Have a 'Mary' Christmas

ALTHOUGH MARY, the mother of Jesus, became an important focus of theology and piety in the history of Christianity, she is seldom mentioned in the New Testament. Mary is never mentioned explicitly in the New Testament letters, and only once in the book of Acts and Mark's Gospel. She is involved in two stories in the Gospel of John, but the writer never identifies her by name. Yet, in the Luke account of Jesus' birth, Mary is a bright and shining star. Luke writes eloquently about the character and strength of Mary suggesting Mary's words and actions are informative and inspiring for all Christians. Here are ten spiritual lessons to learn from this remarkable woman who gave birth to Jesus.

Be Open to the Spiritual

 In Luke 1:28 an angel appears to Mary saying, 'Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' Clearly Mary was spiritually open to receiving a message from God. Being receptive to spiritual messengers is an important component for a growing and vibrant spiritual life. God often comes to us through others in order to lead us into new growth and new directions. Such an experience came to Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, and proved to be pivotal in his life and ministry. As a young pastor, he was uncomfortable with praying for the sick. 'I was reared in a family of ministers and physician, and always took a rather coldly scientific view of the healing process,' he says. 'But, some years ago I had a profound experience that changed my attitude.'
As a minister in Syracuse, NY, Rev. Peale was awakened by the insistent ringing of the telephone - it was 2 am. Upon answering, he recognized the voice of a close friend, a leading physician in the city. Apologizing for the late call, the physician explained, 'I have a patient about whom I am greatly concerned. I need help. Will you come and join me here?'
'What in the world could I do to help you, except pray,' Dr. Peale said. His friend challenged him saying, 'What could be more powerful than prayer? Please come.'
Nervously, Rev. Peale went, but before ringing the doorbell, stopped and prayed asking God to guide his faltering efforts. Inside, the physician explained, 'My patient is very ill. What I want you to do is join me in filling this sickroom to overflowing with the healing power of Jesus Christ.' The woman was extremely pale and in a deep coma. Both men prayed silently. Then the doctor began to quote healing passages of scripture. Rev. Peale did the same. 'This went on for some time,' he recalls. 'Finally, colour began to come into the woman's cheeks. Then the most amazing thing happened: She opened her eyes wide, looked at us both, and then started to recite Scripture passages herself.' The woman came out of her illness and lived for many years thereafter. That important lesson in the power of prayer for the sick was delivered to Rev. Peale because he was open to the spiritual messenger who happened to be his physician friend.

Seek Discernment

 Luke 1:29 candidly notes, 'Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.' Those words reveal Mary was not naïve. She needed to think and sort this out in her mind. All of us need to remember that questioning, even doubting, is acceptable. 'Doubting is not a sin,' writes author John Aurelio. 'Nor does it denote a lack of faith. Lack of faith is a pure and simple disbelieve. Doubting is an invitation to enter into the mystery more deeply, to go beyond the superficial.'

Don't Be Afraid

Luke 1:30 reads, 'But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid...' Being troubled by the initial message did not prevent Mary from setting fear aside and moving forward in faith. The angel's words, do not be afraid,  reminded her to continue trusting God. Those are four words which each of us ought to repeat whenever we feel fearful, hesitant, timid and uncomfortable about some event facing us. Let them become your affirmation of faith using them this way:
Do not be afraid - I can reach beyond myself seeking help from others.
Do not be afraid - I can be hopeful in the face of this difficult situation.
Do not be afraid - I will trust God to lead me through the dark valley.
Do not be afraid - I can risk rejection and offer help where it is needed.
Do not be afraid - I can love even when the love is not returned.

Be Obedient to God's Call

Even though Mary was puzzled and troubled by what she learned, Luke makes clear she was obedient nevertheless - 'I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said.' (Luke 1:38) Her obedience is a sign of her deep faith. British cleric Charles Spurgeon observed, 'Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God.'

