A Very Human Mary

Mary’s strengths

Mary was human. I know that. And yet my mental image of her verges on superhuman perfection.

Her faith was so much greater than mine. She was so quick to accept God’s will for her life. Her poem in Luke 1:46-56 reveals a depth of understanding of both God’s character and His Word that few teenage girls of her time or any other time have ever achieved. (My thanks to a wise mentor who recently pointed out to me the numerous Old Testament references in this song of praise. She knew her Scripture amazingly well.) At her age, I was just a baby Christian with a great deal to learn.

Mary must have gone through many challenging, puzzling, and painful experiences from Jesus’ conception to His resurrection, yet her faith remained strong. My sense of her personality from the first two chapters of Luke is that she genuinely wanted to please God and follow Him, even when she didn’t understand what was happening. She trusted Him. I’ve always had great admiration for her. But reading through Luke chapter 1 this time around, the main characteristic that strikes me is her humanity.

Gabriel’s visit

One day, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, presumably as she’s simply going about her normal routine. She must be alone (which would make the situation more difficult) or the story would likely read a little differently. She’s “greatly troubled” by the angel’s greeting. Human. If she was the perfect saint that I want her to be, surely she would humbly and graciously accept his visit with a calm and peaceful heart. In awe, but not troubled.

Gabriel informs Mary that she has nothing to be afraid of and that she’s found favor with God. He tells her that she’s going to get pregnant. This is where her thoughts get stuck. Does she actually hear his next words, describing the incredible child that she’s going to bear? Her response is a confused, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Her entire focus is on the physical logistics: How can a virgin have a baby? She’s probably also thinking about, and fearing, the social and legal repercussions of getting pregnant before being married. She seems to have missed the entire message about Who her Son will be. So human.

Even after Gabriel gives a brief explanation of how Mary’s pregnancy will occur, and reassures her with the words, “Nothing is impossible with God,” Mary seems to be thinking about the immediate, short-term issue, not the great and glorious future. She replies, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” As if she’s still thinking about the difficulties of her pregnancy, not the joy of the coming Messiah.

My focus

How often do I forget the wonder of God’s promises because I’m too focused on the pesky little details, and the possible shame and suffering, involved in getting there?

Do I think ahead to the miracle of seeing a friend come to salvation? Or do I lock up, hesitating about witnessing to her, because of my fear of looking foolish or being rejected? Do I approach a difficult subject with a family member at the Holy Spirit’s prompting, knowing that our relationship will be strengthened by working through our differences? Or does that seemingly irresistible desire to avoid conflict hold me back?

My Bible study leader is doing a brief series on 2 Thessalonians. Much of the book deals with the Second Coming of Christ. The teacher has warned us right from the start that we need to keep our eyes on the promise and the joy of His appearing, rather than getting bogged down in the details of the specific events. His question: At the end of my days, do I want to be known as one who made the best arguments on social media for a certain interpretation of the end times, one who shut down all the other voices screaming to be heard—or as one who lived a life of love and grace in anticipation of Jesus’ return?

In a recent blog post, Philip Yancey mentions hearing about “congregations torn apart by anger and fear over vaccines and masks.” Are they so concerned about these minor issues, which will mean nothing an eternity from now, that they can’t see the greater, more profound and far-reaching truths concerning the very character of God and His love for all mankind? Sounds like a more extreme version of the short-term thinking that Mary experiences.

My hope

But she also shows a very human ability to learn and grow and remember. Even better than that, she shows a greater-than-human ability to quickly turn her eyes from her own immediate and fearful situation to the far more worthy view of the eternal God and His work in human history. Luke makes it a point to let us know that not much time passes between Mary’s shock at Gabriel’s announcement and her proclamation of God’s wisdom and grace. She might have gotten stuck early on in her conversation with Gabriel, but she didn’t stay there very long.

This is where I find hope for myself and for people everywhere. As long as I can learn and grow and remember even in these difficult times, even when my country seems to be irretrievably wrapped up in venomous disputes over minor questions, I can change for the better, and maybe be a part of changing this world for the better.

Like Mary, I can shift my mind from self-concern and worrying about the little details to the great good news of who God is and how He is fulfilling His promises for this planet. Just as Mary accepted her challenging role in God’s plan, I can live out my life following Jesus’ example by loving my enemies and drawing others to Him regardless of the cost.