Mary, Did You Know?
Is that possible?
Living in a palace
The song, “Mary, Did You Know?”, written by Buddy Greene and Mark Lowry, has been around over 30 years. Yet, thousands upon thousands of people still listen to it. I am one of those who never tire of it. It celebrates the birth of Jesus while also reminding us of who he really is. It raises the question, “Mary, did you know?” But it always seems to me that the obvious answer is, “How could she possibly have known??” When the angel Gabriel told her that her son would have an everlasting kingdom and rule Israel forever, did she, like most Israelites, think that he meant an earthly kingdom?? Did she start having dreams of living in a palace and being the mother of a reigning king?
We have no way of knowing what all went through her mind. We know, according to Luke’s gospel, that when Gabriel first spoke to her, she was “confused and disturbed.” (Luke 1:29, NLT) Of course she was! Wouldn’t you be if an angelic being suddenly appeared in front of you? Then he tells her she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now if she was confused and disturbed before his announcement, I can’t imagine that this cleared it all up for her. After all, she was a poor, unmarried woman already betrothed to be married. The penalty for fornication was death.
Need to Know
Yet, her answer was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38, NLT) She responded with complete submission even though she could not possibly have known all the events that would surround the life of Jesus. Could she have known that she would have to see her precious son, this baby that she had nursed and nurtured, die the horrible death of crucifixion?? And when she was experiencing those sleepless nights, and endless dirty diapers, did she feel like she was holding the “Great I Am” in her arms? I seriously doubt it.
But God doesn’t tell us everything ahead of time. He tells us things when we need to know. The night before his crucifixion, Jesus was telling his disciples about events to follow. He said, “I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you a while longer.” (John 16:4b, NLT) To me, that means he didn’t tell them because they didn’t need to know yet.
Wouldn’t have chosen that!
How would our lives be different if we knew things ahead of time? When I was a rebellious teenager, living my life thinking only of myself, would I have behaved differently if I had known that I would have to see my mother suffer a long, slow and excruciatingly painful death from bone cancer a short decade later. Would I have broken her heart with my drinking and drugging? I hope not. Maybe instead I would have cherished every short moment that I had with her. But I didn’t know.
And would I have acted differently if I had known that my first born son, David, would wind up with a horrible meth addiction – that he would live on the streets eating out of dumpsters for years and that I wouldn’t know if he was dead or alive? Or that he would be facing a life sentence for 3 felony drug convictions?? Nah, I don’t think I would have chosen that. But would that have been God’s plan?
Real and Profound
After another arrest – while in one of those jail cells – God met with David in a way that was so real and so profound that it totally altered his course – changing his life forever. David went to rehab for a year, his third time, and finished completely delivered from meth with a solid spiritual foundation. He went to college and graduated at the top of his class having been on the dean’s list every semester. He went on to open his own business.
But most important is the witnessing that he now does telling others about God’s grace, mercy, and power. He is very involved in his local church and teaches a small group at their Celebrate Recovery meetings. He testifies about what God has done for him every chance he gets. Only God knows how many lives have been touched and will be touched by his testimony. Only God knows how many people have found eternal life because David’s life has touched theirs.
I might have ruined all that because I did not want to suffer the pain and heartbreak that I would have to endure as his mother.
Just for Me
And all those years that I was praying for God’s perfect will to be done in the lives of my children. Maybe if I had known that His perfect will for my daughter was to take my grandsons away to New England for her husband to pastor a church in one of the most pagan locations in the country, maybe – just maybe – I would have instead prayed, God let her live in the center of you will for her in ALABAMA. After all, I didn’t ask her to birth those boys. That was all her idea. But once they were here, I knew they were just for me. And then she rips my heart out by taking them away from me. I’m not sure I’ve forgiven God for that one. Lol!
So, did Mary know all that would befall her? I don’t think she could possibly have comprehended it.
All the Plans
Still, she responded to the angel with a servant’s heart – trusting God to fulfill his plans for her life. And as we remember that unbelievably huge sacrifice that Jesus made in coming to earth as a baby, we too can respond with faith and obedience knowing that we don’t have to know all that may befall us. All we have to do is know the Great I Am. He knows all the plans he has for us, and has already made provision for what we will need to carry them out.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
May your Christmas season be filled with joy, peace and hope – not in the baby in the manger, but in the ruling Master and Creator of the universe!!
See you out there! 🙂
GUARD RAIL: Seek the One who has made the master plan!
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13