“Attitudes for a Wonderful Life”
December 18, 2005
Intro: Today we are going to look at the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus to see if there are some lessons we can learn about her life and her attitude toward God to translate over to ours. Most of us have seen over and over again the story of George Bailey played by Jimmy Stewart in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” George is always seeking more adventure, more fame, more money and an escape from Bedford Falls. For so many of us, that is our story. We always desire more, but circumstances keep us from achieving it.
Today, I want to take you into the first century mind of a teenage girl. Mary was, by all accounts, a very normal girl of her day. She was promised to be married, as was the custom of her day, to a man named Joseph. She seemingly from all scripture accounts was a young lady who sought after God, but who did not earn God’s favor but was bestowed it. Today we want to see if there are some things that we can learn from Mary that will help us understand our own walk with God and to find satisfaction in our own version of this wonderful life.
First, let’s start with a little background.
Mary is from Nazareth.
Nazareth is a town in Galilee. Nothing exceptional comes from there. It is a town of about 1,500 people and in most instances was regarded as a place to be avoided. In fact, scripture gives us an indication of how this town was viewed by the citizens of the day.
"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.” John 1:46 (NIV)
This is a statement by one of the first followers of Christ on being told the Messiah had been found. There was nothing in Mary’s culture that set her apart.
Mary was s virgin, which explains her surprise when told she is going to have a baby.
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:34 (NIV)
A lot has changed since Mary’s day, but biology is still biology!!! Mary was, more than likely, between 12-14 years old. This was the time that Jewish girls were promised in marriage.
Mary was told that she was, “highly favored of God.”
“The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:28 (NIV)
The term used here means that there was nothing special about Mary, but it were only an act of God’s divine will and divine plan that placed her in this position to be used of God for the fulfillment of his plans for humanity. There is only one other time in the New Testament hat this term is used and it is in Ephesians 1:6 as Paul writes of God’s view of the Ephesian Christians.
“To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
Ephesians 1:6 (NIV)
The point here is that Mary does not receive God’s grace because of her character, but because God chose to display it to her.
With that as a background, let’s see if we can find some common ground between us and Mary that will help us have a better perspective of this life.
I. A Wonderful Life is characterized by a Humble Heart.
Mary doesn’t get what is going on. She does not understand how she could be pregnant since she is a virgin or how the child she is carrying could be the Messiah. She doesn’t fully understand as her question in verse 34 points out.
Can you imagine the thoughts running through the mind of a 12 year old who, having lived a sexually pure life finds herself pregnant? Even in our culture, a pregnant teenager is no cause for rejoicing.
But, Mary does not allow her lack of understanding to cause her to doubt God.
In Her response to the angel, she acknowledges God’s right to use her as he desires.
"I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38 (NIV)
In her song of praise to God, she acknowledges that nothing about her should make God choose her.
“And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is his name.”
Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)
What Mary is acknowledging is that God’s grace is her strength.
“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.”
Luke 1:35 (NIV)
The term “overshadow” signifies the holy presence of God.
So often we allow the circumstances of life to cloud the “presence” of Gods grace for us. It does not mean that it is not there, it simply means we fail to acknowledge his grace.
Humbleness of heart is demonstrated by a total dependence on the grace of God.
How often do you allow God’s grace in your life to be reflected in an attitude of superiority or an attitude that somehow you earned it? Does your heart reflect a dependence on God for the tings in life that you cannot explain?
Mary had fear and incredible questions about her situation. Yet the reminder of Gods grace in her life was a stabilizing force for her to accept Gods plan. As Mary examined her life, she saw that she was just an ordinary girl who God had shown favor to. She knew that the situation of her pregnancy would lead to questions, accusations, and shame. Yet she accepted her condition as an evidence of Gods grace in her life.
One writer described Gods graced by saying, “Gods grace, like his love, banishes fear of judgment.”
Part of the reason we fear judgment is a proud heart. God desires us to have a heart of humilty that will focus on his grace and not our condition.
How is your heart?
II. A Wonderful Life is characterized by a Right View of God.
Mary acknowledges four things about the nature of God that help her keep the right attitude toward him.
a.) God is our savior.
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.’”
Luke 1:46-47 (NIV)
Mary acknowledges that God alone is her hope.
Our culture encourages us to look to things or to status for hope and a future. George Bailey looked for escape as his hope. He looked for adventure and travel. Yet, nothing satisfied.
We need to get to the point where we recognize that God alone is our source of hope.
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”
Psalm 146:5 (NIV)
b.) God is not a respecter of persons.
“For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” Luke 1:48 (NIV)
Our relationship with God is not based on our social status.
God is not concerned with your position. He is concerned with your condition of heart to seek after him.
c.) God is eternal.
“His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50 (NIV)
God is not limited by time or space. He is eternal. His plans are for an everlasting kingdom, not a kingdom of this world.
We need to move our eyes off the temporary things and onto the eternal nature of god.
d.) God is faithful.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." Luke 1:51-55 (NIV)
Mary had a perspective that what God had promised long ago, he was going to fulfill. She understood the Messianic promises. She knew of the tales of God’s faithfulness of old. She understood the condition of Gods people living under the tyrannical hand of Rome. But she never doubted Gods faithfulness.
The struggle we so often have is because we sense if God is silent that he is absent. In reality, in the silence, God is teaching and shaping us. We must be dependant upon God not to betray his faithfulness in our lives even when we don’t understand his plan.
“Never doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light.” Karl Barth
God is faithful to carry out his plans for our lives and we can trust that God is never going to go against his character.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
Are you trusting God to be your savior, to love you no matter your position, to be an eternal God and to be faithful to fulfill all of his promises?
I want to invite you to close your eyes and picture life through Mary’s eyes. All she has been taught of God and all that she has been told by the angel are now coming to fulfillment in her. Do you think she felt worthy? Do you think she was afraid? Do you think she wondered if God was going to be present through the difficulty of childbirth? Think on the lessons of Mary and ask yourself if your heart’s desire is to be “overshadowed” by the holiness of God.
Susan Newnam sings “Breath of Heaven”
Is your heart attitude an attitude of humility and service before God? What things do you need to deal with in order for God to move in your life and to overshadow you with his grace?
