Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. Luke 1:38
The first chapter of Luke gives us a wonderful portrait of some of God’s favorite vessels for His blessings, the unlikely.
…they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Luke 1:7
Elizabeth, an old barren woman. In her culture a barren woman was of no worldly usefulness, and one with no visible means of support as she got older – no son to provide for her, no daughter to help her with the rigorous “womanly” duties of her day; and no reason for hope – her physical circumstances prohibited her from changing her situation
Then there is Mary, a young, probably very poor, engaged virgin. Betrothed to a carpenter, this is no “upper crust” girl. God chooses these two unlikely candidates to change history in a totally unorthodox way. That’s the problem with “orthodoxy” – it leaves little room for random acts of Godliness! To one, at a very late (some would say impossibly late) stage of life, He grants her heart’s desire. A child, a son, a fulfillment of her cultural gender. But to the other, His “blessing” could very well have ruined her life… God chose to make her an unwed mother, a condition that no doubt resulted in criticism, outcast and in fact may have endangered her very life. How extremely odd.
How will this be, since I am a virgin? Luke 1:34
I wonder how often we consider the fact that our Savior was born from such unorthodox circumstances. Oh yes, we know and proclaim the virgin birth – it is grounded in our theological sensibilities, but have we grasped the social embarrassment, shame, and scandal of His earthly beginnings? Or, more importantly, have we been inspired by it? Does it motivate us to reach out to, support, encourage, embrace, and include the marginalized in our communities?
Luke tells us that Mary hurried out of town to her cousin Elizabeth’s home. Together they found mutual shelter, support, and encouragement in their “conditions.” We wonder sometimes why the marginalized are reluctant to come to our churches or claim our faith… could it be that we do not provide the comfort and acceptance regardless of their physical conditions or their ability to change their circumstances that they so desperately need? Or perhaps it is because we are only looking at them through our physical eyes, we have shut our spiritual hearts to them. Or perhaps we just don’t see them at all… they aren’t one of “us.” The scriptures tell us that the Holy Spirit caused Elizabeth to recognize Mary’s blessedness as soon as she entered the house. Are we willing to look for blessedness in unlikely places, in unlikely people? God is; it is in the margins that God chooses to change history.
Let's DO something about it:
- Prayerfully read the song of Mary from Luke 1:46-53. Consider that these words were sung by a teenage, pregnant, unwed girl whose future was uncertain. What insight does this perspective give you about God’s choices?
- Ask God to show you who (or what group of people) may be feeling “marginalize” in your community, church, or family. Begin to pray for ways to reach out to them and commit to following through on God’s direction.
