Yielding to God
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
How would we describe the faith of Mary at the announcement of the angel Gabriel? We might call it a yielding faith. God called her to play a role in his plan and she yielded to his will. “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be to me according to your word.”
We sometimes need “yielding faith.” We experience some circumstance beyond our control, and we have no choice but to endure it. In these instances, we need faith that God will be with us, give us courage for the facing of our trial, and help us make good decisions during it. This was the faith of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed, “Not my will but yours be done.” Being the mother of the Messiah would be a great joy but also present challenges. Mary yielded herself to whatever God’s will might bring.
Other times call for “doing faith.” This is faith that calls us to get up, get going, and put our hand to the plow because there is work to be done. This was the faith of Jesus during his ministry. There was work to be done, and he actively set about to do it. Think about the commitment Christ made to become our Savior. His commitment was this:
“I will come and be born as a human to take on flesh and blood. I will be an infant and child, growing into full consciousness. I will live among a family, being a son, brother, and neighbor. In addition, I will keep the law of God and do the will of my Father in heaven at all times, to show that the law and will of God are good. For that purpose, I will keep it perfectly.”
“At the right time, I will take on a life of ministry, teaching people about God not only through what I say but what I do. I will set an example for the world to follow. I will call disciples to myself and train them so they can start the church, which will be my body. This they will do after I ascend. I will lay down my life for humanity, a freely given sacrifice for the sins of many.”
“I will bear the sins of the world on the cross and willingly carry that burden. I will become sin on the cross and bear the wrath of God so that the world will not have to. I will bear that burden all the way to death. I will die like a human does, but I will not remain dead. Though I will give up my spirit to God, he will raise me from the dead. I will rise from the dead to show that death, sin, and the devil will not have the final victory but that God is stronger and will conquer all that is evil to bring it under his judgment.”
“After I rise from the dead, I will appear to the disciples and commission them for their work. Then I will ascend back to the right hand of the Father, from whom I came. There I will assume my role as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Mediator between God and man. From there I will pour out the Holy Spirit on the church to empower it, to make myself known to it, inwardly, powerfully, and winsomely, so that all my people will know me and all the world will hear the invitation to come to God and be washed from their sins. At the culmination of all things, I will come again to judge the world and bring the kingdom of God fully and completely, in righteousness, justice, and peace.”
This is the wonder of the Incarnation that we celebrate in this season. Mary yielded herself to God so that God’s active work in the world might take place. Who are we that God should look on us in this way? May our faith be humble like Mary’s and active like Jesus’ so that the world will know the great good news of what God has done for us.