I know, strange title. I’ve just been thinking about redoing things. Our daughter redid their bathroom and our son redid his kitchen this year. We have grandchildren graduating from high school and college or going into the army. Whew! Lots of redoing!

That prompted me to think how many characters in the Christmas narrative had a “redo” of their entire lives.

Consider Mary, a girl in the little town of Nazareth. Her mind was likely on bringing in the vegetables from the garden or sweeping the floor. Maybe as she worked her thoughts turned to the pledge she and Joseph had made to each other in a simple ceremony with a few friends, a binding ceremony mind you, but they would not actually live together until they married.

Perhaps she day-dreamed of the time when she would sweep the floor in her own house with Joseph nearby.

A visit from an angel would have been the last thing on her agenda for the day. Did she even know this was an angel? He said,

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Matthew 1:28   

Fear gripped her. What kind of greeting was this? And then he spole her name.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” Matthew 1:30

He knows my name. Who is this? How does he know my name? What does he mean, “found favor with God”? The angel kept talking.

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” Matthew 1:31

But Joseph and I have not yet married. How can I be with child?

“He will be great and will called the Son of the Most High.” Matthew 1:32

Son of the Most High? The Promised One? The Messiah? 

“The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Matthew 1:32-33

But her mind hung on the words, “be with child.” Finally, her words rushed out.

“How will this be since I am a virgin?” Matthew 1:34

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Matthew 1;35

There it is again the Son of God, the Messiah. Born to me? Impossible!

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” Matthew 1:36-37

Only God’s infinite grace touched Mary in that moment and she humbly said,

“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. Matthew 1:38

When you think of the many things that Mary would have to redo in her life after that, it makes our redoing seem pretty simple, doesn’t it?

~ Joyce ~