Do I Have To? / David Jeremiah

 

Do I Have To? Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38   Parents long for the time when their children transition from asking, “Do I have to?” to completing a task before even being asked. It’s the difference between obligation and willingness. It’s one thing to do something because we are obligated to do it. It’s another thing to do it willingly without thought of reward or remuneration.

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 15: 12–18

Imagine if when the angel Gabriel approached the young Mary with the message of the conception of Jesus, she had said to Gabriel, “Do I have to?” Mary had already passed from obligation to willingness when it came to serving God. That’s why she described herself as the “maidservant of the Lord.” “Maidservant” is the Greek translation of doule or bondservant—a servant who had willingly placed himself or herself into submission to a master. The roots of this notion come from Deuteronomy 15:12-18—when a freed slave chose out of love to remain a servant in the master’s household. Mary was ready and willing to serve God. Let Mary be an example for you this Christmas season, an example of willing service to God and others.   The highest honor in the church is not government but service.  John Calvin