Images can be deceiving…

Luke 1: 26-56 (Highlights).
Gabriel, the same angel who appears to Zechariah bringing some impossible news to him and his wife Elizabeth, now appears, “…to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, and descendant of King David” (vv. 27 – 28).
The Bible never mentioned anything about Mary’s father and mother. But I imagine that they were very involved in Mary’s engagement with Joseph. Actually, as any Jewish family at that time, Mary’s parents were probably thrilled that Mary was promised to marry Joseph.  We know a little bit about Joseph. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that, “Joseph, her fiancé, was good man…” (Matthew 1:19). Joseph was someone who probably worked hard, was an honest man, and, more importantly, obeyed God’s law. His family and Mary’s family were probably proud and thrilled about their engagement and wedding. They probably looked at the gift package called Mary and Joseph’s engagement and wedding and thought it looked perfect from the outside. The perfect image of the package called Joseph and Mary’s engagement is changed for the worse.  Well, at least from a human perspective. The angel Gabe appears to Mary and says that she is, “a favored woman! The Lord is with you” (v. 28). Then Mary’s response is, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean” (v. 29).
What could be wrong with this gift package of an angel coming to a Jewish girl saying that she is favored and the Lord is with her?  OK, an angel showing up to a young Jewish girl could have been very disturbing and confusing. Actually, it would be confusing and disturbing to anyone. Interestingly enough, when we read the story carefully, it seems to me that the angel’s words are the ones that caused Mary to be disturbed and confused instead of his appearance. Why? Perhaps, in her mind, something in that whole package was not right. In her mind, it was too good to be true. For an angel to show up and call her favored, either she was in trouble or there was a catch 22.
Sure enough! Mary’s suspicions of her being a favored woman did not necessarily equal eternal happiness. The angel presented some of the most powerful promises and good news. She was promised that she was going to give birth to a son. He will be called the Son of the Most High. And He will reign over Israel forever, his Kingdom will never end…(vv. 32; 33). Mary’s response? Well, let’s put it this way, she looked at that beautiful gift package from a whole different perspective,
“Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin” (v. 34).
I believe Mary’s initial response came from the perspective of the whole family dynamic that was going to be created. In a matter of seconds, perhaps, Mary saw her parents’ reaction flash through her mind. I mean, perhaps, it flashed through her mind that her parents would not find any favor with her being pregnant without being married to Joseph. In fact, Mary’s parents would probably look at this gift package as a huge joke. The gift package of young Mary being pregnant with the Son of the Most High didn’t look very attractive. On the contrary, from her family’s perspective that package represented total disgrace. Not to mention, how Joseph and his family would react. How about the whole village (town) of Nazareth? What would they do to her? Actually, according to the law, a woman who was found pregnant without being married should be stoned to death.
Images can be deceiving…Mary and/or her family looked at the package and the gift didn’t look good. Perhaps, they looked at God’s favor as unbroken human happiness and/or plans not being frustrated. In fact,  when it comes to God’s favor, I feel we play the role of Mary’s family. Or, for that matter, we play Joseph and his family. We want God’s favor to equal unbroken happiness and not cause much change to our plans. A life filled with peace and prosperity is a life filled with God’s favor. Well, at least from our perspective. The problem with our image of God’s favor is that it contrasts with God’s perspective of favor. I must say that God’s favor quite often comes wrapped up in a not so attractive gift package. God’s supreme favor is quite often powerfully revealed in and through desperate and difficult circumstances in life. God’s favor is quite often revealed in and through the most challenging times. It is revealed through times when we seem to reach the impossible. What is in our life that is not a very attractive gift package? What is it that looks like anything but God’s favor in our life? (e.g. unemployment, accident, etc).
Images can be deceiving…God’s gift package to Mary didn’t look very attractive. It didn’t look much like a favor at all. It looked like a good recipe for disaster and caused Mary to view it as an impossibility. The angel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will become pregnant with God’s only Son. When Mary thought this was impossibile, God intentionally presented her another package that looked as disastrous and impossible as hers. The angel tells Mary,
“What’s more, your relative, Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible for God” (vv. 36-37).
When it comes to God’s favor, God seems to have a particular preference for delivering gift packages that are not very attractive. Furthermore, He seems to have a particular preference for crossing the paths of those who are dealing with disturbing, confusing, and impossible packages. He is an expert on crossing the paths of those whose confusion and difficulties seem more certain than their strength. God is the expert of crossing the paths of Marys and Elizabeths so that they can strengthen each other and He can continue to accomplish the impossible.
Mary responded to the angel saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (v.38).
The story never says whether or not Mary knew Elizabeth. But, perhaps, motivated by Elizabeth’s confusing, disturbing, and impossible package, Mary looked at God’s favor upon her as a huge blessing instead of a disaster. Mary went to Elizabeth’s house and stayed there for about three months.
Mary, perhaps, needed someone who was also dealing with the impossible favors of God. Someone who could see God’s gift package as something disturbing, confusing, and insanely good. I do not know what you are going through. But, perhaps, whatever circumstance you are going through might be like Elizabeth’s and Mary’s circumstances. It might look confusing, disturbing, and impossible. It might not be something that people will look at and recognize that God’s favor is upon you. On the contrary, they might look at the gift package delivered to you and don’t think it is attractive at all. We  all need to locate Elizabeths and/or Marys who might be dealing with the confusing, disturbing, and impossible favor of God. My prayer is for God to promote the encounters between the Elizabeths and Marys so that we can strengthen each other and He can continue to do the impossible…