Seek Support

There are times when going it alone is going nowhere. When issues or questions or problems arise for us, seeking out support and a second opinion is the wisest course of action. This is what Mary did according to Luke 1:39, 'Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she... greeted Elizabeth.' Mary turned to a friend whose faith she admired and whose opinions she valued. Such support is invaluable. In his book, Invisible Means of Support, Dennis F. Augustine advises, 'Find those persons with whom you are comfortable. Find those persons in whose presence you feel more energetic, more creative and more able to pursue your life goals. Stay away from persons who make you feel apprehensive, or who influence you to doubt yourself. Especially, stay away from those persons who drain you, so that your energy is all used up in trying to maintain the relationship.'

Rejoice in God's Service

There is a noticeable absence of joy and delight in many Christian lives. So many act out of duty rather than joyful service to God. This was not true for Mary. Luke 1:46 describes Mary's joy, 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.' Joy and delight in God's service ought to be a key characteristic of Christian living. That was something exhibited in the life of Martin Luther. A daring theologian and prolific writer, Luther thoroughly enjoyed life and service to God. Most nights at his dinner table he was surrounded by students and friends where Luther chatted in an earthy style about everything from the human soul to frogs in the Elbe River. His joyful compassion positively affected others. Once Luther was introduced to a mentally ill man who compulsively crowed like a rooster. Luther joined him and crowed along with him for seven days. On the eighth, he announced, 'I no longer have to crow - and neither do you.' The man was cured.

Trust God

While pregnant she had to make an arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. (Luke 2) She trusted that God would protect her and Joseph on the trek, and that God would be with her if the baby was born en route. Mary was not panic stricken because her faith and trust in God was steady and strong. We need to cultivate Mary's trust. Jeremy Taylor advised, 'Look at that beautiful butterfly, and learn from it to trust in God. One might wonder where it could live in tempestuous nights, in the whirlwind, or in the stormy day; but I have noticed it is safe and dry under the broad leaf while rivers have been flooded, and the mountain oaks torn up from their roots.'

Be Flexible

When there was no room at any inn or hostel, she accepted whatever accommodation was made available, in her case, a simple stable. (Luke 2) She could bend rather than be broken. Mary knew how to 'go with the flow', and accept what is rather than always hold out for what ought to be. She believed God would guide and provide.

Experience God's Grace

Luke 2:22 recounts, 'Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.' Like all good parents, Mary wanted God to bless her child and to bless her parenting. It is a great responsibility and joy to raise children. God's assistance ought to be expected throughout all the ups and downs of parenting. The grace of God was powerfully experienced by Diane Schmidtke of Tonawanda, NY, when she learned her daughter had leukaemia. She writes, 'My precious 21-year-old daughter, Heidi, died after a two-and-a-half year battle with leukaemia. She endured much along the way. From the outset, at age 18, she said that her diagnosis was a blessing. A grace like nothing I had ever witnessed came over this amazing child as she faced her challenges. 'Leukaemia has made me realize what my priorities are,' she said. ... God gave Heidi time to make an unbelievable impact on all who loved her, and time to make a difference in the world. In the end, isn't that what we all would wish?'

Be a Positive Role Model

Luke succinctly reports, 'And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God.' (Luke 2:40) The challenge for all parents is to ensure their children grow in wholeness and holiness. This is greatly facilitated when parents themselves provide positive role models. Celeste F. Geise tells of a memorable teaching moment which took place when she was a teenager. 'It was a blustery cold day when Mom asked my teenage brothers to hook up the trailer to the car. She asked me to drive since she didn't like pulling trailers.' The four piled into the car as the mother instructed Celeste to drive to the only dealer in town who still sold coal. The children remained in the car while the mother talked to the dealer. They wondered why the mother was buying coal when most people were now using heating oil. Once the trailer was filled with coal, Celeste was directed to drive to an old house rented by a family of migrant workers. Usually, the migrants moved south before winter, but this family opted to stay sending their children to the local school. The mother knew they had only a potbellied stove to heat their home. They managed to find wood to burn, the mother learned, but she knew coal was a more efficient fuel. After pulling in to the driveway, the migrant mother came out. She spoke no English so her children translated, and their mother understood the coal was for them. Celeste and her brothers unloaded the coal in a pile near the house. Although that event took place many years ago, Celeste continues to be inspired by seeing her mother's faith in action. It was an important point of spiritual awareness and growth for her and her brothers.