Favorite
Stories
Lightly Goes the Good News
Scripture Stories For Reflection
Mary spent the whole day going over and over what Gabe had told her the morning before. Mr. G. was "fond" of her; she was a "favorite" of his. Favorite? Mary couldn't get over being called a favorite of Mr. G.'s. As she looked at the recliner where Gabe had sat and given her the news, she tried to recall when anyone had ever spoken of her as being favored in any way, shape, or form. As far back as she could remember she'd never been anyone's favorite. Her sisters, Ruth, Sarah, and Rachel, were all prettier than she. Mary wasn't ugly or anything like that. No, not really, but when all the girls got together, she certainly didn't stand out. Relatives and friends always had something great to say to her sisters.
"Ruth ... I just love the way you did your hair."
"Sarah ... that dress really makes you look attractive."
"Rachel ... did anyone ever tell you you have beautiful eyes?" But as for Mary it was, "... Uh ... hi, Mary!" And that was it.
And when the girls walked down the street or flirted at the neighborhood well, the boys all noticed the other girls first.
"Hey, Ruthie ... what are you doing on Tuesday night?"
"Sarah ... got anything doing on Wednesday afternoon?"
"Rachel ... there's a dance at Abe's Place tonight. Interested?"
And to Mary it was, "... Hi, Mary. Ummmmm." And that was all.
Yes, they noticed her. But she was a little on the plump side, with a shy smile that fluttered across her face whenever anyone even looked at her. Yes, they noticed her, but they never noticed anything special. Clearly, she wasn't their favorite.
And her parents? Of course they loved Mary. They loved all their daughters. But you could tell by the way they talked....
"Oh, that Ruth can really bake mile high bread!"
"What a wit our Sarah has! She's really going somewhere!"
"And Rachel ... no one has a memory like our Rachel! Photographic, really."
"Mary? Well, uh ... Mary ... will you excuse me? I think I left the water running...." Clearly she just wasn't their favorite either. No slight was ever intended, but they simply couldn't think of anything to say about her. So there was always a painful lull in the conversation whenever anyone asked about Mary.
It was understandable, then, that the other girls, the prettier ones, were engaged to be married long before Mary. Her parents just gushed over their daughters' choices.
"Ruth, we're so happy. A doctor! You're marrying a doctor. Just think. A doctor in our family."
"Sarah, he's so good looking and ... money! Not that it matters, but money! Bet you're set for life! What a match!"
"And, Rachel, you'll see the world. Who would have thought your husband would own half the boats in the Sea of Galilee?"
But Mary? Her folks were getting seriously worried. They wrang their hands. "Please, God. Is there anyone out there for her?"
So, when someone finally did come along, everybody thought it was something of a miracle. Well, not really a miracle. You see, Mary's fianc was no great catch. It was obvious that he was never anybody's favorite either. Not much money. Not much to look at. Moreover, people had a problem remembering his name. "Don't tell me! I know you just said it a minute ago. Reuben? ... No, Simon. Oh, yes ... Joel? ... Joshua? ... Mmmmm ... sorry about that." Mary's parents had a hard time remembering Joseph's name even after his fifth visit.
And it was a good thing he wasn't as awkward with his hands as he was with his words. If he were, he'd have been a poor carpenter indeed, not to mention missing a finger or two. "Ummmm, I'd like to ... I mean, is it all right for your Mary to be my Mary by marrying me?" No, Joseph wasn't anybody's favorite. But since Mary wasn't either, they were probably well matched. And, Mary seemed to know and understand what went on inside of him ... she could feel his hurt at being ignored or forgotten when the compliments were passed around.
She also seemed to know and understand the hurt of many of the street children, the losers, the less favored ones in the neighborhood. She'd take the kids with the big ears or noses and sit them on her lap and tell them how special they were. "I'll bet you can hear better than anyone. What a great detective you'll be!" or "Do you know how lucky you are to have that nose? Just think what you can do for the perfume industry." Even if they weren't always convinced about what Mary said, nestled on her lap they felt special for the moment and that was all that really mattered.
She also cared a lot for the old people in town who might have been someone's favorite many years ago, but weren't any longer. "I'll bring you some lemonade if you promise to tell me about your grandchildren," she coaxed them as they rocked away their lives. And then she'd spend the afternoon listening to them talk about all their grandchildren from Abimelech to Zarubabel as well as anything else that happened to pop into their minds.
