If Mary was a Gumuz girl.....

Leading up to Christmas, the Gesas church took a break from preaching from the book of Acts and returned to the book of Luke.  As Rolf began to discuss the upcoming Sunday Scripture on the angel's visit to Mary (Luke 1), he asked the ministry team (that he was meeting with) what would happen to a Gumuz girl if she was found to be pregnant. They had an immediate answer as this has obviously happened on numerous occasions.  If she refused to answer, her hands would be tied behind her back. Metal would be pressed against her ear and a rope tied around her head. She would be beaten until she answered.

So, what would have happened if Mary was a Gumuz girl?  She would have been tortured and beaten. She would have been taken to court, accused and judged harshly likely resulting in death. Maybe this is not so different from the acceptable stoning treatment in traditional Jewish culture, but somehow it came alive for us living here in Gesas.  Our Western worldview cannot fully grasp Mary's world but the Gumuz immediately understood the harm that could have come to her.

Although we are not given the details, we do know that Mary was saved from this.   “Because Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Mt 1:19  He had the right to take her to court but did not plan to and then something even more amazing happened.

God had planned out perfectly who the mother of Jesus would be and he arranged that her husband would be from the line of David.  So to ensure that Joseph was in on God's plan, He sent an angel to Joseph to let him know that Mary was truly going to give birth to the promised Savior: Jesus.

There will have been those who refused to believe that one so great could be born to one so humble yet the prophecies were being fulfilled. The Savior would come from the line of David.  The Savior would be born of a virgin. And angels proclaimed it all to the world.

Mary said, “I am your servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38 

She fully submitted to God's plan knowing it would not be an easy life to live. Yet in her youth, she humbly accepted the call to be the mother of Jesus.