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"And Mary said, 'Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” -Luke 1:38
Most of my education in scripture has been learning to take a few extra minutes daily to read and ingest God's thoughts. It has shaped my whole life. This day, I came across the term bondslave and traced it multiple times in scripture to specific people who had communicated their bond with God by defining themselves as “bondslaves.” I thought, “Have I understood, committed to God that I will do anything He asks, submit to all circumstances with a humble, gentle heart of a slave given to the well-being of my master?”
I have lived in many different nations of the world. I have learned that there are different cultural values, practices, beliefs expressed in each one. During the times of Mary when she was visited by Gabriel, she perceived herself as God's slave.
The author of “Luke” uses the Greek word doulos which is most accurately translated as “slave” or “bondservant.” A bond slave was a person totally owned, obligated to their master’s desires and commands. It basically means bowing the knee, accepting, living in God’s story and will for our lives—giving up everything to please Him.
When the angel greeted Sarah, he said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
I wondered if he said she was favored because she was ready and willing to be a slave to God’s will, to give her life totally to the desire of her master.
Often when I pray, I approach God and tell Him what I want. I asked myself, can I, like Mary, Jesus, Paul, James, say instead, whatever you want or bring into my life, I will bow my knee, give all, even as Jesus did when he said to God, “Not my will but yours be done.”
Mary was voluntarily putting aside her own expectations, her life, willingly handing all of her expectations to God.
She didn't know it meant having her baby away from family, moving to Egypt, then to a new city to raise her son, watching her son be rejected by the Jewish leaders, then tortured and crucified.
Do I say, “yes” to God, give myself to serve in whatever way He asks?