Tidings of Comfort and Joy: Mary
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
“The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
“The angel said to 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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-38)
As the story unfolds in the scriptures above, I am most aware of the dance between Mary and Gabriel. There is something delightful for us to behold in this encounter. In this reflection, we will begin to unwrap in our own lives the treasure of self-surrender for the sake of God and others.
I have experienced sweet joy in pondering the story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary. Mary showcases both the simplicity and complexity of our call as image-bearers of God. Mary, in this transcendent moment with Gabriel, was able to see, hear, and know that the Lord was with her. How do we yield our anxiety and fears to the Lord while trusting with complete confidence that the Lord goes before us to prepare, protect, and comfort us in each of our calls to bring Christ into the world?
In trying to understand both the context of this story and the humanity of Mary, I explored several translations of scripture and did research on where Mary had come from. Identifying where we come from helps clarify where we are going. The scriptures say very little about Mary’s past; we know that she was a virgin, was betrothed to Joseph, and was from Nazareth in Galilee.
In my research, I learned that it is thought that Mary’s parents were Joachim and Anne. After enduring shame for being childless for many years, they individually prayed to the Lord. While praying, Anne promised to God that, if given a child, she would dedicate it to the Lord’s service. Shortly after, they conceived, and Mary was born. To honor Anne's promise, when she was three, Mary's parents took her to be raised at the Temple. She stayed in the Temple until she was of age to marry.
As we explore the text in Luke 1:26, we see that Mary was pledged to Joseph in marriage, and they had not yet had sexual relations. In the many translations I read, the three words used to describe Mary and Joseph’s relationship were engaged, betrothed, and affianced. It feels important to acknowledge that the meanings of these words in that culture and time meant that they were legally married.
In Jewish history, the community would have honored this pledge of faith as a marriage contract. This is why Joseph contemplates divorce when he learns that Mary is with a child. We will explore that more later. For now, I want to note that the Lord offered the Virgin Mary protection from community disgrace in her engagement to Joseph. Mary's character never came into question publicly because Joseph was discerning and willing to seek the Lord and to listen.
It feels vital to observe not only how the Lord protected Mary through her marriage to Joseph but also notice that the angel spoke words of comfort and joy, preparing Mary to be able to receive Jesus. Considering the probability that Mary was raised in the Temple, it seems that even if she did not understand how it would be possible, she would have known the prophecies in the Old Testament that proclaimed that a messiah would come. One of these prophecies can be found in Isaiah 7:14, which says, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
When Gabriel came to Mary and exclaimed, “Hail thou that art freely beloved: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28), Mary perplexed by the greeting, I imagine may have needed to take a step back to see what she was experiencing. Mary’s movement away from the angel, whether physically or mentally, seems like a natural first move as she took in the incredible sight and sounds of the angel Gabriel’s words.
From Mary's movement, we see the angel leaning in with the words, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.” (1:30). As Gabriel shares more details about the miraculous conception, essentially offering Mary the details that she has most likely heard for years, we see her trying to find her footing when she asks, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Mary expresses this question not out of disbelief but out of genuine curiosity.
Gabriel, in tune with Mary’s unsettled heart and question, explains how the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will conceive a child who will be called the Son of God. Gabriel must have seen the concern in Mary's face because he does not stop with just her news.
The angel immediately comforts Mary with the news that she is not alone, exclaiming that Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, who was said to be barren, is also expecting and in her sixth month. It is here that we begin to see Mary connect the soundtrack of the angel's voice with her own soul and lean in to receive the last words from the Angel proclaiming, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)
Last week, we witnessed Elizabeth praise the Lord, saying, "This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people." (Luke 1:25). Six months have passed since Elizabeth conceived John, the one who would go before Jesus, making the way ready for the world to receive him. John's miraculous birth preceded Jesus's miraculous birth, and even before John breathed his first breath, his life encouraged Mary to receive Jesus. Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Last Friday, I was getting ready to go to bed and praying about connecting this story to a formational word that would encourage and challenge us to open our hearts to receive Jesus. I picked up a book called “The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality.” It flipped open to the last page of the glossary, where I noticed the word yieldedness. (p. 472) The word immediately caught my attention and reminded me of what Mary was able to experience in her encounter with the angel because the Lord went before her to prepare, protect, and provide comfort in her calling to become the mother of the Son of God.
