She Said Yes

“’I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.”  Luke 1:38

            I was recently watching two of my favorite theologians, The Skit Guys, as they illuminated the happenings of the first Christmas in a skit called One Holy Night. One of them asked, “How did this happen?” and the response was, “She said yes.” That just keeps running through my mind and has made me look in scripture at Mary’s response to the news that she would have a baby. The angel had just appeared to her, which would have been frightening in itself. Then he gives her the astounding news that she is to be the mother of God’s Son. Of course, she has questions. Who wouldn’t? But her questions weren’t doubts or excuses. She knew God could do whatever needed to be done. I seriously doubt she understood the full ramifications of what lay ahead for her or for her Son, but she was ready and willing to do what God was asking of her.

            Mary doesn’t just say yes. She makes herself the Lord’s servant. Another possible translation would be “slave.” The JB Phillips translation says, “I belong to the Lord, body and soul.” She gives God full reign to do whatever He desires. Of course, He didn’t need her permission.After all, He’s God. He can do whatever He wants. But God has chosen to allow us the choice of joining Him in His work. I believe that Mary had the option of backing out of the deal and telling the angel that God had to find someone else. She wasn’t going to do it. But she didn’t. She humbled herself and allowed God to work a miracle in her and through her.

            Most scholars believe that Mary was a young teenager, maybe about 14 years old. I have to admit that my first reaction is that her response sounds like a 14 year old, not thinking through all the consequences and difficulties but just jumping in with both feet and figuring things out later. Then again, maybe that’s what God wants from us. Maybe our “adult” reasoning and planning keeps us from saying yes when God is wanting to involve us in His work. Maybe we miss the glory of God, the wonder of His miracles because we get all logical and “sensible.” Maybe, just maybe, this Christmas season, God is asking us to stop our doubting and our excusing and our reasoning and just say yes to Him.