Mary smiled as she caressed the red hankie she presumed Gabe had left on the chair before he returned to Mr. G. Yes, Gabe had brought her good news but very shortly he would have to pay a special visit to Joseph to clear up a misunderstanding that was growing up between them concerning all this. For not too long after her engagement to Joseph, if anyone had paid attention, they would have noticed a change in Mary.
There was now a certain radiance about her. At first no one did pay any attention to her -- her sisters, her parents, her friends. After all, they had never considered her favored for anything in particular before -- why should she be now? Yet, gradually they couldn't help notice something different.
"Look at that smile. Mary, you're looking great! Somebody must like you!" Oh, yes. Somebody liked her. She moved with a gracefulness that proclaimed it and she carried the child within her that announced it. And the less favored ones, the young and old alike, felt favored as never before whenever she stopped to talk with them. Exactly what had happened no one really knew. Yet the less favored ones sensed something important had taken place. Whatever it was, they sensed they all stood to gain from it. Whoever had made her his favorite was soon to proclaim that good news to them:
Rejoice, highly favored one. The Lord is with you.
Reflection
Favorite reminds us God is choosy but not in the same way as we are choosy. How do we choose? Consider what people do in the fruit and vegetable section of a supermarket. They pick, probe, and pummel produce to avoid getting the worst and ensure enjoying the best. After all, who wants pulpy peaches, lousy lemons, limp-looking lettuce, or tough tomatoes? No one. We choose the best: peachy peaches, luscious lemons, tender tomatoes.
Or think of someone choosing a puppy. A puppy lover doesn't want the runt of the litter. No way! Or when the captain of a volleyball team is choosing players. The player with the leaden feet and the clumsy hands can always count on being chosen last.
God, on the other hand, would choose the pulpy peach, the runt of the litter, and the fumbling player because God can do great things with rejects. He chose nomads with onion on their breath to be his favorites, the Baptist dressed in foul animal skins to be his advance man for Jesus, and men with the smell of fish on their hands to be Jesus' disciples, and as we have just read, a woman with no saving grace to be the mother of grace. Not men and women in Brooks Brothers suits or Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans!
The theme song of God's favorites is "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You." And the good news of God's chosen isn't, "We've got something you don't have," but, "If God loves us, he can and does love everybody. What we've got going for us isn't how we look, dress, work or who we know. No. We have nothing going for us and we want everybody to know, God can raise up somebodies out of nobodies!"
"Ruth ... I just love the way you did your hair."
"Sarah ... that dress really makes you look attractive."
"Rachel ... did anyone ever tell you you have beautiful eyes?" But as for Mary it was, "... Uh ... hi, Mary!" And that was it.
And when the girls walked down the street or flirted at the neighborhood well, the boys all noticed the other girls first.
"Hey, Ruthie ... what are you doing on Tuesday night?"
"Sarah ... got anything doing on Wednesday afternoon?"
"Rachel ... there's a dance at Abe's Place tonight. Interested?"
And to Mary it was, "... Hi, Mary. Ummmmm." And that was all.
Yes, they noticed her. But she was a little on the plump side, with a shy smile that fluttered across her face whenever anyone even looked at her. Yes, they noticed her, but they never noticed anything special. Clearly, she wasn't their favorite.
And her parents? Of course they loved Mary. They loved all their daughters. But you could tell by the way they talked....
"Oh, that Ruth can really bake mile high bread!"
"What a wit our Sarah has! She's really going somewhere!"
"And Rachel ... no one has a memory like our Rachel! Photographic, really."
"Mary? Well, uh ... Mary ... will you excuse me? I think I left the water running...." Clearly she just wasn't their favorite either. No slight was ever intended, but they simply couldn't think of anything to say about her. So there was always a painful lull in the conversation whenever anyone asked about Mary.
It was understandable, then, that the other girls, the prettier ones, were engaged to be married long before Mary. Her parents just gushed over their daughters' choices.
"Ruth, we're so happy. A doctor! You're marrying a doctor. Just think. A doctor in our family."
"Sarah, he's so good looking and ... money! Not that it matters, but money! Bet you're set for life! What a match!"
"And, Rachel, you'll see the world. Who would have thought your husband would own half the boats in the Sea of Galilee?"
