God’s favor is not a temporal circumstance, but an eternal truth.
For Reflection:
1.How does Mary demonstrate her faith in her encounter with Gabriel?
2. Pastor Trey said, “God’s favor is not a temporal circumstance, but an eternal truth.” What does that mean for you?
3. What might welcoming wonder look like? How might Mary’s humility have helped fertilize the ground for wonder? How can we direct our own story to be one prepared to welcome wonder?
4. Why do you think Mary is called “favored one”—what about her makes her favored?
5. How can we trust God in the midst of our unfavorable realities?
6. Unassuming Mary from an out of the way, backwater town was declared as favored. What could this mean for you and I in our walk with God? Bonus question: How can an understanding of the Beatitudes help us reflect on this?
7. How can we understand God as infinite and beyond limits? How might the idea of an “infinite God” impact your faith?
8. Luke introduces Mary through her relationship to Joseph, and she is later revealed to be the mother of Jesus. From beginning to end, she is identified by her relationship to others, and she is rarely a “main character.” How do you think this may have impacted her reaction to Gabriel’s greeting?
Digging Deeper:
1.The Bible tells us that God calls to each of us and desires to pour out His favor. Is this a truth you believe? Do you live your life as if you do?
2.What obstacles in your life or mind might be preventing you from being able to fully walk in the promise of God’s favor with abandonment?
3.Compare and contrast Mary and Zechariah’s responses to the Angelic messengers sent by God. What is different about their reactions to God’s plan for them? How do they help inform us on what our posture should be?
4. God is beyond the constraints of time and space but how might our humility, humanity, and finitude create the space for our infinite God to make time for us? Are you humbly awaiting His word each day?