Maria was fourteen and pregnant. Not a good place to be even if
she was engaged to a wonderful man. Her parents would never
understand, but she'd have to tell them, after all, she would be
showing soon enough. They would probably be angry since she wasn't
even supposed to be having sexual relations, and, well, that's how
babies were made. Maria walked solemnly into the room where her
parents were and sat down quietly beside them watching while mother
worked on her needlepoint.
Father was discussing a friend and his construction business in
town while mother asked appropriate questions to learn more. Maria
pondered what her neighbours would think of her condition, what they
would say to her parents, how they would treat the family once they
knew. Would they understand or would they consider her to be a
tainted woman of poor morals? Maria hoped the fall out would be on
her and not her parents who did nothing wrong. What did it matter.
No one would believe her. Would her parents?
* * * * *
Reading
Luke 1:26-56 made me think about the beginning of Emmanuel (Mt.
1:23)- God with us, which all started with an angel speaking to a
common girl, and the power of God overshadowing her to become
pregnant with Jesus. Is it possible some of the speculation above
really happened?
I can't imagine what it would have been like for Mary to face her
parents with the fact she was pregnant, and oh, not by a man, but by
God Himself. Though the Jews long believed that the Savior would
come to a virgin, so many years had gone by that it must have become
only a distant, rare consideration. Did Mary's parents believe it
was God, or did they think it was a lapse in judgment? Did they
worry about what the neighbours would think or perhaps they would
rather have the inaccurate belief Joseph and Mary were at fault as
opposed to any claims that their daughter was bearing the Messiah?
Joseph, Mary, and both their families were thrust into the
spotlight of the community and though the Scriptures do not indicate
much about the reaction of the townspeople, we know that they would
have had typical human responses- just like we would have. But God
in His wisdom chose correctly based on their love for Him, their
character- values, and their strength to endure through parenting
Emmanuel. That would be some task; I imagine there may have been a
lot of second guessing?
Mary submitted to God's plan (Lk. 1:38), extolled her Savior
(v.47) and Joseph obeyed the Lord (Mt. 1:24). Together, they helped
raise Jesus who would “...save his people from their sins.” (Mt.
1:21) And two thousand years later we are still reaping the benefits
of the Savior, miraculously born to common parents, who was no
ordinary boy, but God in the flesh...
dwelling among us.
Halleluiah!