Mary, A Woman of Grace

"Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took
​notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations shall call me blessed."
Luke 1:46-48 NLT

 On this last Sunday of the year... 

I shared the following message with the church fellowship here at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility.  I wanted them to see the real mother of our Lord, as opposed to the over glorified versions that abound (please see my note at the end).

"Young Mary was probably only a teenager when the angel of the Lord announced to her that she had been chosen by God to have the honor and joy, and the responsibility, to bring Israel's long-awaited Messiah into the world.
 
"Mary was a Jewish girl who grew up in humble, but difficult, circumstances in a city known as Nazareth. Set in a place off the beaten track in a fairly remote and isolated area of Israel, Nazareth was where caravans of merchants would pass by on a well-traveled highway going back and forth between Egypt and Mesopotamia. 
 
"I would think too that crime was a problem in Nazareth. With its caravans of merchandise - perfumes and spices, gold and jewels, embroidered fabrics and more - you could bet the area had its bandits. There were no doubt organized crime rings in operation which dealt in a black market of stolen goods, I'm sure.
 
"So in John's gospel account we find the apostle Philip telling Nathanael (sometimes referred to as Bartholomew in the Bible), that he had found Israel's Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. But Nathanael's initial response was, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). This indicated to me that young Mary grew up as a gentle flower in a world of greed, drama, and corruption. Nazareth could be a rough place to raise a family.
 
"And it was here in backwater Nazareth where God Almighty would perform a miracle that multitudes still wrestle with and debate to this very day: "A virgin shall conceive a Son, and He shall be named Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). A virgin? Really? Yes!
 
"Visited by an angel, a teenage Mary was about to be given the news that she was going to have a Son who will "save His people from their sins," and how even the Gentile nations would be included in this miraculous plan, as well.
 
"In her own words, however, she considered herself to be a mere servant (handmaiden) of "low estate" (Luke 1:46-48). In essence, Mary was a young woman with humble beginnings. Her father, I would speculate, may have been an ordinary laborer working hard to put food on the table.
 
"For the most part, they were poor. And this, I believe, is confirmed in the anointed song Mary sung from her heart when she was staying at her cousin Elizabeth's house. Later known as the "The Magnificat: Mary's Song of Praise," Mary uttered the words, "Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed... He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands..." (Luke 1:46-55).
 
"This was God's Mary. She was chosen from obscurity. And isn't this how God often works? He purposely chooses those with humble hearts to do exploits for Him. He leaves no room for pride" (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

I finished my sermon by reminding the men that God often picks the little Davids, the frightened Gideons, and the speech impaired individuals like Moses, to step forward by faith and defeat His enemies. "That's the way He works," I said. And I'm glad He does.
​
D.B.
 
Note: In truth, Mary was a devoted wife to her husband Joseph, and mother to her five sons: Jesus, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas (not Judas Iscariot), and to at least two daughters who remain unnamed (Matthew 13:55-56).

In summary, Mary was not "holier than thou." She was a loving Jewish mom to her children, and probably a good cook as well. This was the real Mary, a woman of great grace!