His Favorite (Ephesians 1:6; Luke 1:28)

INSIGNIFICANT

Sometimes the most seemingly insignificant things can have the greatest impact in our lives, like being a few minutes late to the job interview, and losing the opportunity to impress the potential boss; or speaking words, that we shouldn't be saying, negatively, about someone, and devastating a relationship, that takes months, or years, to regain trust and confidence. Positively, we are perhaps early, or late, from our normal schedule, and we avoid a tragic accident in which we could have been involved, or, by accident, we mix in an ingredient in cooking, due to a lack of our normal, available spices, that so enhances the flavor, that we wonder why we never tried that before.

SPARSE

There are words, where there usage seems so sparse, that we wonder why our Father would choose them, until delving deeper, we are pleasantly surprised by their impact on our lives.

EPHESIANS 1:6 says, "...to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved".

ACCEPTED

In the Greek, "...made us accepted...", is the one word (kecharitomene), 5487 [Strong's], the perfect past participle of (charitoo), from (charis), 5485, "grace", [a repeated Latin transliteration for the Greek word, used lavishly throughout Ephesians].

HIGHLY FAVORED

(kecharitomene) is only used in Ephesians 1:6, and Luke 1:28, exclusively, in all of scripture, old or new testament. In Luke 1:28, it forms part of the narrative of the angel Gabriel's visit to Mary, announcing the birth of the Lord Jesus, and saying, "Rejoice, because you are highly favored!"

ELEVATED

The word has the idea of 'being compassed with favor', or 'honored with blessings'. The imagery might best be described by a an item overlaid with gold, or silver; 'completely covered', distinguishing it from all the other articles of use. It's not that it isn't the same as the other spoons, or bowls of wood or ceramic, but now it has been 'elevated' to a higher use and standard, through being covered by something very valuable and precious, distinguishing it, and making it too, very valuable and precious.

SPECIAL

Mary was a young girl, probably no more than 14 years of age. In the world and culture in which she lived, she would have been barely acknowledged or noticed, let alone greeted or spoken to with any reverence. Our Father, through the angel, not only greeted her, giving dignity, but marked her as someone distinct; special; someone who was not ordinary, but who had been designated to be covered, or overlaid with something valuable, increasing and establishing her infinite worth and value.

FAVORITE

It may be a somewhat romanticized notion, but the import of the word, is that she was "a favorite" of Heaven, or one so favored, as to be distinguished from all the rest, to make her stand out, as the Father's "favorite".

HIS FAVOR

Parents try to assure their children that they love each of them the same, and though our Father is no respecter of persons, yet He declares that each of us individually, as though we were the only one, are so compassed with His favor, that we are His favorite.

NEVER CHANGING

Furthermore, we are His favorite "...in the Beloved". This title of endearment, from (agapao), 25, is the perfect tense passive participle, which means there was 'an action that took place in the past, that has resulted in present; permanent; never changing results'.

PERMANENTLY

When our Father says (en to egapemeno), "in the Beloved", (en) denotes 'a close personal relationship'. In other words, we are permanently His favorite, surrounded and encompassed with His favor, because an action has taken place in the past, [Jesus forever establishing the covenant made with Abraham, through shedding His blood and His death and resurrection], that has brought us into close personal relationship with His Son, an unchanging status and position.

ONLY CHILD

We are, and you are, as though you were the only child, encompassed with His favor, right now, present tense, permanently, His favorite.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours