Evening star., 1923-07-07

Mary, the Mothter of Jesus, is the
representative woman of history. No
other can ever surpass her position
of eminence and honor. Her name
has been venerated by people of all
faiths. Poets have sought to inter
pret her character in their poems.
Painters have tried in their paintings
of the Madonna to perpetuate on can
vas the beauty of her face and the
glory Of her soul. Preachers have
tried to honor her memory in their
sermons. None have succeeded, as
they wished. in portraying to the
world the fact that Jesus saw when
He opened His eyes in Bethlehm's s
manger and that throughout all His
life in the flesh brought to Him a
glimpse of heaven by it's holy lowell
ness and spiritual grace.
No greater event ever took place in
OF Christ. We owe to Luke, who
traced with the skill of a scientis t
events to their origin, the story of
the prenatal days of the Lord so that
we might understand the beginning
and certainty of the fundamental fact
II.
The choice of Mary to be lifted up
above all other mortals until she
reached the highest honors open to a
woman. came to the young Nazareth
maiden because of her piety. purity
age. which the Jews at that period
Kept very carefully, according to
Luke, fulfilled the prophecies and
promises required to make Jesus ac-
cordlng to the flesh, of the tribe of
vid.
Divine Choice Confirmed.
1t was the ambition Of probably
woman to become the Mother of the
Messiah. When the news was an
nounced to Mary by the angel Ca
briel that she had been chosen to be
highly honored We are told that "She
vas troubled at his saying and she
cast In her mind what manner of
salutation this should be-" Wonder
and alarm filled the mind of Mary. In
her bewflderment and dismay her
heavenly visitor did much to COM
pose her troubled soul. He assured
her that she had found favor with
God. Her spiritual pleading for the
coming OF the Messiah had been an
sWered. When she was assured of
the Lords program she submitted to
the Divine will in spirit of meek
ooeuience ana love that estab-
ilshed the greatness Of her faith
The angels reference to her aged
cousin may have prompted the sud
den trip to the city in the hill coun-
Try OF Judea, which journey the viii
lage maiden could not have taken
without proper escort. Arriving at
lne nome OF the aged priest, Elizabeth
young woman. who. as the door of
motherhood was opened OF her. had to
Dear such tremendous burden Pos
slDIy rear of shame and unkindness
may nave hastened her flight to the
one nome where her experience would
be understood by the silent Zacharias
ana MS noble wife, who greeted the
arriVal of Mary by recognizing her
as the mother of my Lord" citing
personal experiences that confirmed
MARY talth in Gabriel's message and
assured her young relative that of
Use. pi oiii-
The reply of the blessed mother of
our Lord to the comfort. consolation
and cheer of Elizabeth shows Mary's
to the highest thoughts that She was
HisIted by those profound thoughts
Ehich have their home in the unseen
and become the inspiration of un-
worldly enthusiasm" Her last fear
frmed her faith. Her timidity gives
place to courage. Her grateful souI
breaks forth into a song that. ranks
favorably with the noblest ancient
ana modern poetry. This song of
glory reveals that she knew the God
Wnom she had trusted. She had not
STUDIED the Scriptures in vain, for
she speaks of Jehovah as gracious,
omnlpotent, holy, merciful and true.
She knew this God as one whose
strong arm is manifest in providence:
whose omniscience searches the imag-
ination OF the hearts Of the wicked;
whose justice unseatS the oppressor
but exalts the lowly and feeds the
hungry-the God whose name is the
helper, for He hath holden His peo-
pie, Israel
History's Greatest Event.
Her faith in God was answered by
His revelation to Joseph She was
betrothed to the just man. who was
rerpleXed by the events that he could
not comprehend. She had intrusted
to the Lord the protection of her
character and life. which was en-
dangered, as the penalty for infideI-
ity to betrothed one was DEATH
by stoning, according to Jewish law"
1t was at this crisis that Gabriel
visited Joseph and whispered in his
ear, while he slept, the explanation of
his perplexing problem, which har-
CnNCREC