"Here Am I, the Servant of the Lord"
Friday, 4December 2015 / Luke 1:38 Miryam said, “I am the servant of Adonai; may it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Mary is unique among women for bringing the One we call Savior into the world. The angel Gabriel announces to her that she will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, conceive and give birth to the Son of God. When the angel also tells her that Elizabeth, her elderly relative, is expecting a child, Mary realizes a miracle had taken place in Elizabeth’s life as well as in her own. So as soon as she can, she visits Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth hears Mary’s voice, she exclaims, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42).
Then Mary, too, gives praise, saying “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47). The exchange between Mary and Elizabeth clearly reflects God’s divine initiative. It also shows how God chooses to involve humans to further that initiative. That is, God uses Elizabeth to reassure Mary that her calling is truly remarkable.
But Mary is not the only one chosen to give birth to Christ. Through baptism, each of us has this same calling to bear and to be Christ for others. That’s an awesome thought, isn’t it? However, we might well question just how we are to fulfill that call. Sometimes we need someone to bless and affirm us in it.
When I sensed God calling me into ministry, God literally put an Elizabeth into my life, who helped me clarify the direction I should go. Because of her encouragement, my soul has magnified the Lord and rejoiced in God my Savior countless times over the course of 25 years serving congregations as their pastor.
So if any of you, dear friends in faith, are wondering just what God wants you to do, trust that God will provide at least one “Elizabeth” to help you say, like Mary: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).
Prayer: God, full of grace and wisdom, guide me by the power of your Holy Spirit and for Christ’s sake in this world, that I may become aware of how you are working in my life through the blessing and encouragement of others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.[Chris Suerdieck Emmitsburg, Maryland]
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Society of St. Andrew
3383 Sweet Hollow Road
Big Island, Virginia 24526, United States
The Society of St. Andrew is a national nonprofit hunger-relief ministry that rescues 25-30 million pounds of fresh, nutritious, excess produce each year that would otherwise go to waste for various marketing reasons. This food is then distributed to critical feeding agencies across the country at no cost to the agencies or the hungry people they serve. More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs - Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, and Harvest of Hope is available online at EndHunger.org.
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3383 Sweet Hollow Road
Big Island, Virginia 24526, United States
The Society of St. Andrew is a national nonprofit hunger-relief ministry that rescues 25-30 million pounds of fresh, nutritious, excess produce each year that would otherwise go to waste for various marketing reasons. This food is then distributed to critical feeding agencies across the country at no cost to the agencies or the hungry people they serve. More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs - Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, and Harvest of Hope is available online at EndHunger.org.
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3383 Sweet Hollow Road
Big Island, Virginia 24526, United States
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