His Mother’s Son

the annunciationAdvent
December 20, 2014

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38

And [Gabriel] came to [Mary] and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 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.— Luke 1:28-32

 The older I get the more I find myself saying, “I am my mother’s daughter.” My mother was a committed egalitarian. She did indeed live her life to the best of her ability within the belief that all [people] are equal in intrinsic worth and are entitled to equal access to the rights and privileges of their society.* I guess the season of Advent brings that trait out in me as I am reminded of my mother’s legacy in the giving of gifts.

I do not believe that Jesus was created with a preprogramed personality that could not be changed by anything as he marched wearing blinders toward Golgotha. It appears more likely to me that the opposite holds more truth. He seemed to take in everything and process it through the filters of God’s love. I wonder what parts of his being he would select when he said, “After all, I am my mother’s son.”

It is a bit fanciful, but I have wondered how many women God called to be the mother of the chosen one, before he found the one young woman who said, “Yes”. It took a special person to accept such a role. The willingness of that person to act in spite of the shame and sacrifices she might face was of upmost importance for she would be raising a son who would be called to face shame and the greatest sacrifice of all.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the clarity to process all of our life experiences through the filters of your love so that we might each do our part in continuing your ministry here on earth. Amen.

* http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Egalitarianism

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.