But Mary? Her folks were getting seriously worried. They wrang their hands. "Please, God. Is there anyone out there for her?"
So, when someone finally did come along, everybody thought it was something of a miracle. Well, not really a miracle. You see, Mary's fianc was no great catch. It was obvious that he was never anybody's favorite either. Not much money. Not much to look at. Moreover, people had a problem remembering his name. "Don't tell me! I know you just said it a minute ago. Reuben? ... No, Simon. Oh, yes ... Joel? ... Joshua? ... Mmmmm ... sorry about that." Mary's parents had a hard time remembering Joseph's name even after his fifth visit.
And it was a good thing he wasn't as awkward with his hands as he was with his words. If he were, he'd have been a poor carpenter indeed, not to mention missing a finger or two. "Ummmm, I'd like to ... I mean, is it all right for your Mary to be my Mary by marrying me?" No, Joseph wasn't anybody's favorite. But since Mary wasn't either, they were probably well matched. And, Mary seemed to know and understand what went on inside of him ... she could feel his hurt at being ignored or forgotten when the compliments were passed around.
She also seemed to know and understand the hurt of many of the street children, the losers, the less favored ones in the neighborhood. She'd take the kids with the big ears or noses and sit them on her lap and tell them how special they were. "I'll bet you can hear better than anyone. What a great detective you'll be!" or "Do you know how lucky you are to have that nose? Just think what you can do for the perfume industry." Even if they weren't always convinced about what Mary said, nestled on her lap they felt special for the moment and that was all that really mattered.
She also cared a lot for the old people in town who might have been someone's favorite many years ago, but weren't any longer. "I'll bring you some lemonade if you promise to tell me about your grandchildren," she coaxed them as they rocked away their lives. And then she'd spend the afternoon listening to them talk about all their grandchildren from Abimelech to Zarubabel as well as anything else that happened to pop into their minds.
Mary smiled as she caressed the red hankie she presumed Gabe had left on the chair before he returned to Mr. G. Yes, Gabe had brought her good news but very shortly he would have to pay a special visit to Joseph to clear up a misunderstanding that was growing up between them concerning all this. For not too long after her engagement to Joseph, if anyone had paid attention, they would have noticed a change in Mary.
There was now a certain radiance about her. At first no one did pay any attention to her -- her sisters, her parents, her friends. After all, they had never considered her favored for anything in particular before -- why should she be now? Yet, gradually they couldn't help notice something different.
"Look at that smile. Mary, you're looking great! Somebody must like you!" Oh, yes. Somebody liked her. She moved with a gracefulness that proclaimed it and she carried the child within her that announced it. And the less favored ones, the young and old alike, felt favored as never before whenever she stopped to talk with them. Exactly what had happened no one really knew. Yet the less favored ones sensed something important had taken place. Whatever it was, they sensed they all stood to gain from it. Whoever had made her his favorite was soon to proclaim that good news to them:
Rejoice, highly favored one. The Lord is with you.
Reflection
Favorite reminds us God is choosy but not in the same way as we are choosy. How do we choose? Consider what people do in the fruit and vegetable section of a supermarket. They pick, probe, and pummel produce to avoid getting the worst and ensure enjoying the best. After all, who wants pulpy peaches, lousy lemons, limp-looking lettuce, or tough tomatoes? No one. We choose the best: peachy peaches, luscious lemons, tender tomatoes.
Or think of someone choosing a puppy. A puppy lover doesn't want the runt of the litter. No way! Or when the captain of a volleyball team is choosing players. The player with the leaden feet and the clumsy hands can always count on being chosen last.
God, on the other hand, would choose the pulpy peach, the runt of the litter, and the fumbling player because God can do great things with rejects. He chose nomads with onion on their breath to be his favorites, the Baptist dressed in foul animal skins to be his advance man for Jesus, and men with the smell of fish on their hands to be Jesus' disciples, and as we have just read, a woman with no saving grace to be the mother of grace. Not men and women in Brooks Brothers suits or Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans!
The theme song of God's favorites is "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You." And the good news of God's chosen isn't, "We've got something you don't have," but, "If God loves us, he can and does love everybody. What we've got going for us isn't how we look, dress, work or who we know. No. We have nothing going for us and we want everybody to know, God can raise up somebodies out of nobodies!"
