This post is in reply to the blog of Thomas L. Horrocks. Follow the link to read his post.

Yo Thomas,

I am glad to see that you are applying some of that Greek knowledge…lol. Luke is not the easiest book to translate for sure. But I checked through your translation and I think it is pretty good. I like it. I do not have any real critiques of your work. Well done my friend!…haha. BTW you should have referenced your translation among the professional ones.  🙂

The “Annunciation,” as it has been commonly called in Christian history,­ is really an amazing part of the Gospel story. I thought about a few different things that I have not considered before as I read through it again recently. One thing that stuck out in my mind was that when the angel proclaimed to Mary that she will conceive a child in her womb, there must have been something about the way the angel spoke to her that implied this was something that would happen in the near future. At the time, Mary was engaged to Joseph, and so how come would she not associate the words of the angel as a foreshadowing of the conception that she would naturally expect with Joseph after they were married? But Mary’s response to the angel seems to imply that she is perplexed about conceiving a child since she was not currently having sexual relations with a man. So some element of the conversation must have been ascribing immediacy to the proclamation of the angel.

As you rightly pointed out Thomas, the truly remarkable part of the story is the way that Mary received and responded to the words of the angel. I don’t think that Mary would have had an attitude like “Oh, really! A baby from God’s spirit huh. Hmm…that different. Well, all right then. No worries mate.” Every time the phrase “Fear Not” is used in the NT it is associated with phenomenological circumstances that would be difficult to accept and remain calm. I believe the words “Fear Not” from the angel certainly relate to the angel’s appearance, but I believe that they surely extend to the content of the message as well.

I like your description about the character of Mary upon her hearing the message from the angel and then simply responding with “Sure, let it happen like you said.” Mary’s world was getting turned upside down and even worse, her life would be in danger. She very easily could be killed for what the angel explained would soon happen.

How often do we not want God to discomfit our lives but to just give us the easy tasks and leisurely callings? Most of us would not have the conviction to just stand up and say, “Sure, I’ll do it. I may die but I believe you have a greater plan Lord.” Mary’s resolve to perform the will of the Lord and subject herself to utter public shame, humiliation, social ostracizing, and very possibly death, goes way beyond what most of us ever think God would ask us to do. But if God ever did call for such a sacrifice from us, how would we respond?

P.S. Hey Thomas, just curious, was there any other option but for God to entrust a woman to carry, give birth to, and raise the Messiah? I am not sure God had many options…lol. But I am an advocate of women in ministry and I liked the implications you drew from the significance of Mary’s responsibility in being the mother of the Jesus.

John Calvin said, “It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor.”

P.P.S Greek has made the NT come alive for me because you can’t gloss over anything (intentionally or unintentionally). As you said, it forces us to slow down and read every word and every line…especially for a writer like Luke…you know what I mean…haha.


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