She knew that her future in the eyes of man only held rejection…but Mary also knew her future in the will of God held freedom.
I think that Christmas music shouldn’t be played before Thanksgiving. You might disagree with me, and that’s OK because you have the right to be wrong. I’m just kidding! We like Christmas music because it is historically rich, nostalgically joyful, and some songs even come from our favorite Christmas movies.
In fact, my favorite Christmas song is “Frosty the Snowman” from the movie that shares its name. The reason I like the song is because when I was a little boy I would march around our living room like I was following Frosty with the kids in the movie. But don’t worry, I don’t think that Frosty the Snowman is historically accurate…or do I?
The song “Mary, Did You Know?”, however, is filled with history that we adore. The song repeatedly poses questions to Mary, the mother of Jesus, asking if she knew whether or not Jesus would walk on water, or if she knew that Jesus would give sight to a blind man, or if she knew that Jesus, her baby boy, was Heaven’s perfect lamb.
I don’t see how Mary could have known the answer to all these questions. When the angel Gabriel came to her he didn’t come with a contract saying that if Mary agreed to be the mother of the Jesus that she would one day have statues erected of her in places of worship or a Christmas song written about her.
No, Mary knew that agreeing to be the mother of Jesus would mean she would be divorced by her fiancé (Joseph planned to divorce Mary but the angel Gabriel intervened) and she understood the high likelihood of being stoned (the penalty for adulteresses).
She knew that her future in the eyes of man only held rejection, shame, and she would be the bearer of the scarlet letter. But Mary also knew her future in the will of God held freedom in hope, peace, joy, and love.
So when Gabriel came to Mary and told her that she would give birth to God’s Son she responded humbly by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Mary didn’t say “yes” to become the mother of Jesus because it would give her personal gain. Mary said, “yes” because she was a servant of God and her purpose was to glorify God.
My prayer during this Christmas season is that we wouldn’t look for ways to be served but to serve. My prayer is that we would follow the example of Jesus and His mom, Mary.
By the way, if you’re wondering how things turned out for Mary just read her song of praise. Maybe even sing it if you’re in the mood for a good Christmas song.
The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever just as he promised our ancestors.”
