The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Coming to her, the angel said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord
is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and
you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called ‘Son of the Most High,’ and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be
born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Gospel Trivia:
The reader is reminded that the purpose of Gospel Trivia is to present the intended message of the gospel writer and not to present a personal interpretation of the gospel passage. The question therefore is, "What did Luke intend to communicate when he wrote the Annunciation passage?"
The Gospel of Luke was written between 80 to 90 AD, or about six decades after the ministry of Jesus. He is writing the gospel not as a biography of Jesus but, after much reflection, as a record of the fundamental teachings of the Christian movement.
In the Annunciation passage, Luke employs the five-element pattern of a birth announcement which was used in the Old Testament. (An example is the announcement of the birth of Isaac in Genesis 17:1-21). These elements are:
a. The appearance of an angel,
b. Fear on the part of the person confronted by the heavenly figure,
c. The heavenly message,
d. An objection expressed by the person, and
e. The giving of reassurance.
By employing this literary device, Luke is probably less concerned about the actual conversation between Mary and the angel (for indeed, who could one accurately recall a conversation that happened several decades earlier); as much as a theological meaning that he intended to preserve.
We should also note the following:
- Mary is greeted with, "Hail, full of grace." - This is not a usual Hebrew greeting (which is usually "shalom" or "peace), suggesting that this is a special occasion. "Hail" means "rejoice."
The Greek word used by Luke for "grace" in "full of grace" is the word "charis" which refers to God's graciousness in choosing to be with his people. The giving of Jesus, one who is divine but chose to be human to be intimate with humanity, is gratuitous gift borne out of God's initiative. It is completely undeserved. It is pure grace. "Full of grace" refers less to Mary state of pure grace, but instead to God's sheer love.
A possible paraphrasing of "full of grace" could be: "Rejoice Mary; God is extraordinarily good to his people."
- Luke then proceeds to describe the son to be born by using the following:
"Son of the Most High" - meaning, one who is intimate with God.
He will receive the "throne of David his father" - the Jews believe that the Messiah will come from the lineage of King David, the greatest king Israel has known. Joseph is also from the lineage of David.
Mary's concern is addressed by "the Holy Spirit will come upon you" - God overcomes the human impossibility through the creative power of the Spirit, the same Spirit that hovered above the darkness during the creation story.
Luke's intended message: The whole world rejoices because our God is an extraordinarily loving and gracious God, who chose to be one with us through the birth of his Son, Jesus.
References:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Makati: St. Paul's Publications), 265-270.
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