Friday, August 13, 2010

Following in Faithfulness

We only hear of the Virgin Mary at points throughout the Gospels. But they are at critical points in the life of Jesus. She is there in the birth narratives of Jesus of course and in the story of Elizabeth and her son, John. Mary is there when Jesus finally begins to reveal himself to the world around him who he truly is through turning water into wine at a wedding. She comes to claim her son when people start calling him a crazy man for some of the things he claims, including that he is the Son of God, only to watch him heal a man and raise him from his mat. And she is there at the Cross and the grave to witness the yawn door that has been opened to bring out life from the grave.


So why do we take the time to consider her today? What is there about her that we should take notice of? The Gospels show her to be one of the first to really believe in God and in the coming salvation that he would work through his Son. She holds on to the memories of who her Son is and holds out the hope that God is going to do something marvellous through him that we cannot see. She is the one who allowed the Word to become flesh in her life so that the Word could become flesh for all life. She was and remains the prototypical Christian for others to imitate. Mary is portrayed as being ready to hear, prepared to receive and willing to serve as the Lord has led.

And more than that, we should be prepared our own selves to do as she has counseled others, “Listen to him. Do whatever he tells you to do.” We are expected to listen. That means we need to not only talk when we pray but also take time to listen. In this way God can speak into the quiet of our hearts the things that he wants to say. Listen in turn helps us to receive the word that God wants to speak into us, to help us growing in the formation of our Christian character and to mature as believers in his Son. We need to be filled to the brim like those jars of old that we might have the water of life but also be filled with the new wine of the Spirit. We would also do well to consider that nowhere in Scripture is Mary called perfect. Mary has her fears and struggles. She doesn’t always get it right. We know that because she thought that she had to bring Jesus home at one point because, from her point of view, things were getting more than slightly out of hand. Nonetheless, she is open to what God desires for. She treasures up in her heart things that are going to be important not only for her but for those who will follow in the years to come. Mary reminds us that we are not called to be perfect or to be even good. She reminds us that we are to be faithful in whatever we say and do. Faithfulness is not so much about the rules we keep or the journey we walk, as it is about the people we are becoming. Who do we love and keep as a neighbour? Who do we put our trust in? Whose glory do we seek, God’s or our own?

We can be like Mary and put our trust in God and say, “Let it be to me as you have said.” We can choose to hear the voice of the Master and trust him in the ways that we should go. After all, as someone once pointed out, the Church was born out of wind and fire, not to sweep us up heavenward like a tall tower but to send us down the dusty roads of this world so that we may lift up the downcast, heal the broken, reconcile that which is lost and bring peace amongst the unrest.

Let us take up the challenge to hear Christ this week and to be prepared and ready to go where we are sent and to do what we are asked to do and in the process make Christ known to those around us.

1 comment:

  1. Yes I think I needed to be reminded that Mary said, "Listen to Him", Sometimes I get so caught up in everyday things, that in my prayer time I don't take as much time to listen as I should. Thanks for posting this blog today.. I needed it.

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