But the angel reassured her saying, “Do not yield to your own fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. …”
_{Luke 1:30 TPT}

I wonder, why Mary? Why did God choose her to bring Salvation to the world? What was so special about the young girl? Did she have faith beyond the norm? Maybe she acted better than others or sinned less. Could it be her prayer life was beyond measure? What did she have that others didn’t?

And even more important, how can I be like her?

I hear God whisper through a phrase of scripture. Many are called, but few are chosen.

I always squirm a little when I read this passage. Because I’m not quite sure how to get called, or what to do to get chosen. I feel like the child who is picked last for the team. This perspective doesn’t seem to fit my understanding of God’s nature.

Eugene Peterson’s translation says it like this,

That’s what I mean when I say, “Many get invited; only a few make it.”
_{Matthew 22:14 MSG}

This scripture is the ending to a story Jesus tells about a wedding feast. How the father of the groom summoned the invited guests, but they wouldn’t come. Some were preoccupied with the business of life. Others were chasing worldly dreams and refused to stop. Many refused the invitation. So the father invited anyone who would come. Any person on the street or in the town to come. Anyone and everyone was invited.

I think about others in scripture that were chosen. People like David, Esther, and Peter. None of which were perfect or entirely good. David murdered. Esther was a scared orphan. Peter denied Jesus. It seems my perspective of what makes someone worthy of being chosen may be skewed.

Maybe it is not about a stellar reputation or ten thousand hours of practice to be perfect. Being chosen isn’t a result of good actions or sin-less living. It’s not about age or wisdom or preaching to thousands. God continually chooses the ordinary to bring about the extra-ordinary.

Chosen is not about what we have the capability of doing or being. It is about who God is and what he can do. God looks at each of us and sees what we cannot. He enters our lives and does what we could never do on our own.

This is the miracle of the gospel story.
God chose the most ordinary girl
at the most oridinary time
in the most ordinary way
so that all would know
they’ve been chosen.

So come.
come see what God has done
come hear the invitation
through a newborn’s cry
put down your busy
your plans
your dreams
and
come.