Thoughts for the Day

Luke 1:40-45 … she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, 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 the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!”

After several days’ journey Mary arrives dusty and travel weary.  It seems to me likely, despite being a relative, that this quite probably no more than 15 yr old wife of a builder from Galilee has never met the nearer 60 yr old priest’s wife from so far away.  What goes through her mind during the journey?  Gabriel had said she would find confirmation of God’s miraculous power.  Does she have any doubts?  What does she expect to find?  Of course, there will be customary hospitality of a type unfamiliar to us in the UK, but what then?  Does Mary yet have any physical sign of her pregnancy – certainly not outwardly – or does she just know it or is she simply taking it on trust?  She enters the house and deferentially greets Elizabeth.  Such, I imagine, is the backdrop to Elizabeth’s outburst that must surprise both women.  Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit (a first for her?) and exclaims (to this stranger?) in a loud voice (no quiet greeting this), “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear (of which there is no visible evidence).  But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me (Mary hasn’t spoken of any of this yet!)?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy (not a little kick, a leap of joy … how did that feel?).  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her (clearly intended to refer to Mary but could equally apply to Elizabeth).”  How validating for Mary!  Indeed, how validating for them both.