December 21, 2020

Why Should This Happen to Me?

Luke 1:39-45

“Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

—  Luke 1:43

Elizabeth was utterly amazed. She could hardly believe what was happening to her. Not only was she expecting a child in her old age, but she also had the awesome privilege of meeting the mother of the Lord Jesus. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she exclaimed, “Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Why me? I’m sure some of us have asked this question at one time or another for a variety of reasons. Something unexpected happened in our lives, and we could not help asking, “Why me?” We tend to ask this question especially when things go wrong. Maybe we have lost someone we have loved. Perhaps we have had to deal with a physical disability, or we were diagnosed with a terrible illness. We may have lost our job, or our business may have failed, and the question was right there: Why me?

But there is a more important question in this Advent season: Why should we have the privilege of getting to know the Savior? Why should we be so privileged that the Lord should come to earth for people like us, who did nothing to deserve his coming?

As we approach the celebration of the birth of the Savior, we do well to ask, Why should we be so favored? Let us stand amazed that God should love us so much that he sent his only Son to bring us back to himself and give us eternal life?

Lord, our God, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Savior, we ask that through your Holy Spirit we can feel something of the awe of Elizabeth. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld

Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.

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