The Servant of the Lord

Advent Day 22

Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 18, 2011

Reading: Luke 1:38 (NRSV)

³⁸ Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Theme: The Servant of the Lord

Reflection:

How many of us have heard Mary’s words: “Here I am the servant of the Lord” and wondered at her faith. She has just been given ‘mission impossible’ by the Angel Gabriel—the task of carrying God’s son—as an unmarried teenager. Her amazing response is: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Her faith is so strong that she willing submits to the role that God asks of her.

I don’t know that I could respond in the way Mary does. I think that I would be tempted to don my size 7.5 ASICS running shoes to get out of town. “Not me God, I’m not up to this; I have other plans for my life. My dream wedding is coming up, and I don’t want to be pregnant for it. Can’t you find some other Mary, one who is willing to do this. I know someone, maybe I could fix you up with her.”

And so it goes with many of us. When God calls you to do something, whether it is to teach Sunday School, to write a devotion, to sing in the choir or to serve on the Church Council, do you find yourself looking over your shoulder to see if maybe, just maybe, you overheard the call intended for someone else. Do you find all kinds of excuses why you’re not the right person. If Mary is a typical example, God often calls us to do things that are far out of our comfort zones. God often sees things in us that we don’t see in ourselves. God also supports and guides us when we do reach beyond our self-imposed boundaries to do God’s work.

Pray that when you hear God’s call to action, you, too, can answer: “Here I am, the servant of the Lord.”

Prayer: Challenging God, when I hear your call to service, help me to see myself in the ways that you see me. Help me to realize that you will be there to “bear me up” when I meet challenges in your service. In your son Jesus’ name I pray. Amen