A young girl. Someone unsuspecting. Depending on how you were raised, when I say we are going to talk about Mary, Christ’s mother, you may have a variety of ideas and feelings. Some churches honor her, some brush past her, and some don’t mention her.
Having recently traveled to Cairo, Egypt, and gained a better understanding of what life on that side of the world is like, it’s really brought me back to looking at her. She played a vital role in the faith of many, and she did it with integrity, deep faith, and obedience. If I had to go through what she did, I’m not sure I would do it nearly as well. We will be looking at her story in Luke 1:26-45.
I want to be clear that this is not a comprehensive look at her life. That would take much longer than a blog post or the time I have to write this one (but I may write it in the future). This is simply an overview of her life and sacrifice.
THE RECAP:
Mary, a young woman, is visited by the angel Gabriel. Upon greeting her, he tells her not to be afraid and that she’s found favor with God. Then he tells her of the birth of Christ, who she is to bear. She’s a bit confused and asks how that’s gonna happen, and he explains that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit (known as the immaculate conception) and that she is to name him Immanuel (“God with Us”). He also says that her cousin, Elizabeth, has become pregnant in her old age. So Mary submits to God’s will and then goes to visit her cousin to find out she is indeed pregnant.
CULTURAL & HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
Ok. Let’s take a look at some historical context. Because (say it with me!) – “Context is key”!
- Marrying age.
In the western world, we tend to think of Mary as being a woman of 18-20 years old (16 at the earliest). But that is because it’s our culture, not the way it was back then. During ancient Roman times, a woman was legally allowed to marry as soon as she hit puberty (12-14 years old)! This means that Mary was a very young girl. I do want to emphasize that our current society allows children to have a longer “childhood” than most societies allowed historically. She would have had to grow up fast in that environment, and I’m willing to bet that her mother trained her for womanhood/motherhood from an early age. For context, Joseph would have been closer to his 20s, and that would have been considered normal.
2. Jewish engagements.
My understanding is that ancient Jewish marriages had a 2 part system – the Kiddushin and the Nissuin. To be clear, the passage we are looking at takes place during the Kiddushin part of Mary’s marriage.
The Kiddushin would have been considered the first part of the marriage and was legally binding, including a contract and the bride price (dowry). Mary would have still resided with her parents, but legally, she was already considered Joseph’s wife in every way except the consummation of their marriage. To break this part of the marriage would have required a legal divorce (hence the Bible telling us later in Luke and Matthew that Joseph was going to divorce her).
The Nissuin was the consummation of the marriage. It would have taken place about one year after formalizing the kiddushin, when the groom had finished building a place for his bride to live. This time would serve as a test of the bride’s purity as well as the groom’s ability to provide. Once the home had been built, the groom would come to pick up the bride in a long procession and take her back to their house to consummate the marriage.
3. Penalty for impurity
Should a bride be impure during her engagement, she would receive the full punishment for adultery. The same sentence was received if you were fully married, being stoned to death. For those of you who don’t know, basically everyone lines up and gets to throw rocks (I mean, we are talking at least fist-sized stones) at you until you are dead.
4. Nazareth
Nazareth was known for being a very tiny village of about 200 – 500 people. Archeological digs support the idea that the people in Nazareth were very conservative and followed closely what the Jewish law (Mosaic law) directed. Nazareth’s location is set in lower Galilee (approximately 10 miles from the Sea of Galilee). It would have been about 70 miles from where we suspect that Elizabeth lived. So making that journey on foot would have taken about a week.
ABOUT MARY:
- She was young.
Based on the historical and cultural context we have, it’s safe to say that she would have been about 12-14 years old. I know I mentioned growing up fast, but that always blows my mind. I can’t even imagine it.
- She trusted God.
I know we always say this like it’s common sense, but think about it. Based on what you now know about the Jewish betrothal system and the punishments. God shows up on your doorstep and says, “Hey, have my kid?” I’m not sure about you, but I would have so many questions.
3. She still lived with her parents during this time.
It’s hard enough to live with something that is going to get you shamed in society when you are already alone, but she would have been living with her family. I’m betting she had siblings. This means that she would have had to face any judgment they had each day, as well as that from others.
