My goal this week is to present new ideas related to Advent. In week 3 of Advent, the topic is JOY. The joy that we experience as we acknowledge the coming of a baby. It does not come from jobs, family, or relationships. It also does not come from what we have on earth -or who we are with. It is simply a gift from God.
New Favor
The Biblegateway.com verse of the day was Luke 1:26-28, which says: 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
For first time parents, there is a special joy in the discovery of a new life coming to fruition. In Mary’s case, there was a whole extra level of excitement as she discovered through multiple sources that she is growing something pretty amazing. A gift for the world. A baby that will save us all. Certainly she had consternation. She was pregnant and the child was started outside of marriage, and Joseph was not the father.
Who knows what Mary was thinking about all this. I am optimistic and hopeful that Mary focused on the favor and blessing from God, and did not dwell on the social issues that may have put a shadow on her life during this time.
New Baby
The joy I experience here is very personal. In my own life, I readily admit that being gifted with the news of twins was very exciting. For various reasons, medically I did not expect that I would be able to have a child, let alone two (non-identical) twins. For my wife and I, it was a time of joy and uncertainty. The prospect of bringing life into the world confronts one with a whole new level of responsibility. Will I be a good parent? Will we have enough money to provide a quality upbringing? Do I have enough mental and spiritual maturity to be a good parent? I imagine that Mary and Joseph had similar thoughts as they began their lives together.
A village
A little village named Nazareth. In modern terms, I would envision this town to be so small that they had no stop signs, and everyone knew each other. “Hi, Mary! Boy are you lucky — you have been gifted by God with a special, favored relationship!” We cannot be sure how devout Mary was before this occasion, but we can be certain that a favored relationship with God was beyond ordinary. It would change her life, and Joseph’s.
Ongoing Favor
I have never been a wealthy man, endowed with special privileges on things like credit cards or premium membership. I am aware that if you are in special favored status with things like membership, you get extras that make life really sweet. The most useful way I can relate to Mary’s favored status is to note that God took care of her throughout her life.
“The Lord is with you!” is a phrase we may still hear today. It happens when we align with circumstances and God is in the situation with us. God protects, sustains, and gets us through the circumstance! We can look back at the circumstance later, and clearly see that God carried us through, and supported us in any struggle we may have had.
As we approach Christmas, I pray that our focus remains on the favored status of knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you do not have the favor of knowing Jesus as as Lord and Savior, you should consider it now
