Luke 1:26-38: The Annunciation

Lectionary Cycle Year B: Fourth Sunday in Advent
Luke 1:26-38 (Read it on Bible Gateway)
The Annunciation
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Our Gospel passage this round is the famous Annunciation passage, that tells the story of the Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary to tell her of her impending pregnancy and the nature of the child she would give birth to as the Messiah. It is a truly beautiful passage and a supreme testimony of faith.

As with any Scripture in the Bible, there are always specific reasons each story is included.

This passage emphasizes God's direct involvement in Jesus' life in general, indeed, from the moment of his conception. More Angels appear in relation to events in Christ's life than anywhere else in Scripture. Gabriel is one of the very rare exceptions where an Angel is actually named and has a far more prominent role in the story. Usually Angels appear briefly, unnamed, barely described, issue God's message or commands, or carry out God's purpose and mission, and then disappear. This extended dialogue is one of only two stories in Scripture where such a discussion takes place. The other is with the Angelic visitors of Abraham and Sarah who once more foretold the coming birth of their child, and shortly after which Sarah indeed became pregnant.

Beyond this general presence of God, it is also clear, through the repetition, that part of the theological intent of this passage was to emphasize the virginity of Mary and the miracle of immaculate conception. Mary's virginity is mentioned no less than three times in this passage, and her direct question of how this birth will happen provides the Angel an opportunity to explicitly point out that God will conceive the child miraculously.

This was no doubt in part because the Immaculate Conception has always been one of the most questioned or doubted elements of Scripture. It was a very private miracle, without witnesses or offered proof. It occurred long before Jesus entered his public ministry and showed forth numerous miraculous signs. Plus, I suppose, this story just arouses the naturally suspicious parent archetype in all of us. After all, any time a young girl who should not be engaging in sex suddenly turns up pregnant, there is always an element of guilt, a sense she got away with something and now is being forced to pay a price. Unfortunately this mindset seems projected on Mary as well, who, if the doubts are true, pulled off the world's greatest excuse in history for getting pregnant before she was married.

However, beyond this naturally suspicious trigger, the questioning of the Immaculate Conception has always been a mystery to me. After all, it would not be the first time God's hand was involved in a birth. Other instances, granted, were less direct, but still miraculous. Abraham and Sarah were both well past child-bearing years when their son Isaac was finally conceived, the fulfillment of God's promise to them. Likewise, as Gabriel points out in this passage, Elizabeth, who had been barren, was also miraculously able to conceive and soon to give birth to the child who would become John the Baptist. Besides, if God can create the universe and whip up human beings from the dust of the earth, how much easier would it be to put things in motion in a fertile womb?

But with all these underlying purposes of this text, the most powerful verse in the entire passage for me has always been the last one, Mary's simple, yet profoundly powerful response: "I am the Lord's servant...may it be to me as you have said." Confronted with an angel, asked to take on what could easily be seen as an overwhelming responsibility, forced to deal with a situation that would indeed raise questions, suspicions, possibly even threats against her, and she accepted with grace and strength.

When God next breaks into our life with some magnificent opportunity, even if not announced by an Angel, may we be as ready to accept the challenge!

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