Imagine God asked you to recruit the mother of the Messiah. Two women have been shortlisted, and you have been asked to pick the best one.
The first woman has an impeccable pedigree being descended from Aaron the high priest; the other is a nobody from the no-name town of Nazareth.
The first one is married to a highly-regarded priest; the other is a teenager engaged to a tradesman.
The first one will go down in history as “righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:6); the second has done nothing worth writing about.
Which one is the more suitable candidate? I suspect many people would choose the first woman (her name was Elizabeth), but God chose the latter (Mary).
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30)
How did Mary find favor with God?
Who is favored by God?
I’ve been thinking about this question because it…
