Those standing in the tradition of the Reformation have always known due esteem for Mary the Mother of our Lord. They do that in keeping with Luke 1: 28-33, where the Angel of the Lord names her twice as "the favored of the Lord." It seems almost unimaginable to us to recognize in this humble woman the Mother of our Lord. That makes her by no means divine but we do recognize her as totally unique.
The New Testament adds a few details about her life and service that add to our esteem for her. Jesus suffered throughout His life. The place of his Mother Mary would surely have been an immense comfort to Him. We can only appreciate that from a distance. During this Advent and Christmas season, our thoughts go out to Mary, the Mother of our Savior.
Below is a short essay of the encounter between Gabriel and Mary that captures some its beauty:
She struck the angel Gabriel as hardly old enough to have a child at all, let alone this Child, but he had been entrusted with a message to give her, and he gave it. He told her what the Child was to be named, and who He was to be, and something about the mystery that was to come upon her. "You mustn't be afraid, Mary", he said. As he said it, he only hoped she wouldn't notice that beneath the great golden wings he himself was trembling with fear to think that the whole future of creation hung now in the answer of a girl.
-Fredrick Buechner (quoted by Daryl Fleming)
