Making Haste
The text for this fourth Sunday of Advent is Luke 1:39-45. This sees Mary going with haste to visit her cousin who lives in the Judean hill country. This was likely not an easy trip, especially for a pregnant woman. It should not be surprising that Mary would want to visit a relative and friend during this time of great expectation. What is surprising is the greeting that Elizabeth gave Mary. The child in her womb (John the Baptist) leapt at Mary’s arrival. Even in the womb John was proclaiming the coming of the Lord. At this moment Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
What is interesting is that Elizabeth is perplexed that the mother of her Lord would come to visit. Even before He is born Jesus is meeting us where he finds us. As the Jesus story unfolds the question is why wouldn’t He, or His mother come to visit. This stands as an early lesson that Jesus comes to us all. It is also an object lesson that God calls even the seemingly most lowly to carry His message, and even His son.
Calling the Lowliest, as Usual
Obviously if God becomes man He does so via a pregnant woman. Yet, God could have chosen anyone to carry His son. One would have thought that He would have chosen someone high born, or a queen or some other regal persona. Instead He chose a lowly peasant woman. An unmarried peasant woman at that. This is a pattern that God has exhibited all throughout Scripture. He calls the most unexpected and lowly to do great things in His name.
This should give all of us hope that no matter our circumstance, no matter our past, we can do God’s work in proclaiming His truth. It should also remind us to have special care and concern for those seemingly “lowly” in our world. They are as loved by God as any of us, and as capable as anyone in witnessing to God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.
In the end the most powerful element of this short passage is Elizabeth’s observation that “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Verse 45). Elizabeth gives voice to what we should all understand: that we are all blessed when we hear God’s good and gracious word, then believe, then obey.
Praise Be to God
