mary, Selected by God, nothing is impossible with Him.
Mary: Then, I have no choice. Be it unto me according to your word. I am the Lord’s servant.
Upon Mary’s surrender, the angel left. He was no longer needed. Have you ever said these words: God would have to tell me, Himself, or show me a sign? We may all be guilty as charged, but do we really need to see so that we can believe? It may be that the Lord is wooing us to yield to His leading, but our unwillingness to submit to His plan, causes the process to be retarded.
Let us track the succession of things, after Mary voiced her availability: She knew then that it must be from the Lord because Elizabeth was old and childless; She became excited enough to share the news with her cousin; Elizabeth’s baby, joyfully welcomed his cousin; Elizabeth became filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied to Mary; The Holy Ghost revealed that Mary was carrying the Messiah and; the Lord’s promise would be fulfilled in Mary. All the puzzle pieces fell in place.
Our willingness must be coupled with obedience so that we may experience the things that God gives us for life and godliness. We expect good from His hands; therefore, our role is to be totally surrendered. Mary’s willingness and obedience were exercised at the risk of ridicule, shunning and gossip. She chose to prostrate herself at the feet of God’s will. All He asks is that we conform to His plan. Isaiah 1:19-20 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken it. That promise still stands.
Look at all the things that were set in motion because of the words: Be it to me according to your word! Mary did not surrender to just any random being. She was available to whatever God had proffered for her. May He find us with the same attitude of Father knows best. Mary announced her humility, exalted God and allowed Him to exalt her, by way of the wonderful things He had performed in her. Her story continues to be heard throughout time. Had Mary not yielded to God’s word, we can only speculate as to what the epilogue would have been.
On our journey, there are stops, detours, hills and valleys, but there is only One who knows the outcome. His Name is JESUS. The announcements and pronouncements that seem so challenging at times, are mere valleys of shadows. Let us treat them as such and say like Job 23:10, He knows the way that I take. If we leave God out of the equation, we are prone to face lack, discouragement and defeat, hopelessly. Now is the acceptable time to realize that we are not self-sufficient.
Seemingly, Mary was not the only one who was resolved according to God’s word. Her parents and Joseph, her fiancé, must have also acknowledged that it was the Lord’s doing. What about us?
When we resign ourselves to His plan, the holy, mighty God empowers us to memorize the word, practice it, believe its principles and commit to keeping them on our mind We may not have an angelic encounter, but the Lord still speaks. As we read The Word, we should ask the Holy Spirit to impart applications and hidden truths to us. Listen, meditate and discern messages that come to our spirit. His leading will always be positive. Embrace it and then respond accordingly. Personalize things that are according to God’s word: Jesus loves me; I am healed; God is for me; I am royalty; His peace passes my understanding; God is preparing a place for me; Jesus is coming back, but I will share the Good News until He comes.
. We then can also say, Be it to me according to your word: God’s word, NOT ours.
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
1.What does it mean to be God’s servant/handmaid?
2.Does knowing God’s greatness make it easy for us to accept His plan? Explain.