Bonnie J Martin

Savior

Humble Mother

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She was so young. But He knew her long before she was born. And she had been getting to know Him her whole life. She didn’t know He would choose her with the most precious gift of His Son.

She knew what the prophets had said about this Child. She knew the journey she faced would not be easy. She knew the One she held in her womb was more than her Child, He was her Master. How do you birth and raise your Master?

Mary was trusted with this position. Her alone. The strength given to her through the power of God held her heart together. She knew what her Son faced. But she welcomed the position of being His mother. She welcomed the trials in rejoicing for the Savior of the world.

“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. Luke 1:48 (NASB)

She accepted the accusations from her people. She faced their doubt with faith in God. While her body held her Savior, God held her. 

She accepted the provisions of God and trusted Him. He provided Joseph to walk beside her on this journey. He provided Elizabeth to encourage her in the position of being mother to the Savior. He provided a humble birthplace that was made radiant with the Gift from heaven. He provided confidence for her to trust Him.

She didn’t shy away from the task at hand. There was no walking away from it. She embraced the moments fully aware of her position of lowliness and honor. Oh, to be chosen to be the mother of Jesus!

What Next?

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Did sleep come Friday night? Eyes struggled to stay open just the night before in the garden. Did Friday night bring sleep for red, tear-filled eyes? Or did the sorrow of the day consume the night?

Can you imagine standing, looking, waiting, wondering, weeping, trying to remember everything He had said so you could make sense of what had happened?  Did He say what to do next?  Where to go?

The Sabbath.  Saturday.  Rest.

How does one rest after Good Friday?  Their lives were turned upside down.  Their Master was sealed in a guarded tomb.  Did they pray?  Did they carry on with the traditional Sabbath practice?  Or was everything different?

The Man had come and revealed mercy and grace.  He healed.  He saved.  He raised the dead to life.  He fed.  He loved.  He taught.  He led.  They followed.

But now….

What next? 

Humility

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Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Philippians 2:5-8

Holding back His greatness, He did what no one else could do. He suppressed His glory and packaged it into human form. Did it ooze from His pores? How could His eyes not pierce those He looked at? Demons recognized Him fast but not His own friends.

He got down on our level. He had much bending low to do to get down here. He associated with people like me and you; good-for-nothings. He walked and talked and ate and lived and breathed and did the human thing. But He was God.

He didn’t boast but stooped down and wrote in the dirt. Doodling in dirt while accusers targeted a woman who assuredly messed up but found her Savior. His simple question, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

He made no accusations. He just reminded. He brought a little perspective. He brought a lot of perspective.

In His perfect mercy, full of grace, bent low in humility, no arrogance in His demeanor, He saved.

Closing the Gap

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And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” Genesis 3:11

Since capturing Eve’s attention in the garden the old serpent has continued to slip his way into the interests of mankind. He dresses up lies to make them appealing. He lures with promises he can’t keep.

God gave Adam and Eve all they would ever need. But they wanted more. Sometimes our wants will hurt us. Their wants opened a chasm of separation we continue to experience today.

Jesus bridged the chasm.

I saw an illustration recently with a globe. The speaker pointed to each pole. There are definitive points at those poles. Head north and you will reach a point that as you continue you will be heading south. And so it goes as you head south, there is a point at which you will be heading north.

This doesn’t apply as you head east or west. Begin your travel in either direction and you will continue in that direction.

as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

There is no measurement to define the distance between east and west other than the outstretched arms of the Savior.