"...and Jacob the father of Joseph
the husband of Mary,
of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ."
Matthew 1:16
Mary. A common name. A simple girl. An unknown story. Out of the five women included in the lineage of Christ, Mary, Jesus' own mother, is the one of which we know the least. Ruth has an entire book of the Old Testament devoted to her while the other women have at least a chapter devoted to their story. I have combed through the Bible in search of her story, but I come up empty every time. I have only my imagination and theological commentaries to fill in the blanks.
For the sake of consistency I will paraphrase her story, but there is not much to paraphrase. A simple girl, leading a quiet life, is betrothed to a simple carpenter. We assume she was young because that was the culture but exact age is speculation at best. She was not yet legally wed, which I am certain created quite a stir when it became evident that she was with child. Joseph, being a kind man and not wanting to dishonor the woman he loved, decided to divorce her quietly when an angel appeared to him and explained the situation. By faith, Joseph believed and accepted Mary as his wife as well as the Messiah that was kicking in her womb. Mary too learned of her pregnancy by an angel--oh to have gotten that assignment! Mary accepted graciously (Luke 1: 18, 46-55). She went to live with her relative Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) for several months leading up to the birth of Christ. The Bible does not say exactly why and I will give my take in a bit. Then a decree goes out that every man is to return to his hometown to claim his wife and children so as to pay taxes accordingly. Joseph returns to Bethlehem and takes his very pregnant wife along with him. It is here in Bethlehem that she delivers the Messiah, not in a palace full of servants and fine china, but a humble stable surrounded by the quiet murmurs of farm animals.
For generations upon generations, the human race had been longing for this 'promised redeemer '. I am certain people were starting to get impatient and perhaps even cease to believe that he would ever come chalking it up to a great family story passed down. Visions of grandeur, opulence and majesty certainly accompanied the expectation, as well as armies and strength that would finally settle the score and redeem them. It was a palace, not a barn, that made sense. It was through royalty, not a simple unknown woman, that he would surely come. God would certainly not stoop so low as to become a baby, in the womb of young unmarried woman betrothed to a simple carpenter, only to be birthed in a barn, right? Or would He?
As we read together and studied the lineage of Christ as it is listed in Matthew chapter 1, we see altogether that God's ways are directly different than man's. God uses the people that society would write off. Prostitutes. Murderers. Widows. Mary was a simple woman. She was definitely a godly woman because God would not choose otherwise, especially considering the scrutiny she would most certainly endure as a result of the pregnancy. I mean, really, could you imagine? I live in a small town and I have for six years. I am still adjusting. There are people that know me that I have never even met simply because people talk. Word moves quickly and a reputation can taint quickly. "No really, an angel came to me while I was sleeping and told me that I was going to be pregnant with the Savior of the World..." I don't know about you, but I am guessing that would make the front page of the National Inquirer if there had been one. People were expecting a King in the most majestic meaning of the word, not a baby through the womb of an unwed teen. I believe that is partly why she went to Elizabeth's for that time as well as with Joseph to Bethlehem for the census (these things also fulfilled prophecy which is important to note). The government didn't need women to go, the men would report on their behalf. Truthfully, any woman that has been pregnant would agree that you don't get on a donkey and go for a long journey when you can hardly move and you haven't seen your feet in at least a month. I wouldn't take an airplane, let alone a donkey. But, there was undoubtedly talk as speculation of this divine pregnancy swirled around them and I am sure Mary welcomed the getaway. Hardly the way to set the stage for the entrance of the most critical, the most influential, controversial and holy Person to ever grace our planet. But then again, looking through the sketchy group of people He chose for His lineage, it fits Him quite well.
The biggest question I am left with in regards to Mary, is why? Why the simple girl and why don't we know more? As the mother to Christ, you would think that there should be at least a chapter or two dedicated to her story--her childhood or perhaps her and Joseph's love story--but we get nothing. Why does God do this? Because I believe it is irrelevant. As humans, we worship and exalt humans. We are idolators by nature. We worship the person rather than the Creator of the person. We see the gifts and abilities and stand in awe all the while forgetting the One who bestowed those gifts. You see, it is not about Mary in the sense of her goodness or holiness. The fact is, she was human. She was a flawed, sinful human, just like you and I. What set Mary apart was that she was willing. She graciously accepted her calling even though it was most likely social suicide. She desired God's will for her life rather than her own even if she didn't understand completely. Did she live a perfect life? Only her Son would do that. Did she understand her calling at all times? Only her Son understood that. Was she willing to offer what she had, which was her womb, to deliver a Savior to a world covered in darkness? Yes.
What about you and I? We both know we are flawed. My gifts are limited and pitiful at best. I am selfish, arrogant and afraid. I can be faint hearted and wishy washy. I am not show stopping beautiful or witty or intelligent. My story is nothing special and my family tree is nothing I am super proud of. That is exactly why God set the stage as He did and ended it with a simple unwed teenage girl. It is not about us. At the end of the day we are still human and lacking. It is about a God that is greater than all of that. If God can use Mary to deliver the Redeemer to lost world, perhaps, just maybe, He can use me to do the same.
<><tce
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