A Heart of Surrender

“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her” (Lk. 1:38).

For several weeks I have been meditating on Mary’s response to the angelic visitation, specifically her response, “let it be to me according to your word.” Why?

As the Gospel of Luke unfolds, we are introduced to Zechariah, a faithful priest serving in the Holy Place (Lk. 1:5-23). Zechariah has maturity, experience, learning, and positional advantage in life, yet when Gabriel announces the coming birth of a son, John, he questions the news. He says, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”

Mary’s response to Gabriel’s announcement is simple, yet it carries eternal weight. She does not argue, negotiate, or delay. She simply says, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord … let it be to me according to your word.” In that moment, she places her life in God’s hands. As a betrothed young woman, to be found with child outside of wedlock would be a scandal, resulting in lifelong stigma. Her surrender to the will of the Lord, however, becomes the doorway through which the Word became flesh (Jn. 1:14) and salvation entered the world (Jn. 3:16).

Both Zechariah and Mary asked Gabriel a question. Yet, Zechariah’s question is framed as a desire for proof, essentially doubting Gabriel’s word. He wants a sign in order to believe. His muteness becomes not only a judgment, but also a sign.

Mary’s question is not about whether or not the miracle will happen, but how it will happen. She accepts the word, but seeks to understand the means of it happening. Gabriel explains, and her response is one of faith, humility and submission, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

When Zechariah, a faithful priest of advanced years, experienced in the Word of God hears, he doubts. When Mary, a humble young woman with no social significance or standing hears, she trusts. Zechariah is corrected by muteness, only healed when the word is fulfilled. Mary is favored by the Lord because she believed, and responded with a willingness to submit to His will.

Zechariah’s proof was in the Word. Abraham and Sarah were well past childbearing years (99 and 89, respectively), yet the Lord opened Sarah’s womb. What Gabriel announced to Zechariah had precedent in Israel’s history. Mary asked for clarification, yet she did not express unbelief or doubt. Her faithful response had only the prophecy of Isaiah to rely on, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14), but this prophecy was more than enough. The Word of God is sure, forever settled, and reliable. In life there will be times of fear, and even doubt, but we are not led by either physical response, we are led in life by God’s Holy Word.

Faith is not concerned with age or status, here a priest faltered, and a humble maiden believed. The Lord honors trust, even without all the answers, over skepticism. A teenaged Mary becomes a model of discipleship by responding, “Let it be…” Mary surrendered to the mystery, when Zechariah desired a sign. He doubted the possibility of God’s Word, while Mary trusted and only asked about the manner of fulfillment. This is why Zechariah was disciplined, while Mary was blessed among women.

Mary did not have all the answers. She did not know how Joseph would respond, how her community would treat her, or how she would bear the weight of raising the Promised Son, Yeshua/Jesus. Still, she trusted God’s Word more than her own understanding.

Faith is not the absence of questions; it is the choice to trust God even when the way before us is unclear.

Mary’s “yes” is an example to us. Each day, God invites us to trust Him with our lives, our families, our vocations, our ministries, and our futures. Like Mary, we may face uncertainty. But when we say, “Be it unto me according to thy word,”we submit ourselves to the Lord’s transforming work.

Where is God asking you to surrender today? What promise feels impossible, yet you are called to trust? How might your “yes” become a blessing for others, even the wider world?

Lord, teach us to trust Your Word above our fears. Give us a heart to surrender according to Your Word. May our lives echo the faith exampled in Mary, so that we may be conformed to the image of Your Son, as He shines through us. Amen.

Maranatha. Shalom.

Bp. Justin D. Elwell