In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (New Revised Standard Version)
Mary had a visitation by an angel, informing her that she would give birth to the Son of God. She immediately hurried to visit her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the forerunner to the Son of God.
In the two women’s encounter, the baby within Mary is portrayed as of greater significance than the one within Elizabeth. And that was not because of the adults, but because of the babies themselves.
Something amazing and spectacular was about to occur in history. It would be so cataclysmic that these two babies, especially the one within Mary, would change the world in profound ways.
There was nothing particularly special about either Mary or Elizabeth – which is probably why they were perfect for the jobs of raising the Messiah and the Prophet.
The lowly non-descript persons are usually favored by God, even though the world knows nothing about them. After all, the kingdom of God knows nothing of billionaires and those in high places, even though the world knows nearly everything about them.
Throughout the history of the world, women have often been overlooked and underrated. Even in today’s Western world, even though it’s better than it was, women are still viewed not as qualified like men are. But that’s a topic for another time.
The most obvious observation from today’s Gospel story is that we wouldn’t have babies born without women. There were two in utero babies that had responses, because of two women.
Inside of Elizabeth’s womb, John leaped at the voice of Mary carrying his new cousin. Indeed, even before birth, John was filled with the Holy Spirit and began pointing to Jesus. (Luke 1:15)
John, although getting his prophetic leap from the Spirit, also got some significant prophetic oomph from his mother. Elizabeth spoke the prophetic word about Mary, who is “the mother of my Lord.”
Good people bestow blessing on others. And that is what Elizabeth did for Mary. This then, enabled Mary to express her own inspired blessing to God. To bless and be blessed means, on the practical level, that spiritual eyes are opened to see what is truly there.
Mary is a blessed person, not only because she is the Lord’s mother, but more fundamentally because she is faithful, and trusted in the promise of God to her.
To be blessed is to have God’s stamp of approval on your life. It has little to do with wealth or abundant resources. But it does have a lot to do with living a life of godly virtue and values.
So, again, it only makes sense that God used Mary and Elizabeth, two women who embodied being poor in spirit (humble) as the divine conduits for blessing the world.
Both Mary and Elizabeth believed. Elizabeth believed the words of the angel to her husband Zechariah. And Mary believed the angel’s direct words to her when she heard them. Without hesitation or any ambiguity.
Faith accepts what it cannot see; and when faith does see with actual eyes, it can see what is underneath the physical appearance.
Let’s also make sure to observe that this sort of faith, this particular way of seeing, has its consequences. Elizabeth and Mary both knew quite well that one of them was an unmarried pregnant woman.
They understood the social judgments to come, along with the shaming, and perhaps even the ostracism that would likely occur – even though all of this is divine through and through.
But grace can always use the eyes of faith to see beyond social status and convention in order to do what is right, just, and good. Mercy can always see what is truly honorable.
Elizabeth was perfectly comfortable extending hospitality to a person for whom others were likely to whisper, judge, and reject. Which is why I like Elizabeth. Every generation needs more women like her.
The welcome and love of Elizabeth is of the same sort that Jesus would show to prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners. Like Elizabeth, Jesus could see beyond any societal shame to what was divinely happening in front of him.
Mary magnified the Lord with immortal words infused from the blessing bestowed upon her by Elizabeth. To bless another person is to open them to the possibilities of God’s actions in them and through them to the world.
That is the real gift that keeps on giving. And it is the most appropriate and valuable gift that we can give to another this season.
O God of Elizabeth and Mary, you visited your servants with news of the world’s redemption in the coming of the Savior. Make our hearts leap with joy, and fill our mouths with songs of praise, so that we may announce glad tidings of peace, and welcome Christ in our midst. Open our souls to receive the One who came to love your flock. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 