Be it unto me according to thy word

There are several moments in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, that bring me to a reflective halt, such as her response to the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would carry the Son of God in her womb. Luke 1:38,

‘Be it unto me according to thy word.’

Typically, when we think of the incarnation, the focus is the birth of Christ, with shepherds, magi, and a choir of angels, but for Mary the incarnation happened 9 months earlier, on the heels of the angel’s announcement. No other person has ever been given such a blessing and responsibility, trusted to nurture the most precious person ever to exist in their own flesh. Apart from the supernatural wonder this evokes, I also feel closer to the extraordinary expression of the nature of God in womankind. Any man who doesn’t have a deep respect, even reverence for women, is not of sound mind, in my view. The divine is expressed equally in men and women, in masculinity and femininity, as was always purposed at creation, and yet the church often emphasises the importance of men. In women, I see aspects and depths of the divine nature that move me profoundly, and Mary is one of several women in the Gospels whose connection to Jesus was on a whole other level. Godly men cherish the women in their lives.

In the moments before the angel Gabriel, Mary was presented with an extraordinary promise, and I take deep inspiration from her response – be it unto me according to thy word.

Is this not what is required of all of us? Whenever the will of God becomes clear, when we sense his eagerness to move us onto a new stage of maturity, when he desires us to step into a new blessing, or release a spiritual gift, the believer who knows the love of God will give themselves as a vessel in complete trust. In a way, this is also incarnation – the Spirit of God gaining more freedom and becoming more manifest in our lives as we yield to his love.

In essence, this journey of yielding is the heart of discipleship, as we become increasingly like Jesus with every step of faith. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18,

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

As we behold the glory of the Lord, revealed to us by the Spirit of God, we are transformed into that same image from glory to glory. This is the Biblical picture of the discipleship we are called to. We are not called to endless stasis, boredom, dryness, and lack of growth. We are called to dynamic, spiritually satisfying lives that are always moving towards glory.

And so I wonder, as Christmas Day approaches, and Christians everywhere prepare to go to church to hear the words of Luke chapter 1 and thank God for his original incarnation, how many of us are hungering and thirsting over the manifestation of God in our own minds and bodies?

How much do we allow God to become more fully incarnate in us? How completely are we committed to emerging into the enormous power and calling of the children of God? Romans 8:19,

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

Are we willing to become more compassionate towards ‘the other’? How freely will we give of the resources God has entrusted to us in order to meet the needs of others?

There’s a song we used to sing in the church of my youth, that I often give voice to in times of worship:

Soften my heart, soften my heart

From all indifference, set me apart

To feel your compassion, to weep with your tears

Soften my heart, oh Lord, soften my heart

The yielded heart does not find itself hardened towards others, no matter the state of their lives. Instead, submission to God leads to a great softening. This is part of what it means to embrace the incarnation – letting the compassion of God become manifest in us, and passionately undertaking the actions compassion inspires.

As you hear the call of God this Christmas, as he draws near and calls you to commune with him, what is he asking of you? What does he want incarnation to look like in your life? I pray that each of us will respond to his call as Mary did:

Be it unto me according to thy word.