“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.”
– Luke 1:38, NIV
I was sitting in my front room last May reading through the familiar passage about Mary and Joseph when I felt the desire to go deeper, to study further the journey this couple took together.
Mary – an unassuming young woman confronted with the calling on her life, a calling that would affect the world. Joseph - a carpenter, engaged, but not yet married, who discovered his life was taking an unexpected direction. Together, this team faced the plan God destined.
Their travels took them 80 miles. That’s about four days on foot. One commentator pointed out they most likely encountered bears and lions along the way, perhaps Samaritans who might bring harm, and of course, the bumpity bump of the donkey carrying a woman who was so near to giving birth. What a ride. (And, we don’t know for sure that Mary sat on the donkey!)
Finally at the end of the 80-mile trek, they arrive in Bethlehem only to land in a smelly stable or cave fit for animals. There the mother of our Lord gave birth.
For the past months, I’ve pondered her life, her calling. This young woman, called to bear the Son of God, faced a culture of second-guessers, took a rough journey to meet a government requirement, and then rested her body in a stable to give birth to the Savior of the World. Why? Because this was God’s calling on her life. The bumps, the questions, the danger – all part of His great plan. And, yes, the stable. All her calling. All for us.
Our Savior was born to us in the most humble of settings to reveal more of who He is to us: humble Servant, Savior, Lover of our souls. He came to us in a way that draws us to Him, helps us relate to Him. And leads us to want to be like Him.
I’ve often said the best leaders are those marked by humility. Often, the road toward being humble and servant-like is paved with stones of humiliation. We see this in Mary. We see this in Christ.
How have you trusted God with all the experiences of your calling? Have you embraced the bumps as well as the smooth paths as from Him?
Today, let’s pray this prayer:
Lord,
I am your servant; my days and all I do are in you. May you be pleased with me and may your will be fulfilled in my life.