God’s great journey

The angel said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary; (God as been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end!’  (verses 30-33)

Read Luke 1: 26-38

On 9 June 1803 Matthew Flinders sailed his ship, the Investigator, into Sydney Harbour, completing the first circumnavigation of Australia. The Investigator was old and in poor condition. After the voyage it was inspected by naval officers and declared unseaworthy.

The Investigator is famous, not because it was a great ship but because of the great man who sailed it. In the same way we honour Mary, not because she was a great person but because of the one she carried and the great things he achieved.

God chose Mary, an ordinary sinful human being like you and me, to make his great journey to come to us. God was gracious to Mary. He’s gracious to you too. In Jesus he has come close to you. In travelling all the way to the cross, Jesus has done great things for you.

Give Mary the honour she deserves. But give even greater honour to Jesus, the son she bore. Remember the great things he has done for you. Keep living under his gracious rule.

God help me to remember the great things Jesus has done for me, and keep me safe under his gracious rule. Amen.

by John Pfitzner, in ‘Assurances for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2004)

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