Pulling A Mary: The Blessing of Believing

The day God told me to “Pull a Mary” I didn’t fully understand what He was talking about. But I do now. And I’d love to share with you what pulling a Mary is all about.

Mary is now one of my very favorite biblical characters, and it’s not because she’s the mother of Jesus. It’s for reasons entirely unrelated to her position, the promise, or the powerlessness of her situation. I love her because of her response to God.

Despite the fact that she was chosen for the virgin birth of Christ, Mary was a young Jewish girl with an exceptional yet naive and childlike faith. Her innocence and purity shine through these scriptural passages. There is so much she can teach us. And God chose her not merely because of a virgin womb that could conceive His one and only beloved son. He chose her because of her pure heart that conceived His promise – one that was utterly impossible – except for God.

I want to continue the previous post’s conversation about believing God for those things He’s promised you – even when there’s nothing you can do except believe Him.

So let’s talk about “pulling a Mary”. I’m going to share with you what God taught me.

Our scriptural passage for this post will be Luke 1:5-56 and 2:1-20.

A Heart Able to Conceive

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her, (Luke 1:26-38, KJV).

I LOVE that Mary was a young girl who was so humble. Gabriel’s proclamation is that she will conceive the Son of God by the Holy Spirit, whom she is to call Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

Can you even imagine? She obviously had a plethora of questions, and even asked, “How…seeing I know not a man?” That is a very valid question. It’s certainly one I would have asked. But the answer is even more stunning:

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee…”

Now, really. Let’s just step into Mary’s shoes for a moment. This is a young, virgin, Jewish girl. That answer, no doubt, overwhelmed her. Did she dare ask any more questions? No, indeed. And I can understand why. But it doesn’t mean she didn’t have them.

Gabriel’s salutation reveals Mary’s fear, which he had to calm. But in the end Mary gives a response that is so wise, which precludes the fact that she knew she was not going to be able to figure this one out regardless of what Gabriel told her. So the questions ceased. The more she would have asked, the answers would have only become more complicated. Can you imagine the fear of God that filled her heart? So she simply replies, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.” And the angel departed from her (see Luke 1:38).

This is rich! There is wisdom, humility, obedience, submission, servitude and godly fear. Mary. I just love her.

But it doesn’t end there. She is compelled to visit her cousin Elizabeth who then proclaims to her by the Holy Spirit:

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord, (Luke 1:45, KJV).

That is the key! Belief. And that kind of faith can only be conceived in a pure heart. That is the kind of faith God is looking for, and that is the kind of faith in which the impossible becomes possible.

What if Mary had not believed? I don’t believe God would have chosen her. Again, He was not just looking for a virgin womb to conceive His son. He was looking for a virgin (pure) heart that would conceive the promise of His word.

Questioning God: Mary vs. Zechariah

To question God is not to discount our faith in Him or our belief in His word and ability to perform it. Mary’s testimony gives proof to that.

I have questioned God many times. We all have. God welcomes our questions. We are His children, and He invites us to ask of Him. But God looks upon the heart with which we ask – not the question itself. Mary and Zechariah were both visited by the same angel, Gabriel, during the same season. Gabriel announced divine pregnancies to both individuals.

Mary asked God questions that were born of sincere and childlike curiosity. Zechariah asked questions framed by doubt and unbelief. There is a vast difference. Yet both had validity. So we can know that a question with God may be valid, but it is the intent of the heart by which it is proposed that makes the difference. Mary’s questions were answered – which only bred further questions, until finally she conceded. In contrast, Zechariah asked God questions also, yet he was struck dumb. Let’s find out why:

And the angel answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season, (Luke 1:19, 20, KJV).

Again, it’s not wrong to ask God questions. And I want to encourage you to ask God any questions you may have. But your heart needs to frame those questions appropriately – with belief, faith, and sincere childlike curiosity. If we look closely, we’ll find that Zechariah’s question demanded proof and he challenged Gabriel in giving him two examples that were contrary to the promise given by God. In this he was clearly contesting the promise (see Luke 1:18). Mary’s questions were not much different, yet they were proposed from a different heart attitude.  Mary asked how, yet never demanded proof, even while submitting the question in context of her present situation, which was that she had never known a man (see Luke 1:34).

There is no doubt the answers Gabriel gave Mary were overwhelming. Her submission is praiseworthy and noble. This gives insight into the heart of Mary which conceived the promise of God so readily. And despite the answers given her, and her concession, that doesn’t mean the questions end, right?

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart, (Luke 2:19, KJV).

Long after the fulfillment, Mary still had more questions than answers. How she handled those questions reveals her heart to us.

Private Pondering: Believe the Impossible

For with God nothing shall be impossible, (Luke 1:37, KJV).

This is Gabriel’s summation to a very valid question. When we look at this dialogue, Gabriel offered Mary several points and tied them all up with this beautiful bow as if to say to her, “Mary, I know you’re not gonna’ get this. So just know, with God nothing is impossible.” Enough said, right?

On these very points, Mary did a lot of pondering. Many questions churned within her heart. There was so much she did not understand, and the answers given clearly overwhelmed her. All details aside, she had no other confidant but Elizabeth. If her pregnancy was found out, she could have been stoned, and Elizabeth offered her comfort and companionship no one else could give. Mary was to bear the Son of God. I cannot blame her for making a beeline for Elizabeth’s house. On that very note, Gabriel was very kind in dropping that hint! Between verses 38 and 39 only two things happen: Gabriel departs and Mary arose! It’s very evident in the scriptures that Mary made haste!

In spite of her pondering all these things in her heart, her initial response to Gabriel was powerful. It reveals acceptance, humility, and great faith despite a genuine lack of understanding. So let us understand and learn that understanding is not prerequisite to great faith. Mary understood one thing: the ultimate responsibility to perform the word was with God – the One who gave it. She said:

Behold the handmaid of the LORD; be it unto me according to thy word, (Luke 1:38).

I love that Mary didn’t say, “Oh, okay, now I get it!” No. She didn’t. I would bet she didn’t understand much at all. I would bet this young girl was completely overwhelmed. I can’t even imagine that assignment. Can you?

Have you ever really thought about it?

I love Mary’s response. She quickly establishes who she is, who her LORD is, and the responsible party – GOD.

Wise move, right? Smart girl, that Mary.

God is able to perform His word in your life. Believe Him for it. It’s not always about what we can do.  Sometimes the promises God gives have no other condition than our cooperation in believing Him. Just as Gabriel said:

For with God nothing shall be impossible, (Luke 1:37, KJV).

So, establish your heart before God, even as Mary did, and ponder those things privately. It’s a safe bet not many others will understand. You may not have all the answers yourself, and even if you ask God, you may not understand the answers He offers. Like Mary, you may end up even more bewildered than before you began.

Just believe. Ask the questions, but accept the answers. Summation: The impossible is possible with God. Period. All He needs is your acceptance and your faith. And He is able to perform His word. He is the responsible party. Like Mary:

1.) Establish who you are in relationship to Him. “Behold the handmaid…”
2.) Establish His Lordship. “…of the LORD”
3.) Then simply say, Amen. “Let it be unto me according to thy word.”

So, pull a Mary! And may the blessing of simply believing be yours.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord, (Luke 1:45, KJV).

Cheers & Shalom,

Image Credit: Jills | Pixabay

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