The Reward of Faith

“This is how the birth of the Messiah came about” (Matthew 1:18)

They were young and in love.  She, barely fourteen.  He, having recently reached the ripe old age of eighteen.  She had an engagement ring on her left hand.  Not a large diamond, but they had picked it out together.  They went to Jared’s.  He had a great responsibility ahead of him.  Together, they were making plans for their wedding.  Not too large.  Mainly their parents, some close friends, and a few favorite cousins (even if one of them did eat locusts and honey).  She had selected her wedding dress.  He, a new suit.  But then suddenly everything changed.  She had a surprise visitor appear to her one quiet night while she was alone in her room.  Turned out to be an angel on a mission from God.  He told her she was going to have a baby, and that the baby had been conceived in her by the Holy Spirit.  Quite an announcement for a fourteen-year-old virgin!  Upon hearing the startling news from his bride to be, her young fiancé secretly planned to break off the engagement.  But then – he too had a visitor.  His visitor came to him through a dream.  It was another angel, bringing him the sort of vision that makes you wonder if it really occurred.  His angel told him not to break off the engagement, because just as his fiancé had been told her pregnancy originated from the Holy Spirit.

So, what was the response these two young people had to their angelic visits and the incredible news they received?  No one would have blamed either one of them if they would have canceled the temple, the florist, the Rabbi, the caterer.  But not these two teens.  They were special.  Her response was a simple question for her angelic visitor.  How will this happen since I am a virgin?   She didn’t laugh at such an incredible prophecy.  She didn’t ask for a sign for proof.  She didn’t say if this were to happen, what then?  No, this little gal asked, how will this happen?  How is God going to do this humanly impossible thing? 

And what about her fiancé?  What did he think after having such a remarkable dream?  Maybe he thought he shouldn’t have eaten that pizza with anchovies just before bedtime.  Or perhaps he thought he didn’t really dream it at all.  But none of that for this guy.  When he woke up, he did what the angel told him to do, and took his young fiancée home to be his wife. 

What kind of young people were these two anyway?  Why did they receive such divine attention and supernatural appointments?  What sort of people would God choose to give such out of this world promises to?  And then of all things, what kind of teenagers would simply and obediently believe and obey them?  These two wonderful teens were a young Mary and Joseph – and they became the first human beings in all of history to look upon the face of God!  That is how faith is rewarded.  It sees more than others see.  What will you see this Christmas?

                                                 Darlene