Just An Ordinary Day | Mary
by Daniel Burton
It was just an ordinary day for Mary.
For a moment that would change the trajectory of her life, the coming of the angel Gabriel seemed out of the ordinary for this young girl. She was engaged to be married to Joseph, a good man, who obeyed the law as good Jewish man. During that day, engagement meant more than just pre-marriage but the two committed to one another through their engagement, consummating their unity at their wedding. Joseph and Mary were no exception to this, remaining a virgin. Although they were good people, Mary and Joseph did not come from distinguished backgrounds or wealth and status. Mary found favor with God in the ordinary circumstances of her life as she faithfully followed God. With the announcement of Gabriel that she would give birth to the Messiah, Mary trusted God to walk her through an impossible situation giving glory to God in through faithfully trusting God to lead her through every step.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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.
Finding God In The Ordinary
Its striking to think about how unremarkable this situation was apart from God. The day of the announcement did not have any particularly notable quality. Nothing significant happened prior making this a historic. Furthermore, Mary (nor Joseph for that matter) did not represent a noble pedigree. The only notable thing about them came from their descending from the line of David, the old kings of Israel. Undoubtedly, though, there were must better options that would have better displayed the lineage of Kings. Yet, despite this, Mary found favor with god. Something in Mary, likely her humility and devotion to God, made her the recipient of the honor of carrying and giving birth to the Savior the scriptures foretold.
Too often we hope for and anticipate finding God in the grandiose moments that call for a “radical” and “extreme” faith. But these often used adjectives miss the heart of faith and dedication to God. Furthermore, we often expect that Christian would become highly influential leaders, parading on stages and jet-setting around the globe preaching to thousands of people. We find God in expressing our faith during the small and mundane times. We do not seek to be glorified but rather become willing to be nothing so that God would receive all the glory. Christianity isn’t about leading, influence, or prestige. It’s about dying to the self in order that God could work in and through us every day. Our goal should not be to find God in the grandiose, but, like Mary to passionately pursue a God-filled life in our daily life through a passionate devotion to God, even during the mundane.
Trusting During Impossible Situations
Mary received the honor of carrying the Savior to the world. Yet, directly because of this extraordinary even on an ordinary day, Mary would face trial, opposition, and pain. Mary now needed to explain to her fiancee why she was pregnant. The law stated that those guilty of infidelity would be to be stoned (Deuteronomy 22:20). Showing signs of pregnancy meant that society would question her devotion to her future husband and, more importantly, to the Lord. Even beyond that, she knew she would face pain as the child stepped deeper into His calling. The question posed by the old Christmas song “Mary did you know?” is assuredly answered with a resounding “Yes.” Mary understood that the Savior would face difficulties and trials as He sought to establish His reign on the earth. Understanding the scriptures means Mary would face the difficulties and trials of being the mother to the rightful heir to the Kingdom.
While many of us wish for the grand moments to come and radically alter our lives, few of us understanding the implications that they would have. God chose Mary to work miracles through in a world that fundamentally stands in opposition to the return of the true Savior. As God works the impossible in us and through us, it will demonstrate the glory of goodness of God. Following God will be difficult as the world around us opposes the fundamental core of the Gospel. Yet, as God works the impossible we must continue to have faith that God will continue to do the impossible. God sized plans required God to complete them. Only by continuing to pursue Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives, in the mundane and spectacular, will we accomplish what God is looking to do within us.
For more in this series, check out Just An Ordinary Day
