Monday's SOAP - Luke 1:26-38

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

 ²⁹ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

 ³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

 ³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For nothing is impossible with God.”

 ³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

S(cripture) - Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

O(bservation) - Have I read this story so many times that it has lost its mystery? an angel, a virgin, a rural brunt-of-jokes hick town, a greeting from the angel to Mary - the highly favored one. Mary is confused and disturbed - this is not a Disney fairy tale story as much as we read it that way. It is a story filled with so many unlikely's and impossibles. Peasant girl is favored one. Virgin is pregnant. God soon to be inside human flesh. The promise of a King born into poverty. Menopausal Elizabeth is pregnant.

Nothing is impossible with God.
And out of this very brief and very unlikely conversation, Mary says, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be as you've said."

These are the words that change the world.

A(pplication) - It's easy to see how Mary's submission to God's will, did change the world. But is it any less for anyone who offers him or herself to God? Sometimes we see these heroes of faith as larger than life. But Mary was a simple peasant girl. She caught God's eye because of her humility and obedient spirit. Nothing extraordinary about Mary until she said, "May it be." Anyone with a servant's heart can change the world.

Have you prayed that prayer? "I am the Lord's servant. I submit to whatever you will for my life." It's a dangerous prayer, but really, is there any other prayer worth praying? God is God and we are not. And nothing is impossible with God. God is looking for people with humility and obedient spirits.

This series, Advent Conspiracy, is about aligning ourselves with God's will. Christmas can change the world. It already has. But the change is not complete. You have been called to be part of the completion of the Kingdom.

P(rayer) - Abba, when we think about submitting to your will, it comes with a little (maybe a lot) of fear. But your words are just like your messenger Gabriel's - "Don't be afraid." What have we to fear? If You are for us, who can be against us? What could be better than living in Your will? Give us courage to pray the most dangerous prayer. I am the Lord's servant. Do with me what You will. Your will be done. In me. Especially in the Christmas season, Your will be done. In the Son of the Most High's name. Amen.