December 4

I can only imagine how overwhelming this moment must have been for Mary. One minute, she is living her quiet, ordinary life, and the next she is standing before an angel who brings a message that will change the world. Yet the angel’s first words are not instructions or demands, but they are comfort. “Do not be afraid.” The angel’s words are more than comfort; they are an invitation to trust in a plan far greater than human understanding.

What is so striking is that Mary is called “favored.” She is young. She is from an obscure village. She has no status, no influence, and yet she is chosen. This favor is not a reward for her perfection or status, but rather an act of God’s unmerited grace. Being favored by God does not mean a life free of difficulty or suffering. Mary’s story is one of significant challenge and potential social rejection, yet she remained favored. Favor isn’t the absence of hardship, but it is the promise that God is with us in the midst of it.

What stays with me most is that God’s favor did not simplify Mary’s life. It made it more complex. It asked something costly of her. And yet, she stepped forward anyway. Maybe that’s where we meet her story today. Sometimes God’s invitations come wrapped in uncertainty. We are asked to trust beyond what we can see. But as we let go of control and take one obedient step at a time, we begin to notice that we are not walking alone. The same God who favored Mary walks with us too…steadying us, strengthening us, whispering, Do not be afraid.

NT Wright reminds us that this is a pivotal moment where God’s surprising, gracious choice of an ordinary person for an extraordinary role signals the beginning of his promised world-changing kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to say yes to your calling, even when we cannot see where it will lead.