FAITHFUL MOTHER

Luke 1:26-56

There is a wonder surrounding Mary, the mother of Jesus, that transcends traditional religious thought. That she was a privileged vessel, chosen to bear God’s Son, is wonder enough, for she is a participant in the miracle of the incarnation at a level no other human being can comprehend.

It is clear that she did not claim to understand it herself, but simply worshiped God in humble acknowledgment of the phenomenon engulfing her existence: "My soul doth magnify the Lord," she exclaims (v.46). 

We can hardly fathom the bewildering moments she experienced 1) when Simeon prophesied future mental/emotional suffering (2:35); 2) when she and Joseph spoke with Jesus after they thought He was lost in Jerusalem (2:49, 50); 3) when Jesus gently rebuffed her at the wedding in Cana (John 2:4); 4) when Jesus seemed to reject her and His brother’s efforts at helping Him, though they clearly misunderstood Him at that time (Matt. 12:46-50). 

These instances prompt our learning the wisdom of persistence and obedience in following God’s basic directive on our lives, even when the details of the outworking of His will are unclear or mystifying.

Mary is also a study in the pathway forward in God’s will. She might have sought elevation in position among those who saw Jesus for who He was-Messiah-but instead 1) she remained steadfast with Him all the way to the Cross, rather than protect herself (John 19:25); and 2) she obediently joined other of Jesus' disciples in the Upper Room, waiting as He commanded for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14).

Mary is a model of responsive obedience, one who lived out her own directive for all ages: "whatsoever he [Jesus] saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5).

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Director/Screen Writer

Producer/Gospel Lyricist/Author

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org

SET APART

Romans 11:16

For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

The key word in this verse is holy, as is clear from the word’s repetition. A holy "firstfruit" comes only from a holy "lump," Paul writes, and a holy "root" makes for a holy "branch." To make sense of all this, we must remember that the word holy does not primarily mean "pure," "righteous," or "glorious," which are some of the concepts we associate with the term because of our keen awareness that God, is holy. The truest meaning of holy, even when it is applied to God, is "set apart." Holiness is not so much an attribute of God as an aspect of all His attributes; it is what sets Him apart as God. Therefore, Paul in this verse is speaking of things that are set apart.

The Old Testament can help us understand the first of the images Paul uses here. For instance, in the books of Moses, we find that the people of Israel were commanded to present an offering of "firstfruit," the first produce they harvested each year (Num. 28:26-31). Elsewhere in Numbers, this offering is described as a cake made from ground meal (15:20-21). Such a cake would necessarily be made from dough mixed from the ground meal of the wheat that had been harvested first and set apart for the offering. Thus, if the part (the cake) is holy (set apart), so is the whole (the lump of dough). Paul’s second image is somewhat easier to interpret. If the root of a plant is holy (set apart), the rest of the tree must be holy also, for the root supports everything from the trunk to the branches.

Now we can discuss why Paul employs these images here. Most scholars agree that, in speaking of objects that serve as a source (a lump of dough or a root) in the context of a discussion of Israel, Paul is thinking of the calling of Abraham. God set Abraham apart, and therefore, set apart the nation that sprang from him. And that has consequences for Israel even up to Paul’s time. Because Abraham was set apart, so are his descendants, even to this day…they remain a people set apart for God’s purposes. To put it in other language, God is not finished with Israel yet.

In Christ,

Janet Irene Thomas

Playwright/Screen Writer/Director

Published Author/Gospel Lyricist &Producer

Founder/CEO

Bible Stories Theatre of

Fine & Performing Arts

www.biblestoriestheatre.org.