Today’s Passage: Luke 1:26-33

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” — Luke 1:28

Mary is one of the most misunderstood women in all of history. Many people think that she is extra holy and have elevated her to an unhealthy place. This is nothing new. People have been putting Mary on a pedestal since the days of Jesus. Mary was an incredible woman of faith who found favor with God. She was blessed, but blessed for a different reason than we might think.

After Jesus casts out a demon in Luke 11, a woman in the crowd begins to call his mother, Mary, blessed. Jesus doesn’t argue with the woman. Jesus does not deny the fact that Mary was blessed (see Luke 11:27-28). However, Jesus explains the real reason why Mary was blessed. He says that those who hear the word of God and obey are the ones that are blessed. People who are blessed and have found favor with God are those who hear and obey Him.

Mary was blessed because she believed in Jesus. Mary believed that she bore the Savior of the world. That was not what blessed her. What blessed her was she put her faith in the Savior that she bore. She was blessed and highly favored because the Lord was with her.

The same could be said for Peter. When Peter made the good confession of Jesus as the Christ in Matthew 16, Jesus calls him blessed. Peter was not blessed because he walked around with Jesus for three years. Peter was blessed because he knew Jesus as Lord.

Whether it is Mary, Peter, you, or me, we all can be blessed because we believe. When we believe, we have the same promise given to Mary that the Lord is with us. There is no need for fear or worry. Our good King Jesus is with us. Because of that, we are all blessed and highly favored.

Prayer

Father, help me to remember that I am blessed because I believe in Jesus and have eternity with You. In Jesus’s name, amen.