Mary and Elizabeth
And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord,’ Luke 1:46.
In the Latin translation of this verse, the first word is Magnificat, which means magnify. This is a prayer of Mary that magnifies, exalts, and glorifies the Lord.
The angel Gabriel, who sits in heaven in the presence of God, appears to Mary with a magnanimous announcement. Mary believes and embraces the news with faith. Gabriel vanishes and Mary is left with the most amazing and wondrous news – but who does she talk to now? Her faith is great, but she still has questions and concerns. What are people going to think? Joseph, her parents, his parents, siblings, friends, others in the village???
Yes, Mary replied to Gabriel, Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t overwhelmed. Who can she talk to? Who can calm her? Where can she get some comfort, encouragement? Who will understand? Who can help her make sense of all this?
Gabriel was kind enough to mention to Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age because of the work of the Lord; For nothing will be impossible with God, 1:37. In the wonder and bewilderment of the aftermath of her one-on-one with Gabriel, Mary realized there was only one person she should speak with. In haste, she journeyed to the town of Judah and greeted Elizabeth.
The baby leaped in my womb
What happened at this meeting is a Spirit-infused, Spirit-covered, Spirit-downpour of grace resulting in an atmosphere of extreme love, joy, and the peace that surpasses all understanding. This grace was poured over Mary and Elizabeth in their time of wonderment over the awesome calling of God in their lives. At the moment Mary entered her home, Elizabeth’s son leaped within her, and both son and mother were filled with the Holy Spirit!
At their meeting, Mary’s natural sense of fear and wonderment was turned into magnificent Praise. Elizabeth spoke Spirit-inspired words of blessing to Mary. Elizabeth spoke like a Prophet representing God the Father. She spoke words of comfort and blessing to Mary so as to embolden her to be at peace in the wake of her new reality; she is the mother of the Son of God.
Footnote
God is so kind to us! He gives us, at certain times and in various ways, in our time of a need, a friend, a confidant, a person of grace, to bring comfort and encouragement when we need it most.
Yes, in the big picture of God’s work, the real story is all about the forerunner, John the Baptist and the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. The heart of the book of Luke will be about these important figures in God’s eternal plan. After all, Mary and Elizabeth are only humble servants in the background of this magnificent story. Nevertheless, they are not just functional wombs that God uses. They are precious lives with souls and spirits whom God treasures. They are humble servants, yes. But to God, they are also precious beyond description.
God comforts them through the bond between them. He unites them and equips them for all that is ahead. Through each other, they receive God’s comfort, confidence, boldness, and peace. Isn’t God good? Has God given you a beloved friend and encourager at some point when your heart and soul needed to be held and comforted? Do you have such a person? I pray you do.
Kind Father, during the grueling times of life, You are kind to give us comfort and encouragement through others. Thank you! Also, we ask that You use us to represent You on earth and be a comfort and encouragement to others. May our speech be seasoned with grace and overflowing with words that lift up and bring hope; for Your glory to do Your work on earth. Amen!