Thoughts for the Day

Luke 1:28-31 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.”

The Message version of Gabriel’s words to Mary begins “Good morning Mary” and later includes the phrase “God has a surprise for you”.  Something of an understatement?  Different wording can help us look afresh at such a very familiar passage, but, given its uniqueness as well as its familiarity, what application can we draw from it for ourselves?  We do not doubt God knew what He was doing, we do not question that He chose the right person, and we feel confident that Gabriel spoke to her at the right time with the right message.  But is that simply because we know the story and its outcome?  To her eternal credit Mary recognises the legitimacy of the messenger and does not ask “How can I be sure?”  As Christians we are taught that each of us is gifted in some way for the wider good.  In all likelihood Gabriel hasn’t visited and won’t visit you or me with such clear direction, and we do wrestle to identify and be sure of what we are called to do.  But once we have recognised a calling, shouldn’t we be similarly confident that God knows what He is doing and has chosen the right person at the right time for the right thing?