MARY: HIGHLY FAVOURED

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast FOUND FAVOUR with God – Luke 1:30

Favour can set a person apart for eternal significance. Mary found such great favour, that God chose her from all the women in the world and all of human history, to bear the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ. Mary was described as 'highly favoured' by the angel Gabriel (1:28). Obtaining God's favour is surely an act of sovereignty and the prerogative belongs to God himself; but the Bible also records certain instances where individuals found or obtained favour from God. It's therefore safe to conclude that there must be some virtues that Mary exhibited before Gabriel proclaimed that she had found favour with God.

There are 3 clear virtues that can be observed in Mary from the account in Luke 1: 28-38

1. She was a virgin (Lk. 1:27): She was already betrothed to man, so it may be taken for granted that 'it didn't matter anymore', but she chose to remain pure. Being chaste or undefiled is a choice. Daniel and his three friends chose not to 'defile' themselves with the king's luxury, not because it was wrong, but because they wanted to honour God.

2. She wasn't a flippant and arrogant person, but humble and discerning. After the angel's adulation in Luke 1:28, her immediate reaction was that of deep thought. The bible records this same kind of reaction in two other occasions: Luke 2:19, when the shepherds visited, and in Luke 2:51. Surely Mary was someone that could be trusted and relied upon.

3. She was submissive to God's will (Lk. 2:38): Mary already had plans of her own – that of getting married to her dream husband. He was a young carpenter from Nazareth with a good lineage too. Now she knew what the implication of this strange news would be. But after thinking it through, she submitted to God's plans.

The angel immediately left her - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! May the Favour of God accomplish the fullness of His divine purposes in our lives in Jesus name.