Mary’s Radical ‘Yes’
When we talk about Mary, the mother of Jesus, we often focus on her purity or her central role in the Nativity. But what truly inspires me about her is her courage. She was just a young girl when the angel Gabriel appeared and presented a life-altering, reputation-shattering, impossible plan to her.
Imagine being told something that seems utterly insane, yet you know, deep in your soul, that it’s the truth of God. That’s where Mary was. Her response is one of the most powerful displays of trust in the entire Bible.
After hearing that she would conceive a child by the Holy Ghost—a virgin birth!—she didn’t argue, she didn’t run, and she didn’t even ask for a sign like Zechariah did. She simply said, in Luke 1:38 (KJV): "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."
I love that phrase: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." A "handmaid" was a servant, someone whose sole purpose was to serve the will of their master. Mary wasn't seeking fame; she wasn't seeking comfort or convenience. She was volunteering for God's radical plan, whatever the cost.
And the cost was steep! She risked her reputation, her engagement to Joseph, and possibly her very life, all because she chose to believe that what God was doing in her was bigger and better than the safe, comfortable life she had planned for herself.
What about us? God’s plan for our lives often doesn't look like our carefully drawn blueprints. His plan for you might involve a difficult conversation, a surprising career change, a seemingly impossible sacrifice, or taking a terrifying leap of faith. The moment we are faced with God's word—His truth, His calling, His conviction—we have a choice: resist and try to control, or offer our own radical "yes."
Mary’s bravery wasn’t some loud, boastful act. It was a quiet, internal surrender. It was the bravery of the soul that says, "My life is not my own; let your will be done in me."
Today, let's reflect on where God might be asking for a simple, yet radical, "yes" from you. Where is He inviting you to step into the impossible and trust Him with the consequences? It may not involve giving birth to the Messiah, but it absolutely involves trusting the Messiah with your story.
We are called to be handmaids—servants—just like Mary. When we embrace God’s plan with open hands, we discover that the most inconvenient plans often lead to the greatest miracles. Let’s pray for the same humble courage Mary showed, trusting that if God gives the word, He will certainly provide the way.