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Never-Ending Kingdom

December 4th, 2023

Luke 1:26-38

In Mary’s story, we encounter a young girl with a rather unimpressive story: a virgin, pledged to be married, from a small town. So when the angel appears to interrupt her calm, normal, and predictable life, Scripture says that Mary was “greatly troubled” (v. 29).

Greatly troubled? Realistically, the range of emotions that this small-town girl from Galilee must have felt when an angel greeted her must have exceeded “greatly troubled.” We get a sense of that when Gabriel says, “Do not be afraid, Mary” (v. 30).

Part of the great beauty of the Christ-story is that God’s will is an invitation to join God in something beyond our imagination. While it can be exciting to see what God can do, it can also be “troubling” and scary to join in. The hope we have is that God goes with us on this journey. We are not alone when we embrace God’s invitation: Immanuel is “God with us.”

May we have the faith and courage to embrace God’s invitation just as Mary did.

Author: Teanna Sunberg