“While faith and obedience communicate our response to the gospel, yieldedness is especially appropriate for describing the nuances of human response to the invitations of the Holy Spirit.” (p. 218)” As I looked deeper into the meaning of the word yieldedness. I found that it is derived from the German word, Gelassenheit, a way of describing a positive response to God: letting go of ourselves to the presence and guidance of God. (p. 472) Pronunciation of words does not come naturally to me. Hence, I found it humorous that the Lord would give me a word like Gelassenheit to share with you. Thankfully, this is a written reflection, and I do not have to fear speaking the word wrong out loud.
Gelassenheit, translated into English, means a combination of many words. These words include yieldedness, humility, calmness, composure, meekness, tranquility, poise, letting go, a gentle spirit, self-surrender as an act of trust to God's invitation over our lives, esteeming others above ourselves, which includes the readiness to suffer for the sake of God and others. This AWE-some concept requires more than our own humanity to live into. It appears that Gelassenheit is a gift of grace as one trusts the Lord and surrenders their love to and for God and with others.
Just like I believe that Zechariah's silence was a gift of grace from the Lord to heal and save him, Mary was given Gelassenheit as a gift of grace from the Lord to be able to do more than yield herself to the Lord. By the grace of God, Mary said yes and became the first human to receive Jesus as God’s Son.
It is easy for us to see these stories side by side and assume that only Zechariah and Mary's actions influenced the outcomes of these angel encounters. It is also easy to think that it is solely our action, reaction, or lack of either that somehow brings punishment or blessing into our lives.
Gelassenheit, in its simplest form, is a yieldedness with God and one another in a way that highlights grace and beauty so that we will not stumble. The Lord invited Mary to be an instrument of his love for the world and Mary accepted the invitation for Jesus to be formed in her as an act of surrendered love and obedience. In our commitment to Kingdom living, the Lord invites us, too, to live a life of yieldedness in a way that allows the Lord to dwell in and transform us. As we consider how Mary yielded to the Lord, let us embrace the truth that it takes two to tango!
To clarify, this is not about God controlling our lives. It seems that Gelassenheit is the dance of Love that the Lord desires to do with us. As the Lord meets us in our joy and suffering, we can be assured that humility, meekness, a gentle spirit, self-surrender, and readiness to suffer have always been mutual. Gelassenheit is about a mutual yieldedness in all things, God making way for love to infiltrate us, and then, through us, the world experiences and receives the love of God.
Spend a few minutes in quiet reflection:
Where do you notice resistance to the Lord in your life? Where do you sense an invitation from the Lord to yield to the Spirit of God?
In preparing Mary for the conception and birth of Jesus, the Lord provided her protection and comfort. Ask the Lord to help you notice where he is going before you to offer protection and comfort.
Ask God for the grace of Gelassenheit in your life in order to dance more freely with the Lord and others.
Take some time to write out the answers to these questions.
Where have you come from?
Where are you going?
What name can you give the Lord today?
What is the name the Lord is giving to you?
Here is my reflection on these questions.
I have come from being held captive by fears of rejection.
I journey towards living fully with tears of compassion.
You are the God who is abiding, fulfilling, and restoring.
I am the one who is accepted, trusting, and taking flight!
In the past, fear has often affected my ability to live a life of yieldedness to the Lord and others. As I have reflected on these questions, I feel grateful for the preparation, protection, and comfort the Lord has given me in this beautiful season of restoration.
I would love to hear your reflections and thoughts on where you have been and where you are going or anything else you would like to share.
No need to dance alone! If you desire to journey with someone, contact us at LifePoint. We are listening companions on the journey and would be honored to accompany you as you seek wisdom and grace.
May you receive tidings of comfort and joy this week!