Unexpected Encouragement

God knows that some journeys are difficult enough, and the more so if the journey is done alone. So, Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was six months pregnant. This would have straight away piqued Mary’s curiosity as Elizabeth had borne the sorrow and shame from being barren all her life. To hear she was having a baby would have been a great encouragement to Mary.  She wasn’t alone in this alarming world of visitations, prophecies, and fulfilments.

Almost immediately Mary set out to see her relative. She would understand.  When Mary walked through the door the child within Elizabeth “leaped in her womb.” Not only so, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed Mary and the child to be and asked why the “mother of my (her) Lord should come to me (her).”  In other words, I should have come to you.  

Once again everything looks upside down from the perspective of cultural expectations. Mary would have normally been the one to show differential honor to her elder, Elizabeth. 

But God was saying it isn’t to the pre-eminent, the mighty, the powerful, or the rich that he necessarily looks to bring salvation. Were that the case they would most likely take credit. God regularly subverts normal expectations, and scripture empathically states that only God will receive glory and honor—only He can.  He looks for the humble, the unnoticed, the surprised, and yes, some of them do inhabit King's courts.  

Then, Mary, inspired by the encouragement of the greetings, breaks into song, declaring what God has done for her. This remarkable song, reminiscent of the prophets, celebrates the Lord’s choosing of Mary—she of “humble estate,”—and the scattering and humbling of the proud. It is full of Old Testament imagery and prophetic tone, leaving us in no doubt that Mary may have been young, but she was far from biblically illiterate nor was she without an understanding of God’s ways. 

From here Mary stayed with her relative for three months, which would, I imagine, have coincided with the birth of John, the Baptist. What strength and comfort they would have been to one another. We can imagine them, sharing their stories, praying together, and pouring over the prophets, maybe even Isaiah, who had so much to say about The Servant of the Lord. 

There is always someone walking a similar path to encourage and strengthen us in our small or large obedience to God’s word. It is to them we should go in haste, as did Mary, to find support and courage.