"Luke 1:26-56 Faithful Mother: Obedient Disciple (Mary) There is a wonder
surrounding Mary, the mother of Jesus, that transcends traditional religious thought. That
she was a privileged vessel, chosen to bear God’s Son, is wonder enough; for she is a
participant in the miracle of the incarnation at a level no other human being can
comprehend. It is clear that she did not claim to understand it herself, but simply
worshiped God in humble acknowledgment of the phenomenon engulfing her existence. "My
soul magnifies the Lord," she exclaims (v. 46). We can hardly fathom the bewildering
moments she experienced 1) when Simeon prophesied future mental/emotional suffering
(2:35); 2) when she and Joseph spoke with Jesus after they thought He was lost in
Jerusalem (2:49, 50); 3) when Jesus gently rebuffed her at the wedding in Cana (John 2:4);
4) when Jesus seemed to reject her and His brothers’ efforts at helping Him, though
they clearly misunderstood Him at that time (Matt. 12:46-50). These instances prompt our
learning the wisdom of persistence and obedience in following God’s basic directive
on our lives, even when the details of the outworking of His will are unclear or
mystifying.
"Mary is also a study in the pathway forward in God’s will. She might have
sought elevation in position among those who saw Jesus for who He was--Messiah--but
instead 1) she remained steadfast with Him all the way to the Cross rather than protect
herself (John 19:25); and 2) she obediently joined other of Jesus’ disciples in the
Upper Room, waiting as He commanded for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14).
"Mary is a model of responsive obedience, one who lived out her own directive to
the servants at Cana--timeless advice for all ages: ‘Whatever He [Jesus] says to you,
do it’ (John 2:5).
