Undeserved Favor
Scripture Reading — Luke 1:39-45
“Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
—Luke 1:43
If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. I have received countless email messages from people who claim to have great wealth. They almost always tell me that they want to give me some of their money to support my work in the ministry of the church. They promise that if I provide them with my bank account information, they will deposit their money directly into my account.
If I were more naïve, I might accept these offers. But I know that people who claim they will give you something if you first give them your banking information cannot be trusted.
When Elizabeth was visited by Mary, and the Holy Spirit made her aware that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah, she asked why she was so highly favored to receive this visit. It seemed too good to be true. She may have meant these words as an encouragement and a compliment to Mary, and yet, deep down, Elizabeth also knew this was the real thing. She too was miraculously pregnant—with her son, John, who would prepare the way for the Messiah’s coming!
God’s work can be so astonishing that it seems too good to be true. We may wonder why God would love us so much to send his own Son to be humiliated and die in our place. It seems too good to be true. But this is the good news of Christmas—it is true!
Father, we rejoice in the amazing love you have shown in redeeming and restoring us. Hallelujah! It is true, in Jesus! Amen.
About the author — Bill Sytsma
Bill Sytsma is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (M.Div) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min). He is the author of the book Follow the Leader and is serving as the pastor of New Life Christian Reformed Church in Highland, Indiana. He and his wife, Staci, have hosted support groups for families built through adoption. He and Staci are the proud parents of three active boys: Luke, Isaac, and Nico.
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