Word forthe day by Christian Education Forum

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ANNUNCIATION TO VIRGIN MARY
Luke 1 :26-38
REV SONY PHILIP

St. Andrew's MTC NY
& Ebenezer MTC NY

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.

Mary is the protagonist in the Christmas story. She witnesses the formation of the slaughtering lamb in her womb, and through this lamb, God Almighty is going to take away the sins of world. There is no doubt God has taken great care in selecting this human vessel to be the mother of Jesus.

This meditation is focussed on the qualities of Mary that made her an  outstanding woman of God.

1. Humility:The call to take on the prestigious position of the mother of the son of God does not make Mary proud. Instead she considers herself as the servant of the Lord. The humility in Mary helps her to see her involvement in the ministry of the Lord as a service to God and humanity. Mary should be admired and respected but we often place her in a godly position and worship her which neither she nor God ever expected or intended. God works through those who makes themselves humble.

 
 2. Purity: What is today's concept of virginity? In an immoral world, how does one keep one's virginity ? This question pertains not only for women but also for men . There is speculation that the city of Nazareth was a place of moral wickedness. Mary was able to keep herself pure.. Virginity is a joke in today's context . God saw her as a vessel of purity. There are many evil influences and pressures for teenagers from every directions in different forms. Virginity is not only a physical matter. Let us be Virgin in physical, mental and spiritual dimensions. Can we say ‘NO’ to temptations and lead a life perfected by the will of God. Instead of blaming others, we have to make perfect decision according to Divine will like Mary.

 
3. Perfect Submission: Mary submitted herself to the will of God . Because of this decision, the rest of her life would be under a cloud of shame. In this pregnancy, there is a possibility of misunderstanding , whispering or gossip of people , stoning to death , false Judgement  but she submitted herself to the will of God . Mary presented her body as a living sacrifice to God for the formation of the Son of God . Let us make every human body into a temple like experience.
 
     What is the reason for Virgin birth ? It indicates full divinity and humanity in one person. Salvation can never come through human effort, but must be the work of God himself. The virgin conception cannot be studied or  verified by science because it falls outside the parameters of science. Virgin birth is not a created story because the writer of the Gospel Luke  was a physician, who was very much aware of how babies are conceived . Luke was a careful  historian ie; man of facts. Many scholars believed that he lived in the time of Mary. So Virgin Birth is not a fabricated idea. This text clearly says conception was the unique work of God. Virgin birth again indicates direct involvement of God in the creation. Do we have a deep and mature faith in the time of life’s difficulties and tribulations. We often limit God into our boxes, raising question of intelligence and avoiding possibilities in the midst of impossibilities with God. Mary does not ask any questions, she just submits herself to the will of God , this is the sign of deep and mature faith.

PRAYER

Almighty God You have stepped down from the Glory of Heaven . Gracious God ,You came to cleanse us, make us new, give us a new direction. Loving God invite us to jump into Thy arms with perfect faith . Let our Faith be mature and deep like Mary for the reconstruction of this wounded world as per the divine plan of God. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
 
"The resurrection is a historical fact, virgin birth is not hard to believe , the person who rejects latter also rejects the former"


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