Luke 1: 26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Comment:
Mary, a young virgin, is surprised and troubled when an angel gives her the message of impending motherhood which will make her mother of the ‘the Son of the most High’. The conversation seems to go something like this ….”It can’t be true as I’m a virgin“.. “God will make it happen, and, if you like to check your barren relative Elizabeth is six months pregnant.” I don’t know how long it took for her to answer, I don’t know what crossed her mind about her society’s reaction to pregnancy outside of marriage. Was she simply naive or trusting in a very healthy sense? But her answer to this angelic being was really – I trust you; I’m in your hands; do what you want to with me – I’m your servant.
Prayer: If you convince me that it is all true, help me to have that sort of complete childlike trust, God.
As I read it! 