I Luke 1, Courage in Faith
II John 2, Crisis of Faith
III Acts 1, Champion of Faith
Beatific
As the most written about woman in the whole Bible, what is your impression of Mary? There are thousands upon thousands of images of her, the beatific and holy Madonna, mother and child, otherworldly in her serenity; and the grieving mother holding her crucified son, again beatific, serene, otherworldly.
Hidden in Plain Sight
We might get the impression that as a young girl, being visited by Archangel Gabriel she was soft, submissive, gentle, meek. And certainly, she had these qualities, but is it possible we’ve missed the real person underneath the patina of two thousand years’ worth of iconography?
Bold and Courageous
When we first meet Mary in Luke’s Gospel, she seems to take a visit with one of the mightiest beings in the universe almost in stride. Daniel was trembling and speechless when he first saw an angel, so the angel said, “Fear not, I come in response to your prayer.” When Joseph saw an angel, the first words the angel said were “fear not.” What did the angel say to the trembling and speechless Zechariah? “Fear not.”
But to Mary, the first words Archangel Gabriel said were “Greetings, favored one!”
And so, in each succeeding story, a picture emerges of a woman of great faith, spiritual wisdom, a scriptural scholar in her own right, one who believed in the power, provision, and promise of Almighty God.
Great Faith
Through Mary, we learn that
• Great faith requires both boldness and resiliency
• Great faith produces wisdom and humility
• Great faith is ready to break new ground in the power of the Spirit
