Let It Be with Me

“Let it be with me according to your word.”

In our reading today, we continue setting the stage for the birth of Christ. In these verses, Gabriel visits Mary and tells her that she will conceive and give birth to a son. Not just that, but this son is going to be the Savior of the world.

What a wild thing to hear! Mary was a young girl, engaged to be married, but still a virgin. I’m sure she had thought about her future, when she would be married to Joseph and they would have their own family. But a child right now? And not just any child, but the Son of God? That’s a lot to take in!

What I find so admirable about Mary in this story is that she does not let her confusion or her questions keep her from saying yes. She asks Gabriel how this could possibly work, and his explanation raises more questions than it provides answers. Despite the uncertainties that lie in front of her and the monumental task she is faced with, Mary humbly submits herself to God’s will.

“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Although she was unsure what all was ahead of her, Mary was willing to humble herself and submit to whatever God’s plan entailed.

How might we adopt a posture like Mary? As we journey through this Lenten season, what word does God have for us? How can we be like Mary, humbly submitting to the Lord even if we are not sure what, exactly, we are saying yes to?

May we humbly posture our hearts in the coming days, being open to what God has to show us. Through the questions, uncertainties, and unknowns that lie ahead, may we have enough confidence in God to submit to whatever he has in store for us.

Almighty God, as we meditate on your word during the days leading to Easter, may the words of our heart echo those of Mary: “Let it be with me according to Your word.” Amen.

JENNA PATTESON
Master of Divinity Student
Pasadena, Texas