Luke 1: 48b-49

"From now on all generations will call me blessed." What does being blessed mean to you? When Mary says this I don't think her understanding of "being blessed" is the same as our contemporary understanding. Typically, in our culture, when we think of someone who is blessed we think of one who has good health, a good job, a great family and other measurable indicators like these.

As James Harnish notes Mary would have had an accurate comprehension of what being blessed meant in a Biblical sense. Harnish says, "Throughout biblical history, being blessed is usually as painful as it is peaceful. Being chosen by God is usually more dangerous than it is delightful. To be blessed is to be used by God to bless the world (Gen. 12:2).

Mary was blessed because God looked on her in her humble state and gave her the opportunity to be used by God to bless the world. She knew what a great privilege this was. Do we know what a great privilege it is to be used by God to bless the world? Or are we to occupied with other concerns?

God's Peace,
Pastor Brad