26 In the sixth month the angel xGabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named yNazareth, 27 zto a virgin betrothed2 to a man whose name was Joseph, aof the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, bO favored one, cthe Lord is with you!”3 29 But dshe was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for eyou have found favor with God. 31 And behold, fyou will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and gyou shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of hthe Most High. And the Lord God iwill give to him the throne of jhis father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob kforever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:26-33
You hate interruptions don’t you?
Yep, I know the feeling. Hateful interruptions can come during a conversation. One minute you are talking, and while you are trying to get your point across, your best friend interrupts you mid-sentence and talks about another topic! Talk about not being interested.
Hateful interruptions can also happen with our best laid plans. Having invested your time and effort with your boyfriend, you have already mapped out your future with him! What you will wear on your wedding day, where your future dream home will be, what color and design the floor tiles will be, and even the names of the seven Shih Tzus you plan to adopt from the animal shelter with him! Then all of a sudden, he takes you out on a typical date and drops a bombshell. He says, it’s over between the two of you. He says the problem is not with you, but with him. He says you deserve someone better. Yep, that’s really a very unpleasant – and hurtful – interruption.
Mary’s interruption experience is somewhat related to this. She probably had her life mapped out once she was betrothed to Joseph. Her picturesque future would have painted her as a dutiful wife at home, with seven children running around, while sweeping the saw dusts courtesy of Joseph’s carpentry work. She probably thought that if she would experience trouble, it would be chasing hiding customers who would avail Joseph’s woodwork with a pautang scheme (two-gives, with the 2nd give given after six months of prodding and chasing).
Yet, God interrupted her plans. And did her plans vanish like the 13th month pay you received last week. Yes, I know, it suddenly vanished.
Yet, in hindsight, Mary would not have traded God’s interruptions for her plans. Why? Here are three reasons why:
- God’s interruption was dramatically powerful. To interrupt Mary’s plan, God sent an angel, Gabriel to announce the plan that will forever interrupt her life. Not a prophet, not her aunt, not the local horoscope reader (if they had any), but a messenger from God! How many of us would experience that kind of dramatic and powerful interruption? Mary did.
- God’s interruption was a favor. At first, Mary was fearful about an angel showing up with an announcement. After all, her bedtime stories probably had angels showing up in order to burn down Sodom and Gomorrah, or bring judgment to Belteshazzar. So, thankfully, Gabriel made sure Mary understood how God saw her. She was favored. And since she was favored, the interruption itself was a sign of that favor.
- God’s interruption was good, for her and for many. Gabriel explained to Mary the kind of child she will conceive. His name will be Jesus, and He will be not like any kind of baby. He will be the kind of baby who will be powerful and eternal, the kind of baby that brings God’s kingdom and its accompanying goodness to her and those around her.
Is there a lesson for us, people of God? I mean, we are not Mary. We are not going to be the Theotokos anytime soon. Most of the interruptions we experience are not from angelic announcements (unless you count your boyfriend as a fallen angel). So what kind of lesson can I learn? Is there a lesson at all?
Yup. There is.
It’s this: God’s interruption in your life can be sudden, but it is a favor to you and for your good.
Yes, I’m not saying it’s not painful, scary, and anxiety-churning. For sure Mary also felt that.
Yes, it’s hard to see how His interruptions can be for our favor and our good. After all, it doesn’t feel good to lose your G-Cash savings due to a hacker. It doesn’t feel good to be abandoned by your boyfriend after investing eight years in your relationship. It doesn’t feel good when your children or parents don’t talk to you anymore after a falling out with them.
Yet, when you experience interruptions – in your plans, in your dreams, and in all the things you worked hard for – whether relationships, or your vocation – God is the kind of God who interrupts to give you favor, and to give you goodness. It may not seem obvious at first, but like Mary, it will one day be something you will not exchange back for the plan you have at first.