LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Assignment Title: Calling Profile: Mary
Course: CHMN 699 - Internship
Student: Jermaine Willis
2022
Professor: Dr. Joel Randall Breidenbaugh
July 29, 2022
Mary was called
An angel of the Lord, Gabriel, is sent by God to a virgin named Mary with news that would
change the world. However, there is one thing about this event you might not have thought
about:
Her calling may look different from other Scriptural figures called to ministry, but Mary
was called all the same. Let’s take a look at Mary’s Calling Profile, and talk about some key
takeaways that can apply to your life.
1. Fear Is A Common Response.
Let’s read the beginning of this story in Luke 1:26-29:
Luke 1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to
Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said,
“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this
might be.
How could Mary have been greatly troubled that an angel of the Lord showed up to her? I
think a lot of us would be thrilled to hear from the Lord in such a direct manner. But let’s be real
for a second. Mary was a good Jew. She believed in God and obeyed his commands. But for an
angel of the Lord to manifest himself before her very eyes with a direct message from God
would have been astonishing—an act that only happened to major characters in the Old
Testament. Never once did she, an ordinary teenage girl, thought that an angel of the Lord
would show up to her like this.
One of the ways God calls people is through a “Damascus Road” calling experience. This is
when God calls someone through a radical, tangible means, such as hearing his voice, seeing a
vision, having a vivid dream, experiencing the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, or—in
Mary’s case—being visited by an angel. Although this type of calling is rare today, it does still
happen. And a common response is fear.
Maybe you haven’t been visited by angels telling you what God’s going to do in your life.
But chances are you have been pressed by God to do something radical that completely pushes
the boundaries of your comfort zone. Fear, anxiety, and being “greatly troubled” are very
common responses, because God is calling you to new territory you’ve never navigated before.
In response to Mary’s fear, the angel says to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found
favor with God” (Luke 1:30), and goes on to explain how God will follow through on his
promise. The same is true for you. Do not be afraid. If God has called you to it, he will see you
through it.
2. Parenthood Is Ministry.
Let’s continue in Luke 1:34-37:
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High
will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even
Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable
to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
When we talk about receiving a call to ministry, we tend to focus on vocational ministry
positions, like a pastor, evangelist, or a ministry leader at a nonprofit organization. But of
course, ministry includes anything that involves serving others and making Christ known, like
running a business, working in a coffee shop, or discipline another individual. And, in Mary’s
case, parenting can be added to that ministry list.
Mary was not being called to a formal ministry position, like a priest, prophet, or religious
leader. But arguably, she had one of the highest callings to ministry of any figure in Scripture:
To give birth to the Son of God, and to parent him. She was called to be the mother of the Son
of God—how crazy is that?
Obviously, not everyone is called to be a parent. But if you know you’d like to get married
and have kids one day, you should know it is an extremely high calling to a form of lifetime
discipleship: Raising your kids to be like Jesus. You have to clean up after your kids, discipline
them when they do something wrong, teach them how to pray, and walk alongside them when
life gets tough. Parenting is absolutely a form of ministry—in the deepest sense of the word.
Granted, Mary had it easy, with Jesus being God and resisting all temptation to sin. But she had
other children after Jesus, too. She knew this all too well.
If you are sensing a call to vocational ministry, and you know you’d like to be married and
have kids one day, remember this: Your family is always your primary ministry. Not the
church, not your business, not your organization, but your family. More on this another day.
3. Obedience.
Mary was afraid. There was a lot on the line. If she was found out to be pregnant before
being married, she could’ve been excommunicated and divorced, amongst other serious
consequences. Despite this, Mary still replied: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me
be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38).
Mary submitted to God’s will. She could’ve ran away. But instead, she chose to remain as
God’s servant, and following him no matter the cost. She obeyed his will for her life. God’s
calling to do radical things requires radical obedience. Perhaps he’s calling you to something
that seems big, bold, and scary, and you have no idea how you’re going to do it or what people
may think of you. Still, if you remain obedient to what God asks, then he will see you through it
—and will amaze you at what he can do through you.
