Thoroughly Shaken

(For the audio version of this blog, go to this link for FAB’s Podcast.)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:

Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.

She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:26-31)

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Have you ever been thoroughly shaken? Your heart rate got up excessively high, and you weren’t able to control your breathing? A time when your mind swirled, trying to absorb sudden news that was life-changing? Some examples of these which trigger such a physical and emotional reaction are near-misses in a potential auto accident (“I didn’t see him coming!”), or news of the accidental death of a loved one (“Are you sitting down? I’m afraid I have bad news.”) I’ve gotten more than one of those calls. I’m sure the reactions are fairly common: Your mind can’t process it. This can’t be happening! Are you sure? There must be a mistake!

Mary got a visit from the angel named Gabriel (there he is again!). God sent Gabriel specifically to the small, out-of-the-way village of Nazareth. (No matter where they went, God was with them, and they couldn’t escape his notice.) In addition to those two points, interesting to me is the information packed further into that one sentence in our text: she was a virgin, engaged to be married, and her fiancé was a descendant of King David. Obviously, this was a pre-planned, intentional visit and interruption into the life of this unsuspecting, special lady with this specific profile.

On the day that Gabriel arrived—an appearance for which she had no prior knowledge or thought—I can imagine her going about her daily business and regular chores. She had perhaps just had a conversation with her husband-to-be before he went off to work. She had borrowed a cup of flour from a neighbor to make some morning bread. Or maybe she had just hauled some water for washing or cleaning or drinking. Was it raining outside? Or was that a storm coming up later in the afternoon in the Galilee region? Without weather.com, she couldn’t be sure, but it looked like it. She needed to get the clothes washed and dried before a wet afternoon made things a bit more difficult. In other words, I am imagining and assuming this was a normal sort of day, filled with one of the small cycles of life, of work, and rest, and preparation and attention to a to-do list.

The Grand Visitor changed her agenda, and indeed changed her life. When he appeared, I imagine she started shaking like a leaf in an autumn breeze. She couldn’t figure out who was doing the greeting, and what this greeting content was all about.

I notice he didn’t say, “Hi, I’m Gabriel!” Introducing himself was how he got started with Zachariah beside the altar in the Temple, but with Mary, it seems he began first with a hearty “good morning!” Then he told her of her thorough beauty, inside and out, and then asked for God’s blessing on her life.

The text says she was “thoroughly shaken.” And he had not even gotten yet to the part about while being a virgin, the Holy Spirit will cause her to become pregnant, and her baby will be the long-promised Messiah, which was the hope and dream of every Jewish mother. He eased her into that info. He started small with “good morning!” and took it from there.

So, if I had heard about this at the time, and could have talked to Mary and followed-up on the news, I can imagine saying something along these lines:

Mary, did you know?

Did you know that the one who startled you was coming? Did you have any indication, any warning? We aren’t told of any in the story, but I thought I would ask.

What’s the first thought that ran through your mind when you saw this angel? And what did he look like—big, bright, and shining, with wings, as the Medieval Art pictures an angel, or was he an ordinary looking Joe, until you suddenly realized that all of this was extra-ordinary and it actually didn’t matter what he looked like?

While you were trying to sort out what was happening to you—and no wonder you were shaking!—didn’t you think it odd that he seemed to know you, inside and out? It was like he could look right inside of you. After all, he did call out your inner beauty; how would he have known that unless…he really knew you?

Did you remember feeling faint or weak? Did the thought cross your mind that you were dreaming, and this wasn’t really happening? Or were you fully aware?

Did you want to cry out for help, hoping a neighbor could provide emergency support?

Did you think of taking up a broom and defending yourself, or did his words of greeting give you comfort, despite your shaken-ness? Somehow, some way, God put peace in your heart and kept you from panic? There was wonderment a’plenty; but peace like a river. Somehow.

And on it could go. You might have several questions to add which come to mind. This particularly stands out to me:

This was a pre-planned visit, originating in the mind of the Eternal God. He prepared His servant Mary to hear His Word and message. And bear the child who would be the Savior of the world. I can’t imagine any easy way to ease her into that news! Might as well just come out with it! And when Gabriel dropped it on her, she was predictably, thoroughly shaken, but God helped her to absorb this news, and obey Him.

She shook with fear—and Gabriel commented on that, telling her not to be afraid—but she didn’t shake off her calling and responsibility. She trusted God to move her forward, step by step. Even if she didn’t have the foggiest idea of the answer to the question, “Why me?”

The one who was thoroughly shaken assumed a posture of acceptance and servanthood. She believed, even though she might never understand. She just knew what needed doing. And she summed it up with this response:

“Yes, I see it all now:
    I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
    just as you say.”

Her response is worthy of imitation.

“Father God, thank you for sending Gabriel to Mary, and thank you for preparing her to hear and receive your plan. Despite her normal response to this extraordinary and abnormal appearance, thank you for entrusting us ordinary people with the work of God. When you get our attention, in whatever way you choose, may we obey you. Thank you for this particular snapshot of very human behavior and response in the Advent story. We rejoice at how you put it all together, and how you used this special lady to bear the Christ child. We praise you!”