Micah 5: 2-5a
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-55
Life in the Middle East is governed by honor and shame. Social expectations
and evaluations shaped, and sometimes scarred people. Emotional pain was
something Elizabeth had endured because of sterility, while Mary, pregnant
before marriage, will soon deal with the judgements of others. Mary’s decision
to rush off to see Elizabeth would have been an extraordinary, and scandalous,
decision in this culture. Mary and Elizabeth were brave and strong in ways that
we cannot imagine. God chose them to play a vital role in salvation history. Though
they were “powerless” women, their roles as mothers will unleash the power of
God's salvation into the world.
This world will reject John and Jesus—both will be executed for
their faith. On Christmas Eve we will read about this hostility when the
newborn Jesus is laid in a manger because there was no room in the guest room. If
the world is inhospitable to the boys, Mary and Elizabeth, humble servants of
God, provide hospitality in their own wombs.
The two Greek words for womb are also used for the “inner person,”
the heart and soul. The term womb appears again in Luke 11:27-28, when a woman tells
Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that bore you!" He will respond, "Blessed
is the one who hears God's word and obeys it." Mary heard God’s message
and obeyed. So must we.
Salvation is not simply spiritual. We live in a flesh and blood
world. Real women and actual wombs are needed for the unborn Messiah and His
prophets. Salvation is a flesh and blood reality. It requires human cooperation.
You and I can never be the mother of John or Jesus. We can,
however, open our hearts and souls to receive them. If God can use them to
achieve His goals, then He can certainly use us, whatever our limitations might
be. These women played a central role in
making the saving work of Jesus possible. The word of the prophet and the Word
made flesh can and do live within us. Like them, we will suffer for our faith,
like their sons we may suffer something worse, but the choice is ours to trust
and obey whatever the cost.
To say yes, allows us the privilege to pray Mary’s prayer. Our
souls can magnify the Lord, our spirits can rejoice in God our Savior. We can say
“I am blessed,” and that “God has done great things for me,” because in every
generation God does have mercy on those who love and obey Him. Salvation comes
for those who wait. The world will be turned upside down. The mighty are
destined to be cast down, while the lowly, hungry and poor will be raised up. Do
not be fooled by the current situation, the day of salvation is coming. No one
would have thought Mary and Elizabeth carried Messiah and His prophet, but they
did. Now it is our turn: To accept the prophet’s mantle and prepare the way of
the Lord. To carry Jesus salvation and healing to all we meet.
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