Because You're Worth It?

I know it’s not Christmas yet, but it’s getting close. Close enough for me to start preparing for the sermon I’ve got to preach on 20^th December. I’ve decided to go with Luke 1:26-38 where the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her that she’s going to have a baby, and she’s to call him Jesus. Now I’m not going to give the whole sermon away because the chances are some of you reading this will be in church the morning I preach it. However, read on for something that’s struck me from verses 28-30 that I’d not noticed before.

I preached this passage on a camp during the summer, and I have to confess that I got at least one thing wrong. In verse 28 Gabriel appears to Mary with a message. In verse 29 Mary is troubled, or as many versions have it, “greatly troubled”.

Why was Mary troubled? In the summer my answer was that she must have been scared because there’s an angel stood in front of her and that would be a pretty frightening thing. It sounds feasible at least! But now, I don’t think that’s the answer to the question, "Why was Mary troubled?" Verse 29 says not that Mary was greatly troubled at the appearance of an angel, but, “at the saying”. It wasn’t what Gabriel looked like, it was what Gabriel said.

So what were the troubling words that God’s messenger Gabriel said?

“Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you.”

Now I don’t know what you think, but those don’t seem to be particularly troubling words do they? Why would anyone be troubled by being told that God had favoured them, and was with them? That’s good news isn’t it?

So why was Mary troubled then? Why did she need to be told that she shouldn’t be afraid, v30? What is it about those words that’s got her so worried?

This is where a little bit of Greek comes in handy. The word translated “troubled” or “greatly troubled” in v29 is the Greek word dietarachthe. It means greatly perplexed, perplexed to the point of being troubled.

When Mary heard those words, “Greetings, O favoured one, the Lord is with you”, her instant reaction was one of, “surely that can’t be right, surely these words can’t be meant for me, it doesn't make sense."

We live in a culture that likes to tell us, “You’re worth it”, and that if you don’t think “You’re worth it” then you need to work on your self esteem, because really you are.

That’s not what Mary felt though, her reaction to Gabriel’s message was not, ”Well that makes perfect sense. Of course God has favoured me, and is present with me, I’m worth it!” She was perplexed and troubled because she knew she wasn’t worth it – there was no discernable reason as to why God would favour her in any particular way.

I think Mary’s attitude was absolutely correct. She was not worthy of God’s favour, so the angel’s words should in so many ways have been perplexing and troubling to her. It doesn’t appear to add up. How could God favour her?

So how does God, through the angel Gabriel, deal with Mary’s troubled state of mind and heart? Will he find some virtue in Mary to justify his favour towards her? No. Will he say “actually, you’re right, you don’t deserve it, I’ll go and find someone else to bless”? No.

The reply is simple and to the point in v30, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.” Read that sentence with emphasis on the word “have”.

Because God is a God of grace, a God who gives out undeserved favour and blessing, he can show favour, he can show grace, to whoever he pleases. Our failings won’t get in the way of that because they’re dealt with in Christ.

God is gracious to those who know they don’t deserve it. And to those who are perplexed and troubled by the fact that they don’t deserve it, he says that in Christ, “you have found favour with God”.


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