The slip of paper I received had a single word written on it. “Favored.” I didn’t know exactly the point of the message at that moment, but it felt like I might have a winning ticket.
My friend Nicole, who was organizing the women’s event I was attending, stood up in front of the crowd and asked how many people received the word “unfavored.” About half the ladies in attendance raised a hand. Then she asked how many got “favored.” I gladly raised my hand and then settled back into my seat to see where she was going. Favored seemed like the one I wanted.
She mentioned how in the story of the birth of Jesus, Mary was described as favored. In fact, in Luke 1:28 (NIV) it says, “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’” Not just favored, but highly favored. Mary was “greatly troubled” by that greeting. She didn’t get excited. It was more like she was afraid.
My friend’s point to the crowd was that Mary, who was highly favored by God, had a hard road. Our view of being favored might look a bit different than what God has in mind. I can’t stop thinking about it. God’s favor doesn’t mean we get showered with an easy path and all the comforts we want. It isn’t likely to resemble a Hallmark movie or some kind of Disney magic.
In Mary’s case, God dropped this teenage girl right in the middle of a scandalous, potentially life-threatening situation. How was anyone to believe she was both pregnant and a virgin? The Lord clued in her betrothed, Joseph, but no one else. She had to travel for days on a donkey late in pregnancy. Then she was forced to give birth in a barn.
Skip ahead 33 years and she watches her innocent child be beaten to a pulp before being crucified. I would’ve been tempted to tell God He could keep his “favor.” The grief and sorrow she had to bear sure seems a strange way to be favored. God created Mary for that most significant task of being the mother of Jesus, and it certainly seems as though she did it well.
I wonder what Mary thought being favored meant. We can read on in Luke and learn that by the time she went to visit Elizabeth, she was rejoicing in God. Not in her situation, but in her God. Luke paints a picture of a girl who began to realize that being involved in God’s plan was favor forever.
Mary wasn’t the only person favored by God.
Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, according to Genesis 6:8. Noah got to appear crazy to his neighbors and witness the anger of God. Noah’s task couldn’t have been easy or left him feeling all that “favored.” I’m sure being a first-hand witness to God wiping out all of humankind except your immediate family was perhaps difficult to endure. Terrifying comes to mind.
I see a sick child or one tragic story on the news and it breaks my heart. Can you imagine being told that you’re the only one worth saving, and the rest of the world is about to drown? I can’t even process that scenario. Fortunately, we don’t have to. Jesus flipped that script and made favor possible for us all.
In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul reminds us not to take God’s grace in vain. In verse two, he says, “I tell you now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (NIV)
It still doesn’t mean that we get to have an easy road. On the contrary, in many ways we are still remarkably similar to Mary or Noah. Painful tasks and bumpy roads are a guarantee that comes with God’s favor. You might be greatly troubled by some of the things He asks you to do. There are high odds that a good portion of people will think you’re crazy and you’ve messed up.
Do you suppose that eight months into pregnancy and 75 miles into a 90-mile journey on a donkey made Mary question agreeing to what God asked of her? You might get deep into your difficult but favored God-given journey and start to second guess yourself. Don’t. Rejoice instead. Not in your situation but in your God. The one who favors you enough to save you. The one whose favor is good for an eternity.
Mary didn’t take her favor for granted, and neither should we. She accepted it, and then did what God asked. That’s a wonderful example to follow. As we approach the upcoming celebration of Christ’s birth, let’s remember that His human life and death means that we are favored, too. And we are loved beyond measure. One day, when we get to Heaven, we’re going to understand just how favored we really are.
Photo courtesy of Pixaby.
