I think this story is my favorite part of the whole Christmas story. I love the joy between Mary and Elizabeth, and I love how Mary has her own epiphany in this moment.
Imagine for a moment just how Mary must have felt before this moment. She had gotten a visit from an angel, she had gotten pregnant, her family and her fiancé all thought she was kind of crazy, and she desperately wanted confirmation that what she had been told was indeed true. I imagine she was terrified and had probably started to doubt her own sanity just a little bit. She was seeking a sign—just one more little indication that what she knew to be true was really true.
What does Mary do? Does she sit around her home and mope and worry? No, instead she goes to visit Elizabeth, her cousin. Now, I’m sure to some degree this was a great relief to her family…Mary was out of sight out of mind. Her growing belly wouldn’t be seen by the neighbors or the religious officials, there would be no gossip, and since news didn’t exactly travel quickly in those times, her “condition” would be kept a secret. No one would have to know that their teenage daughter, who had just been promised to a prominent carpenter, had managed to get pregnant before the marriage could be sealed.
The baby who would grow up to be John the Baptist knew IN THE WOMB that Mary's son would be someone amazing.
So, off Mary goes…traveling to a Judean town in the hill country. After what was probably a very long journey, she steps into Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home and greets Elizabeth. Then…then she gets the confirmation she needs.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.
Elizabeth knew! Mary didn’t have to even try to explain it. Elizabeth knew that Mary was expecting a very special child, and what’s more, Elizabeth’s child knew. The baby who would grow up to be John the Baptist knew IN THE WOMB that Mary’s son would be someone amazing.
She simply said yes. And that yes was a miracle.
At that moment, all of the doubt, all of the fear, and all of the worry disappeared from Mary’s heart and she was able to finally give thanks for the miracle in which she would play such a large role. Finally, she was left with peace, and hope, and most of all Joy! It was this joy that would ultimately sustain her through the remainder of her pregnancy, the stares of those who did not understand, and her tenuous relationship with her soon-to-be husband.
See, there were several miracles at work here. First, there was the miracle of the angel showing up in Mary’s home to announce that she would bear the savior-child. But more miraculous than the announcement? Mary said YES. I’ve often stopped to wonder what would have happened had she let fear stop her. What if she had taken a moment to think about the implications of being an unwed teenage mother in a time and place where that sort of thing could quite literally get you killed.? What if she had really been thinking about her future with Joseph and her family’s well being? What if she had decided that her reputation, her popularity, her friendships, and her life as she knew it were all more important than this Angel that might be just a hallucination or a piece of bad meat. But she didn’t listen to any of the whatifs…she simply said yes. And that yes was a miracle…even if the rest of the world didn’t see it just yet.
The salvation of the world is in her belly.
So, how wonderful it must have felt for Mary when she saw Elizabeth and the miracle of her special child was confirmed by someone who wasn’t an angel who came in the night! How amazing it must have felt to have the love and support of a family member instead of worrying about causing shame and grief. How relieved she must have been to realize that she was indeed not crazy that she was carrying a child that would become Lord and Savior. That moment…that beautiful moment of realization is when Mary can finally let it all go and give thanks for what was going to occur.
And so first, she gives thanks for the miracle itself and for her participation in it.
4And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 4and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 4for he has looked with favor on the lowliness 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.
Mary realizes that she is no one particularly special or amazing…she is just a girl, a “Lowly servant” of God. And yet, she knows that she will become someone special in the grand story of history. She realizes her place in future generations and gives thanks to God for the blessings she has received—not just for the child she is carrying, but for all the great things God has done for her.
But, her prayer does not stop there. She does not think only of herself. She thinks of the world as a whole and realizes her place in it. She realizes that her pregnancy is symbolic. The child she carries represents that God is doing something completely new and different. No longer will the proud be able to boast, because it wasn’t one of the proud who was chosen to bear the king. No longer will there be a ruler on a throne, because this ruler will come into the world in a more humble way. No more will the hungry be left to starve, when this child comes it is the rich who will be sent away hungry. Mary gives thanks for the change that her pregnancy will bring to the world.
She also gives thanks for the renewal of the covenant. She realizes that in her womb she carries a new version of the promise given to Noah and to Abraham. The salvation of the world is in her belly, and although she is a scared, lonely teenager, she realizes just how blessed she is. And she gives thanks.
In this tender moment between two cousins, we are shown the beauty of Advent. Both of these women are waiting for children to arrive. Elizabeth is waiting for her son, the one who would become John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for Jesus and his ministry. Mary is waiting for her son, Jesus, the one who would prepare the way for all of us to have a deeper, reconciled relationship with God. In our waiting, may we wait with the same thankful joy that Mary and Elizabeth shared in this moment. May we too be able to say…
My soul magnifies the lord and I am thankful for all God has done through me and for all God will do through future generations.
Amen.