Mary the Theologian

February 13th, Ash Wednesday

Luke 1:1-56 

When we think of Mary we usually think of a young teenage girl no older than 16 who comes from a poor background and a country town of little significance.  All of that is true.  It’s also true that becoming pregnant as a young unmarried teenager would marginalize her even more than she already was.  And yet there is so much we can learn from Mary.  How about two things for the purposes of today’s blog?  Mary obeys God and she loves God.  We see her obedience shine through in verse 38 of today’s text.  “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”   There was no arguing.  There was no running away.  There was no rationalizing or justifying.  Just simple obedience.  When we are tempted to question God’s will for our lives we would do well to follow Mary’s example.  Of course it’s a lot easier to obey God when you love Him.  We can see Mary’s adoration and love of God in her Magnificat (vs. 46-55).  Not only do we see her love for God, but we see a great depth of understanding for God’s sovereignty and His character.  Our young theologian Mary gives us 11 attributes of God.  He’s Savior, eternal, mighty, good, holy, merciful, to be feared, strong, caring, sovereign, and a provider (perhaps you can find even more, but that’s a good start). Not bad for an uneducated middle school girl from Nazareth.

Prayer – Lord, may our love and knowledge of who you are reflect that of Mary’s.  And because of our love for you, we pray you will grow in us the desire to obey your will for our lives, that we might be able to say with Mary, “Let it be according to your word."  Amen.   

Lent Update

Are you practicing Lent?  It’s something I’ve only started doing recently.  I’ve probably done it 7 or 8 times in the last 10 years.  I don’t do it out of guilt or obligation.  I just do it those years I feel the Spirit’s leading as a part of my ongoing daily worship.  In giving something up I’m reminded of how Jesus gave up his life on my behalf.  This year I’ll be giving up desserts.  For those of you who know my eating habits, please feel free to say a prayer for me.