Advent Cards Day 23: Mary's Part
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Speaking parts were being assigned for the church Christmas program, and Kaylee eagerly waited for her name to be called. She was sure she was the perfect one to take the part of Mary, the mother of Jesus. No one can memorize lines as well as me, she thought.Â
âBraelyn.â Mrs. Robertsâ voice interrupted Kayleeâs thoughts. âI think you would be a good choice to play the part of Mary.â
Kaylee gasped. Braelyn! She stutters sometimes, Kaylee thought. What kind of Mary would she be? Kaylee scowled. Well, thatâs just fine with me. Who wants to be in this dumb play anyway? When Mrs. Roberts offered her another part, Kaylee made excuses and refused to be in the production at all.
On the night of the program, Kaylee sat in the front row. She had come to laugh at Braelynâs mistakes. Mrs. Roberts will be embarrassed for making such a dumb choice! she thought in disgust as Braelyn walked up front. That drab outfit looks like it was made from a feed sack. Mom would have made me a much better costume than that! She snickered to herself and rolled her eyes.Â
Hesitantly, Braelyn began reciting from Luke chapter one: âMy soul magnifies the LordâŚbecauseâŚbecauseâŚâ She paused briefly. âBecause he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant.â
Humble condition, thought Kaylee. That sure fits Braelyn! Suddenly another thought struck her, causing her mouth to drop open in surprise. It fits Mary too! Kaylee tried to push that thought away, but she couldnât. More unwanted thoughts persisted as she watched the rest of the Christmas performance. Mary was willing to obey God and carry out His commands, and Braelynâs like that too, Kaylee realized. Sheâs a good Mary!
In her heart, Kaylee knew that if she had gotten the part, she would be saying Maryâs words only to make herself look good and be the star performer. But Braelyn was humble like the real Mary wasâand like how Jesus was too. They were both willing to obey God and make sacrifices for the good of others. Feeling ashamed, Kaylee prayed silently, asking God to forgive her proud spirit and to help her be humble like Maryâand Jesus.
So how about you?
Are you humble like Mary? Or do you think you should be the one chosen to sing the solo, answer the questions, or lead the group because you do it best? Jesus wants humble servants who are willing to serve His purpose instead of their own so that He will be honored. Even though He is God, Jesus was willing to die for our sins so we could be saved. Mary was His humble servant. Does that description fit you?
Key Verse
Matthew 20:27 NLV “Whoever wants to be first among you, let him be your servant.”
Key Thought
Be a humble servant.
Further Reading
Luke 1:26-33, 46-49