Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)
Read Luke 1:26-38 on biblegateway.com
Verse 26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, Verse 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Verse 28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." Verse 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Verse 30The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Verse 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. Verse 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. Verse 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Verse 34Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" Verse 35The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. Verse 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. Verse 37For nothing will be impossible with God." Verse 38Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Devotion
When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, Gabriel makes a lot of theological proclamations about this extraordinary baby she will have. Mary's interest, though, is not primarily in why her baby would be called "Son of the Most High" or how he could have an everlasting kingdom. She, as the one whose body will birth this holy child, wants to know about the mechanics. How will she have a baby if she is a virgin?
God takes on a human body in Jesus Christ, experiencing all the beauty, joy, messiness and pain that having a body brings. Mary's concern about the mechanics of her body is not peripheral to the theology of the Christmas story, but central to it. When we suffer in our bodies, worry over a diagnosis or watch our skin start to wrinkle with age, we can rejoice that God too, has experienced the delights and agonies that our human bodies bear.
Prayer
Incarnate God, thank you for our bodies, in all their messiness and beauty. Remind us that you care about our whole selves, in body and spirit. Help us to love and care for our bodies. Amen.