An Advent story about Mary and God's surprise
(From the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38)
Once upon a time - about 2000 years ago - there was a young woman named Mary who lived in a small town named Galilee in a place that we now call "the Holy Land."
One day, Mary was walking down a dusty road, heading to the well in the center of Galilee to bring water back to her home. She carried a big clay jug on her hip, and as she walked she smiled to herself. Mary and her mother had spent the morning together, talking as they cleaned the house and baked bread for supper. They were busy planning Mary's wedding to Joseph, the town's carpenter. Mary smiled as she thought about the wedding and the life she would have with Joseph. He was a good man and she loved him very much. He was going to be a wonderful husband!
Suddenly, Mary realized she wasn't alone. An angel was standing in the road, looking straight at her. It was the same angel, Gabriel, who had visited Zechariah only a few months before (although Mary didn't know this). Gabriel had a great big smile on his face and his arms were stretched out, as if he wanted to hug Mary.
"Greetings, favored one!" Gabriel said. His voice was sweet and loving. "God is with you!"
Gabriel's presence and his strange greeting stopped Mary in her tracks. What could he possibly mean? And why was he here, talking with her? Mary started to get a little nervous.
Gabriel spoke again, "Don't be afraid, Mary. God has a wonderful surprise for you!"
This sounded good to Mary. She liked surprises! She set her water jug down beside her.
"You are going to have a baby - a son!" Gabriel told her. "God wants you to call your son ‘Jesus.' Jesus will be great! He will be called the Son of the Most High! God will put him in charge of a kingdom, and he will rule that kingdom for ever and ever."
Mary had to admit that what Gabriel was saying to her was surprising! "How can this be?" she asked him. "How can I have a baby when I'm not even married yet?"
Gabriel smiled. You could tell he really liked Mary a lot. He walked up to Mary and touched her shoulder. "God's Holy Spirit will come very close to you and will make you a mother," the angel told her. "Your son will be holy because he will be God's Son as well as yours."
And then Gabriel told Mary something that surprised her again. "Your cousin, Elizabeth, is going to be a mother, too! Like you, she is going to have son. Her baby will be born just three months from now!"
"How can that be?" Mary thought to herself. "Everyone knows that Elizabeth is too old to have a baby."
Gabriel looked into Mary's eyes. He knew what she was thinking. "Nothing is impossible with God, Mary. Nothing."
And Mary realized that what the angel Gabriel said was true. By God's grace, both she and Elizabeth would soon be mothers! She burst out laughing, she was so happy! "Yes, I see it all now," she told Gabriel. "Here I am, ready to serve God. Let it be with me just as you say."
And the angel smiled and disappeared.
Questions to ponder:
I wonder how Mary knew that Gabriel was an angel.
I wonder what it feels like when God comes very close to you.
I wonder what "holy" means.
I wonder what Mary did after Gabriel disappeared.
I wonder what Mary's family said when she told them about God's surprise.
I wonder if you have ever been surprised.