Breaking the Word

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,…

 "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

^… for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.  (Lk 1:26-38)

 

 

Mary became the mother of Jesus because she was favoured by God. The passage brings to our attention the way God dialogued with Mary through the angel and how the angel convinced her of her importance in the history of Salvation. The whole narration is given in such a way anyone reading it would understand and get convinced that Mary was preferred to be the mother of Jesus.

 

There is no biblical reference here in this passage or any passage to say that Mary was conceived without the effect of original sin except that she was ‘favoured’. Mary received the grace of God. Grace is a free and gratuitous gift from God. The person who receives the grace is in no way worthy to receive it from the human point of view. Even the worthiness is given by God. God has found her worthy and god has chosen her to receive the merit of Jesus.

 

The salvation which Jesus brought forth through the death and resurrection is again a gift given to the whole humanity and the whole of creation. This gift is not merited but granted freely to all. Mary received this merit right from the beginning of her existence because she was going to be the helper in the plan of God. It is a grace given to her and it is God’s own choice and nothing is impossible to God.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Mt 11:28-30 )

 

 

Jesus invites his listeners. Now his invitation is turned towards those who are burdened. Jesus wanted to associate with the sufferings and the neglected. His promise of rest is not a rest from work. Because, later he speaks of burden and yoke. He is asking them to have an attitudinal change. But his invitation to those who are burdened remains.

 

He promises rest. The rest is not cease fro labour but to pick up his you and follow him. The listener has to learn from Jesus. Jesus becomes a model for the workers and those who are heavy of heart. Jesus says that he himself is in a similar situation. Jesus himself is heavy with work and weighed down by burdens.

 

The lesson that the listeners have to learn is his approach to life. It is living out his life with humility and meekness. Humility in the bible and in Jesus is realizing the presence of God in life and events. A person is humble only when he realizes that God is working in and through events of life. As creatures of God all are in the same situation and hence each one has to be meek and gentle with one another.