December 11, 2020
Mary—An Unexpected Girl – Luke 2:26-56
Dr. Larry S. Lightner
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble sestet of His servant. for behold, from no on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. –Luke 1:46-49
Strange, is it not. There was no beauty contest, no interviews, no graduation degree requirements, or even requirements of political party. This is just a small-town girl. There was probably not a Walmart or even a Starbucks in this small town, Nazareth.
To get to Nazareth, you would have to bypass Jerusalem (the city of David). Nazareth was perhaps the least favorite place in Cesar’s empire. Nathanael, who would become a disciple, questioned the validity of Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” His question might read, “Why should I have any interest in someone who comes from a place no one respects?”
This was God’s love at work. He draws a young Jewish girl, Mary, a faithful girl, to carry and birth the greatest gift of love that this world will ever encounter—His Son, Jesus Christ, Savior for the lost world. Mary, not only unexpected, but also seeming so unlikely in the eyes of humanity. The Jews expected an immediate King who would carry them away from rigorous oversight of the Romans. She was, like every Jewish peasant girl in Nazareth, only ordinary. God’s creations are never ordinary!
One commentator, Kent Hughes, wrote, “From all indicators, her life would not be extraordinary. She would marry humbly, give birth to numerous poor children, never travel farther thana few miles from home, and one day die like thousands of others before her—a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.”
God had a different take on her life. His love was not withheld due to her station or position in life. God is that way with us as well!
Nobody really knew Mary; nobody but God, of course.
Life Application
Not many people know you and me. God does. God knows our name. It fits with who He is; it fits with the name Immanuel. God visits those who are lowly of position, lowly of heart. He came to dwell midst those who are broken and remorseful. He chases after those who need Him with His wonderful love and grace.
God wants us to plunge ourselves into the setting of the story of Mary and the child she carries. It all seems so improbable. But God is never common in the sense that we might think we can do better. He is always seeming to do the unexpected.
His great desire is that all would come to Him, never perish (2 Peter 3:9).
Prayer
- Pray that God would keep us faithful to His plan for us.
- Pray that God would steady our commitment to spread the fame of Jesus, our Treasure.
