Mary Said Yes!

I love it when I see something in the Bible that I’ve “read” a million times but never really “seen”.

It happened to me recently when reading the Christmas story in Luke.

Mary has always seemed voiceless to me. She seems like the character in a movie that isn’t really in control of their own destiny. A person that life just happened to.

Imagine my surprise to read Luke 1:38

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. ESV

For years I skimmed over this marvelous insight into the life and character of Mary. Mary didn’t just sit back and let life happen to her! She chose to follow God. She chose to say, Yes Lord!

When Given the Choice to Bear the Messiah or live a simpler life…Mary chose to say YES!

She was incredibly brave. She chose to say yes to bearing a child out of wedlock. She chose to risk the possibility that Joseph, knowing the child wasn’t his, could have her stoned. She chose yes to the social stigma attached to what the Lord asked of her.

On this day, International Women’s Day, we celebrate the autonomy and equality of women. Many women are celebrated, some are worthy of renown and some aren’t.

One woman who will never make any of those lists is Mary, mother of Jesus. But, I aspire to be more like this brave woman. A woman who heard from the Lord and, counting the cost, chose to say, Yes!