He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
Mary heard the word of God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end (see Luke 1:31-33).
And she observed it.
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (see Luke 1:38).
Jesus highlights the primacy of obedience. To be merely related to the Messiah by blood would be of no advantage without this obedience. Christ established a Kingdom where there was neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female. He made it possible for the world to be one in him. Even though it was important for God to fulfill his promises in a particular way, through a specific lineage, to a chosen people, at a particular time, these particulars were put at the service of the world. They were made a universal blessing.
Mary was privileged to be the one blessed with the womb that carried Jesus and the breasts at which he nursed. But she was given this particular privilege because of her observance of the word of God that was spoken to her. It was her faith that made this obedience possible.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled (see Luke 1:45).
The faith of Mary opened the door to let all nations, peoples, and tongues become one in Christ. Her faith opened out the blessing given originally to a specific people so that all nations might be blessed in turn. Through our own faith we share in these same blessings.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Through our own faith we become members of the transnational family that is meant to embrace all of mankind.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,
heirs according to the promise.
If we are Abraham's descendents by faith, we are Mary's descendents as well. Jesus opens this gift to us from his cross when he says "Woman, behold, your son!" (see John 19:26).
By faith in baptism we become so clothed with Christ as to be members of his family, so united with him that the artificial barriers dividing the nations and races must disappear.
There are some questions we ought to consider. Are we living by faith? Or are we still trying to make ourselves pleasing to God on our own efforts? If the later, such efforts will ultimately fail because of the human limitations with which we are born. The only way to get beyond the limits of the strengths and weaknesses with which we are born is to be live the born again life given to us in baptism. Do we see ourselves and one another as clothed with Christ? Or do we allow the divisions which divide unredeemed humanity to divide us still. Can we as Christians live beyond the divisions of race? Of gender? Of politics? By faith we can embrace one another. We can hear the word of God and observe it.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
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