Blessing and Favor

Renée Antrosio – December 17, 2024 2 Comments

I don’t really understand “blessing.” I mean, I’m trying to, and Ron’s note from last week has been working on me. What does it mean to be blessed? I think I am confused because it is a Biblical concept that doesn’t fit our culture. Blessing and happiness are not the same, as Ron pointed out. I looked up “blessed” for frequency and context in Bible Gateway, New American Standard- 291 instances, of which 210 occur in the Hebrew Bible- which perhaps accounts for my cultural confusion, given the remove of thousands of years, an oral tradition in a different language, written on the other side of the world. The blessings begin in the beginning, and God is the original Blesser.

And God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” Genesis 1:21-22 (NASB)

Bird appreciation brings me joy even in Illinois winter as the hawks swoop through and the cardinals are bright among bare branches. On a trip with my sister, I gradually overcame the panic of snorkeling to gaze in wonder at the living creatures with which the waters swarmed- sea turtles, riotously colored fish, and sharks (my unexpected favorite; not the moray eel, which was actually scary.) Blessed indeed!

The gospel of Luke has by far the most mentions- 24- of “blessed” in the New Testament. Elizabeth pronounces blessing on Mary- chosen among women, mother of her Lord, for believing the word spoken to her. Mary has found favor with God. “Favor.” Another word that confuses me, I think because it is related to “favorite” which seems like a negative thing, to “play favorites”. But favor is also from the early days. Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. God granted Joseph, while in prison in Egypt, favor in the eyes of the warden. Favor does not exclude suffering. 

I have been meditating on the Advent scriptures in Luke each day and meeting weekly with my nun for our “busy person’s retreat.” And I have been surprised to hear the words spoken to Mary as if they are spoken to me. In other parts of scripture, we do this quite readily. Words spoken to prophets, or to Israel, or to other individuals- we hear the Spirit repurposing them as words to us, living and breathing into us. But the words to Mary seem unique. She was the one woman chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. Yet, for the first time growing up in church, hearing and reading the Bible all of my life, I heard these words as spoken to me. 

“Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!”  Luke 1:28b (CEB)

Joy. Favor. The presence of the Lord. Is that for me too? For you? Maybe blessing and favor are not like pie- a limited resource. Maybe there is not a scarcity of blessing with God. Or favor. My mind resists- there is so much suffering in the world. My brain can’t make sense of it. And it isn’t that Mary doesn’t suffer. Simeon pronounces both over mother and infant.

Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too.” Luke 2:34-35 (CEB)

Blessing. Falling and rising. Opposition. A sword piercing her son and her innermost being. In our Advent scripture this past Sunday, the apostle Paul writes from prison:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NASB)

Paul’s words were not just for the church in Philippi; we also hear them as spoken to us. And perhaps the words spoken to Mary are also for us. In a different way, but still. And God’s blessing on humankind, created in God’s image in the beginning, is also for us. 

And so today I pray the angel’s greeting to Mary for each of us. May we experience joy and rejoice. May we find favor in God’s eyes. May the Lord be with each and all of us. And if, like Mary, we are perplexed and wonder how this can happen, may our response also be

“I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Luke 1:38 (CEB)

-Pastor Renée