Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. Luke 2:30-31 HCSB
School teachers hesitate to admit if they have favorite students, but fellow students often label those who seem to find favor as “teacher’s pets.” Being a teacher’s pet does not always bring rewards. It can bring ridicule from students who do not find favor with the teacher.
In these verses we discover that Mary found favor with God. One would think that this special position would bring honor, but God’s favor does not always bring fame and success. Having the honor of being the mother of the Messiah brought public shame, possible abandonment by her fiancé, giving birth to her Son in a stable surrounded by animals, and traveling to a foreign land to insure her Son’s protection. Mary’s Son would eventually be hated by religious leaders who would succeed in persuading the Roman authorities to murder Him on a cruel cross. This is not exactly what one would expect from finding favor with God. Sometimes God’s plan is not easy, but it is always what is best even when we do not understand it.
Challenge: God is in control. He is always working out His plan, even when it causes pain and suffering. We must trust God and submit to His will just as Mary did. Read Proverbs 3:5-6.