Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

You shall name him Jesus

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Luke 1:30-33
The angel Gabriel said to Mary, "Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. "He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end."

Maybe Mary was sixteen, living in a conservative small town before the days of private living rooms. She played with her friends, worked with her family, went to school to memorize the important passages of the Torah and the Prophets. For example:

Behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

And when Mary heard the voice of the angel, she heard it alone. None of her friends, none of her family heard Gabriel ... only Mary. Immersed in the community of Nazareth, Mary had nowhere to hide. Is there even a word for "privacy" in Aramaic?

In the recent film The Nativity Story Mary is mostly calm. As she is accused, rebuked and nearly attacked, she speaks with assurance that God's plan for this baby is awesome and absolute, and that no one will disrupt that plan. No one will harm her or her child. Almost as if she is being held up by Gabriel, she stands her ground against her parents' disbelief and the community's rejection, until Joseph returns to her side and they move forward together to bring Jesus into this world.

Whatever comes next, Lord, no one will disrupt your plan. Jesus is coming, Jesus has come, Jesus will come again.

Devotions Archive

You shall name him Jesus

Saturday, December 20, 2008