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Luke 1:39-40 - Mary's long obedience

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,

I spent time interrogating these 2 verses this morning.  While there are a many hypotheticals, what became apparent was Mary's obedience which revealed my lack of obedience.

I encourage you as you pray through the directory by name to think of Paul's prayers as requests, but also as commmands.  For example, it is God's will that our love abound more and more.  This is not a suggestion or request.  Will I obey?

In the Beloved,

Jeff

 Let me get this straight.  A teenaged girl who who has just been told by an angel that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit leaves home "with haste" to go visit Elizabeth.  Did her parents know about this?  Would you let your teenage daughter walk about 60 miles by herself through a bad neighborhood (Samaria) to visit a distant relative? 

Mary's parents: Tell us Mary, why do you want to go there?  

Mary: O I just fell like it or An angel told me that she is pregnant.  

Neither one is very convincing.  


Did Joseph know about this?


Finally what is the relationship?  Mary is descendent of Judah via David. Elizabeth is descendent of Levi via Aaron.  


And then when she gets there, Elizabeth knows Mary is pregnant with the Messiah.


Who came up with this plan?  Well that would be the only wise God.


Instruction - Mary was willing to traipse all over Galilee, Samaria and Judea in obedience to God.  I am not willing to go next door to speak to a neighbor.  Or pick up the phone and call a friend.  And this despite making me an ambassador whose only job is to represent the One who sent me.


Thanksgiving - 27 words that seem so simple yet are so revealing of the relationship Mary had with You.  A story that is easy to ignore but is really full of meaning.


Confession  - being content with a shallow understanding of obedience.  When it is convenient and not too demanding.  Reserving the right to determine how much is enough.


Petition - Prayers for the felt needs, the things on the prayer list, would be in context of call to obedience by the Only Wise God.

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