HOPE OF ALL THE EARTH
You Who Are Highly Favored
December 19, 2025
SCRIPTURE
LUKE 1:28
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
LUKE 1:28
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
There has never been anyone in all of salvation history, even in their lowest and vilest moments, who has been unloved by God. God's relentless, incessant, ironclad love reaches queens and paupers, tyrants and monsters. God's love fills and floods and saturates every inch of his creation. In short, there is nothing special about being loved by God. In one sense, it is the most ordinary and commonplace thing imaginable—we are one tree in an immeasurably vast forest that is adored by God.
Yet, as I grow older, I begin to wonder if, perhaps, God is able to love us as if we were special. Perhaps his love is so perfect; perhaps his grace is so amazing; perhaps his kindness is so awesome that he is able to look upon each and every one of us and call us his special friend. My first pastor used to say, "I don't know if God has favou-rites, but he seems especially fond of me." God is such a perfect Father that he doesn't pick and choose whom he loves, nor to whom he shows his love.
In Matthew 5:45 Jesus assures us that God's goodness to us does not depend on our righteousness: "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." God is good to all! So good, in fact, that every single one of us should feel like we are God's favourite; so good that all of us should feel like Gabriel's greeting to Mary is addressed to us—we are highly favoured!
God may not play favourites, but in his wisdom and kindness, he is able to treat every one of us as though we were his special friend. And this is surely cause for constant and indescribable joy. Surely we are highly favoured.
Yet, as I grow older, I begin to wonder if, perhaps, God is able to love us as if we were special. Perhaps his love is so perfect; perhaps his grace is so amazing; perhaps his kindness is so awesome that he is able to look upon each and every one of us and call us his special friend. My first pastor used to say, "I don't know if God has favou-rites, but he seems especially fond of me." God is such a perfect Father that he doesn't pick and choose whom he loves, nor to whom he shows his love.
In Matthew 5:45 Jesus assures us that God's goodness to us does not depend on our righteousness: "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." God is good to all! So good, in fact, that every single one of us should feel like we are God's favourite; so good that all of us should feel like Gabriel's greeting to Mary is addressed to us—we are highly favoured!
God may not play favourites, but in his wisdom and kindness, he is able to treat every one of us as though we were his special friend. And this is surely cause for constant and indescribable joy. Surely we are highly favoured.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION OR DISCUSSION
If God doesn't play favourites, then what does it mean for us to be highly favoured?
If God doesn't play favourites, then why was Mary told that she was highly favoured?
If God doesn't play favourites, then what does it mean for us to be highly favoured?
If God doesn't play favourites, then why was Mary told that she was highly favoured?
PRAYER
Write a prayer expressing your gratitude for God's fondness of you.
Write a prayer expressing your gratitude for God's fondness of you.