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by
Sarah Phillips
“In those days Mary
arose and went with haste into the hill country, to the city of Judah, and she
entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth.
“And when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
You don't need me to tell you Christmas is
here. Chances are, this past week, you've been rushing around trying to get
last-minute errands completed.
I had a mental list of "must do's"
running through my own head.
So as I read the gospel for the final Sunday
of Advent, I was struck by how Mary prepared for Christ's coming.
Mary received the biggest news of human
history, the coming of the Messiah (through her?!), and what did she do?
Mary set aside her own agenda and "went
with haste" to visit her cousin Elizabeth.
At this point, Elizabeth's pregnancy is
entering the final trimester and no doubt this older mother is tired and in
need of assistance.
I imagine Mary must have had a lot of thoughts
running through her head on the way to Judah.
"Is Elizabeth
really pregnant in her old age? She must be… but really? And how am I going to
explain my situation to Elizabeth? Will she believe me?"
Mary's arrival is one of those great moments
in history - a moment that reverberates throughout the ages that follow.
This simple story of two pregnant women
meeting carries so many implications. Some of the themes that stick out to me
include:
1. Mary's faith.
Mary was obedient to God and put faith in him. She set aside her own comfort
and questions to help Elizabeth.
Mary's virtue shines through here, and God
throws in a little reward - a miraculous and joyful greeting from Elizabeth.
2. Elizabeth's
selflessness. Elizabeth's news is a pretty big deal. Her husband receives a
vision from an angel and she conceives in her old age after years of waiting.
Yet, her first response focuses not on her
big news, but on Mary's.
This reveals Elizabeth's virtue and also
adds emphasis to the reality that Mary's news holds even more profound
implications for humanity than Elizabeth's miracle.
3. The humanity of
the unborn. In those days, pregnant women didn't enjoy the luxury of
ultrasound technology.
Yet, God makes the humanity of these little
ones very clear here. Elizabeth exclaims, "And why is this granted me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
Elizabeth refers to Mary as "mother"
in the present tense and she refers to the growing baby inside of Mary (who
probably wasn't even showing yet) with his proper title: Lord.
God was "with us" the moment Mary
conceived, and even the unborn John the Baptist recognized this!
4. God works
through fellow human beings. God could have found any number of ways to
communicate his message that day.
He chose to speak through Elizabeth and
John and the communion between Mary and Elizabeth.
He also brought help to Elizabeth during
her last trimester through Mary and comfort to the newly pregnant Mary through
Elizabeth.
5. God's love for
women. How can there be any doubt that God has a special place in his heart
for the fairer sex after reading of Mary and Elizabeth's stories?
God could have arrived on earth in any form
he chose… and while the rest of the world remained ignorant, two women basked
in the presence and knowledge of the Lord.
I am sure great theologians can extract even
more from this story, but I'll leave it here for today.
As you celebrate Christmas, imitate Mary who "treasured
up" the mysteries revealed to her and "pondered them in her
heart" (Luke
2:19).
Intersecting Faith & Life: How has God been
present in your life this holiday season? Think of the little ways God makes
his presence known and brings you comfort and joy even in the midst of trials.
Further Reading
Psalms 80:2-3,15-16,18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10
Women of Advent and Christmas: Elizabeth
Women of Advent and Christmas: Mary, Not Just
a Womb
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Our goals at Crosswalk.com are to encourage and challenge you, to help you worship and help you think, to give you practical application of Scripture as well as positive shared testimonies and honest struggles. We strive to provide timely information on everything from Marriage, Parenting and Family issues, to Bible Study, Prayer, Spiritual Growth and Devotionals, to current events and a Christian look at popular culture, always within an overarching framework of evangelical Christian orthodoxy.https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/blessed-are-you-among-women-crosswalk-the-devotional-dec-16-2010-11642322.html
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