To Live is Christ — humbled by the impossible

I’ve never (knowingly) seen an angel, but as I read about the angel telling Mary about the birth of Jesus, I am not surprised that she was initially afraid. She was also perplexed at what he said, and that is easy to understand. However, these verses reveal more about her thoughts and the attitude of her heart. 

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:30–38)

Angels are out of my league, but I have seen God do the impossible. Years ago, my husband was diagnosed with a chronic, incurable condition. To live normally, the doctor prescribed expensive medication. Without it, he could not properly digest food. A few years later, a new pastor of our church decided to have prayers for healing every time he preached using a passage where Jesus healed people. The elders of the church stood at the front and people went up for prayer. My husband was an elder. He never mentioned his condition, but after the first service where he prayed for others, his medical problem was gone. His doctor verified that the incurable was cured and said It had to be a miracle.

A few months ago at another service like this, a woman wanted prayer and went forward in her wheelchair. The next Sunday, she walked into church. The pastor asked her to share what happened. She said when the elder prayed, her legs felt hot and she knew that God was changing something in her body. He did — and she is still walking.

While both people have not shown fear or perplexity, they have since displayed the same attitude that Mary displayed at the end of her encounter with the angel. As soon the angel said, “For with God nothing will be impossible,” she called herself God’s servant and submitted to His Word. 

Miracles do happen and still happen. God doesn’t do them every time we ask, nor did He do them that often in biblical history. Back then, it seems they were part of His way of confirming His message through the prophets and through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

These days, at least as far as my experience goes, a miracle seems to be God’s way of humbling human hearts. While we ask for help, and genuinely believe that He will help us, we know that we deserve nothing. Therefore, when He does the impossible, we are brought to our knees in amazed gratitude and a desire to serve Him with all our hearts.