Just Come On In

 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!  Luke 1:28

There must be something about Gabriel that elicits a different reaction from young women than would happen with a man. I'm not suggesting experimentation in this area, but if a man of the world just walked in on a young woman, he likely would not have time to speak the full sentence before various reactions would take place. A piercing shriek is still not unusual though it might be replaced with loud shouting in these later years. A quick photo or video on the smart phone might be forwarded to the police before the man could even speak. And in this age there is the possibility of blows, kicks, and even gunfire before 'rejoice' is even out of the lips of the intruder. That Mary listened to the full greeting of Gabriel shows to us that something special happened here in our verse for today. 

Of course I write a bit facetiously because surprise is still a good way to freeze someone in their tracks even in our time, and it allows time for an even more startling greeting. The words young Mary received by way of greeting from this stranger would tend to stop most anyone for a good troubling. Nothing in the scriptures warned Mary that this day, an angel of the Lord, would just come on in to her home and deliver words of wonder to her. Complete surprise is one way the Lord gains our undivided attention. 

Good news! There is a certain snatching away that will be a complete surprise to us one day soon. 

In Christ,

Bucky