Merry?

           "Of whom shall I be afraid? One with God is a majority."

                                                                                                                                           Martin Luther

     Her name means "beloved" and it also means "sea of sorrows". Paradoxical in nature, the name of Mary, mother of Jesus, has a story to tell. The angel, Gabriel, calls Mary "highly favored one" and "blessed among women". And yet, I cannot even imagine the emotions surrounding the life of Christ that must have pulsated through her veins. It seems to me that fear, quite possibly, made up the bookends to this miraculous life that commenced in her womb.

     When Gabriel appeared to Mary, he told her to not be afraid. (Luke 1:30). It seems that every time an angel appeared to an individual in the Bible, it is necessary to instruct them to "Fear not".  Quite likely, this implies that they are scared out of their ever-loving mind and God needs to give them reassurance.

     Mary did not allow fear to reign in her heart, however, because she: listened to the angel, asked a few questions, and then set an example of godly submission and trust. She stated, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38). Mary recognized that God was worthy of her devotion,  even though I am certain she realized some of the personal implications of her choice.

     For such a young, teenage girl she was endowed with wisdom and grace. What a privilege to be the first to hear the news about the coming of the long-awaited Messiah! Not only that, but she was chosen by God to carry Him into this world! God had bestowed the ultimate honor on Mary to bear the child that was the ultimate gift to the world!

     There had to be moments of sheer joy, unparalleled to any other, in Mary's life. And yet, witnessing Jesus' crucifixion had to bring sheer terror that ripped through this mother's heart. It is hard to fathom how this blessed, beloved, and highly favored woman navigated the storm of emotions found within her sea of sorrows.

     Mary had to feel quite alone. After all, there was not one other mother that could understand her plight. There was no support group for 'Moms of Messiahs' or small group that could help. This journey designed for her was one that necessitated total dependence on God for her to navigate successfully and victoriously. In turn, God was absolutely faithful to this young woman- in fact, He was the perfect Captain for her voyage.

     The seas were not always calm, however, and the sun did not always shine. Mary's life is an example that shows us that even when we submit our lives in faith and obedience, there still will be difficulties. She was privileged to be chosen to: birth the Messiah, encourage His first public miracle, witness the accomplishments of God's purposes at Calvary, and receive the impartation of the Holy Spirit after Jesus departed. And yet, it also had to be excruciating to disappoint her fiance and family, flee from Bethlehem in the middle of the night, and watch her beloved Son be tortured and murdered in front of her very eyes!

     There had to be moments and times when God's master plan evaded her understanding. She still continued to persevere. Ultimately, God's plan did become apparent, and despite her personal sorrow, I am quite sure she sighed a sigh of relief.

     The truest blessing that Mary received was that she was able to walk so closely to Immanuel.  From the moment of conception, she had God with her- always! Even after Jesus' crucifixion, it was only a short period of time before He sent her [and others] the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit.

     Hundreds of years before Mary was alive, the prophet, Malachi, had prophesied Jesus' birth:

     "'Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And the Lord,

     whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom

     you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the Lord of hosts.

    'But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He

    is like a refiner's fire and like fullers soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and

    He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present

    to the Lord offerings in righteousness.'" (Malachi 3:1-3).

     If the life and name of Mary has a story and a truth to tell, how much more does the life and name of Jesus? Jesus' name means Yeshu'a, which means "YAHWEH is salvation". through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, Jesus is the firstfruit of eternal hope for each one of us.

     And yet, Isaiah prophesies Him to be a 'Man of Sorrows':

     "He is despised and rejected by men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." ( Isaiah 53:3).

     Jesus continually encountered people who wanted to ruin His ministry and His reputation. Instead of being welcomed, loved, and esteemed, He was often met with harsh questions and rejection. Despite such intense opposition, Jesus continued to share God's unconditional love and forgiveness with all. The pain and denial of this world could never thwart His efforts or quell His love. Our comfort lies in the truth that Jesus will never turn His back on us or reject us.

     Our culture today, once again, does not esteem Jesus. It has engaged in every machination to remove Christ from Christmas. Schools now have winter holidays in lieu of Christmas breaks. Atheists sue to remove nativity scenes and every other reminder of Jesus. Could it be that we are ramping up for a similar scenario of rejection and vitriol to play out for the second coming of Christ?

     As we scurry and hustle to imbibe the materialism of our society, is there any possibility that we, too, are boxing Jesus out of our celebration? As we sip our eggnog, do we remember to esteem the very One who makes this season merry? Does our happiness revolve around the values of this world or do we have the true joy of walking with Jesus?

     There are so many distractions during this season. My prayer is that we will keep the main thing the main thing and that we can help others to do so, as well. Immanuel is still with us and our joy will be complete when we esteem Him above all else! Merry Christmas!!!!

" Looking unto Jesus is at the same time a looking away from everything else."

                                                                                                                               Erich Sauer