“The the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33).
It is important not to miss the irony in the angel’s words, “Do not be afraid.” Mary was going to suffer terribly before this was all over. When we see our children in physical or emotional pain, we are filled with the desire to rescue them. But parents cannot control either the decisions adult children make or the decisions others make that affect our children’s lives. When they suffer, we suffer.
Mary’s future suffering was all the more reason Gabriel’s words were important. Knowing that God‘s purpose for our lives cannot be stopped by anyone or anything brings us hope (Job 42:2). We, like Mary, need to place all our trust in God so that we overcome our natural fear.
The suffering will not last forever. Mary saw her son resurrected. We too will one day see the glory God brought through our suffering. Do not give up hope as you long for that day. It will come.
