A WEARY WORLD REJOICES - CHRISTMAS EVE (3 OF 3)
by Craig Smith
Scripture: Luke 1:26-29
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A Weary World Rejoices - Christmas Eve (3 of 3)
Series: A Weary World Rejoices
Craig Smith
Luke 1:26-29
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, ''Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.''
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:26-29)
Every time I read this, the first thing that grabs my attention is Mary's reaction to the angel's greeting. Luke says she was ''greatly troubled'' [Mary was greatly troubled at his words...(Luke 1:29)]. What was it about his greeting that was so troubling? It all seems pretty good, doesn't it? You're highly favored...God is with you. But the key to understanding Mary's response might be tied up in the very first word the angel spoke to her. See, most English translations translate the angel's first to Mary as ''greetings'' or something like that, but literally what the angel says is ''The angel went to her and said, ''Rejoice, you who are highly favored!'' (Luke 1:28) It's a command. He's telling her what do to. And maybe Mary has a suspicion that when someone tells you to rejoice it might be because what's coming next might not seem like something that would automatically result in rejoicing.
But I love what the angel says because it's such an important reminder of something I so easily forget: Joy is a choice. If the angel can command her to rejoice, then that means that joy is actually something that was under her control, no matter what her circumstances. And that's good news and bad news for me. The good news is that it means that joy is always an option. If joy is a choice, then it's something I can choose no matter what's going on around me. So I don't have to live at the mercy of the moment. The bad news is that it means that My joy is my responsibility. It's not my boss' ...
Series: A Weary World Rejoices
Craig Smith
Luke 1:26-29
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, ''Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.''
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:26-29)
Every time I read this, the first thing that grabs my attention is Mary's reaction to the angel's greeting. Luke says she was ''greatly troubled'' [Mary was greatly troubled at his words...(Luke 1:29)]. What was it about his greeting that was so troubling? It all seems pretty good, doesn't it? You're highly favored...God is with you. But the key to understanding Mary's response might be tied up in the very first word the angel spoke to her. See, most English translations translate the angel's first to Mary as ''greetings'' or something like that, but literally what the angel says is ''The angel went to her and said, ''Rejoice, you who are highly favored!'' (Luke 1:28) It's a command. He's telling her what do to. And maybe Mary has a suspicion that when someone tells you to rejoice it might be because what's coming next might not seem like something that would automatically result in rejoicing.
But I love what the angel says because it's such an important reminder of something I so easily forget: Joy is a choice. If the angel can command her to rejoice, then that means that joy is actually something that was under her control, no matter what her circumstances. And that's good news and bad news for me. The good news is that it means that joy is always an option. If joy is a choice, then it's something I can choose no matter what's going on around me. So I don't have to live at the mercy of the moment. The bad news is that it means that My joy is my responsibility. It's not my boss' ...
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