4. She was bold and courageous.
Not only would it take courage to obey God, but I think it took courage for her to make a journey to her cousin. She may have ended up in more trouble than she was already in.
5. She was intelligent and spiritually educated.
When Gabriel came to her and told her about what was going to happen, she didn’t argue it. She knew it had been promised to her people. She may not have known the details of how, but she was educated enough to know that it was foretold throughout the Old Testament.
6. She remained humble.
“Get this – an angel shows up on my front porch and then, he tells me that I’m going to have a child who will be the savior of the world! Like, of course it’s me. I’m perfect for the job!” – things Mary never said. I’m joking, but seriously – she remained humble through the whole experience. The bible says that she stored things in her heart and pondered them. She allowed the situation and the experience to humble her and bring honor to God.
7. She paid for her obedience.
Up to this point, we have talked about how Mary would have lost friends, family, and possibly been ostracized by her community. She would have had to navigate this spiritual walk by herself and then deal with all the drama and hormonal changes on top of it. That’s a lot. But I want to take it one step further. She suffered and gave all that up, and then lost her son on top of it. Can you imagine seeing Christ crucified? Now imagine it’s your child? I’m not blessed with children, but I have many nieces and nephews, and there isn’t one of them that I wouldn’t trade places with in that situation. I cannot imagine the amount of pain she must have had to walk through in life for her faith and obedience to God.
OTHER TAKEAWAYS:
- God gives confirmations.
I want to point out that when God asks for obedience, he doesn’t ask for blind obedience. Hear me out. He will always give a confirmation – this could be the instructions lining up with his word, his character, a person, a message, an angel, a sign or wonder, or a dream. He’s never going to do something that doesn’t align with his character or written word. Example – He told Israel that they would get a savior born of a virgin, far before he ever called Mary. He doesn’t do random, even if it may seem that way to us sometimes. What confirmations are you waiting on? Have you asked God to make them clear to you?
2. Influence and Leadership.
One thing that I want to point out again is how humble Mary remained throughout the whole experience. Not just when she was told but throughout her life. When we come into a position of power or influence, do we remain humble and give the glory to whom it belongs?
3. Withdrawing to Safety.
Once Mary got the news, she did something unique. She withdrew to a place of safety, to someone who would help her. She went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. I think there were two reasons for this. Firstly, she wanted confirmation that this was from God. He had told her about Elizabeth, and she needed to see it to confirm it. Nothing wrong with that. Secondly, I believe that she and Elizabeth already had a special bond, and she knew that it was a safe space. That even if Elizabeth wouldn’t understand, she would hold space and let God do what he does while supporting and loving Mary to the best of her ability. Sometimes when we receive a word or are given something sacred, we need to withdraw from those who won’t understand and go to a safe place. A place where we can ponder and really process all that has been given to us. We need to be very selective about who we share things with and why we share them. I would encourage you to think about who you are safe around. Who holds space for you to process and encourages you towards God?
4. Obedience has a price.
We often think that obedience is free. Sometimes it is, but more often than not, I’ve found that it has a price. It may not be the same as Mary, losing my friends, family, or potentially my life, but obedience always has a price. The question is – are we willing to suffer for Christ? Or if you want to think of it this way – we are willing to pay what we are passionate about – am I passionate enough about Christ and his word to pay the price to follow him? What am I willing to give up to walk with him?
CLOSING:
I want to close by encouraging you to walk in obedience. Yes, it has a price, but the freedom that comes with it is incredible. Mary is an excellent example of that. She walked in obedience, only taking the next step as it became clear to her, and God took care of the rest. Sometimes you might lose a few people along the way, but not every friendship is meant to last forever; some are seasonal. You might have to give up some possessions, but really, they were only temporary anyway. You might get teased, made fun of, or have your life taken – but again, it’s only temporary, and it can’t compare to his glory. The question I want to leave you with is this: What are you willing to lay down so that you can follow him?
With all my love,
Hannah
Rate this post:
Whispers of Christ 