Mary

[Read Luke 1:46-55]

And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

Mary’s story is quite amazing. She was nobody special. Yet, this young girl was chosen by God to bear the Savior of the world. Her pregnancy must have caused quite a stir in her family – enough for her to leave town and go see Aunt Elizabeth in the hill country. When Elizabeth, herself pregnant with John the Baptist, saw Mary, the babe in her womb leapt for joy. And Mary responded in song. The song she sang is so in keeping with her character – praising God for recognizing and having favor on someone like her of humble means. What an amazing insight into the God of all creation. That the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God sees those whom the rest of the world looks past.

When Jesus came to us that first Christmas morning, he signaled to a world of the unknown and forgotten, the broken and abused, the hungry and hurting, that the God of all creation sees you. God, in Jesus, was taking notice of those the world looks past to tell us that no matter what the world thinks of us – God thinks the world of us. And like Mary whom God noticed then, God notices you now.

In Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem, God came to tell you that no matter where you’ve come from, no matter who you are, he sees you, he loves you, he’s come to save you. So let’s sing with Mary and rejoice in the God who sees and saves.

Pastor Sue Gunderson
Immanuel Lutheran – Baileys Harbor



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