Mary – God is greatly generous to the humble. Luke 1.26–38
Some stories begin in capital cities or glorious kingdoms. The story we are looking at this Sunday in the Watford church of Christ begins in Nazareth, a place people avoided, ignored, or mocked. It sat on the edge of Galilee, already considered questionable because of its mix of cultures. Even Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Yet this is where God moved. Big time.
This is where He chose an ordinary young girl to carry the Messiah.
Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel was sent “to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26–27). Mary was not famous. She was not powerful. Her first response to the angel was confusion and fear. Luke says she was “greatly troubled” and tried to make sense of the greeting (Luke 1:29). Anyone would feel that way. What matters is that God looked at someone the world overlooked and said, You are the one.
If Mary wrestled with uncertainty, why do we assume our life of faith should feel smooth or straightforward? Scripture is full of people who felt small but were called into something larger than themselves: Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3), Gideon hiding in fear (Judges 6:15), and even the disciples described as “unschooled” and “ordinary” (Acts 4:13). God often works through people who feel unprepared.
This Sunday, we will explore what it means for God to use ordinary people, and why simple faithfulness is all He needs. As Paul writes, “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27–28).
Come ready to consider questions such as:
- When has God called you into something that felt beyond you?
- What does humility look like in your ordinary days?
God writes extraordinary stories through ordinary lives. Nazareth proves it. Mary proves it. And it might be truer in your life than you think.
Your brother, Malcolm
Want to know more about Nazareth?
Historical Overview
Britannica: Nazareth
https://www.britannica.com/place/Nazareth-Israel
Archaeology and Early Christian Context
Biblical Archaeology Society: What Do We Know About Nazareth?
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/?s=nazareth
Modern Nazareth
Tripadvisor: Nazareth pictures
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g297758-Nazareth_Galilee_Region_Northern_District.html#28623646
