For the next 15 days, I will be sharing our 2015 Advent Devotional, written by Diana Barker. Today's entry starts with this verse: “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:17-19.
Mary of Nazareth was a young kinswoman of Elizabeth who was also pregnant at this time. Since Mary was not married to her promised husband Joseph who agreed to still marry her, she probably would have remained unmarried. If her father rejected her, Mary could have been forced into begging or prostitution to live.
The angel Gabriel told Mary in Luke 1:36, 37, “’Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’ When Mary was informed by Gabriel she would give birth to Jesus, Son of the Most High, Luke 1:38 says, “’I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said. ’Mary calmly submitted believing what the angel said.
Mary was then sent away to stay with her cousin Elizabeth and husband Zechariah in Judea for protection. When Mary and Elizabeth met, they each realized these babies would become very important adults. Elizabeth became filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed in Luke 1:42-45, “’Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’”
Elizabeth must have been told by the Holy Spirit that Mary would give birth to the Messiah since she referred to her as “the mother of my Lord.” Elizabeth did not envy Mary, but was filled with joy that she “should come to me.” Mary spoke a prayerful song to Elizabeth often called the Magnificent, the first word in the Latin translation of this passage. This was Mary’s way of glorifying God for what he was going to do for the world through her.
In Luke 46-55 we hear, “’My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.”
In those days travel was difficult resulting in longer visits. Being older and having her first pregnancy, Elizabeth surely welcomed Mary’s help during this time.
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