Mary visits Elisabeth
“Mary visits Elisabeth”
Luke 1:39
This is called the Visitation of Mary and
in some churches it is observed on May 31.
Prior to this in Luke the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary she will have
a child in her womb. That is called the
Annunciation. Having this knowledge that
she was to bear a Son who was to be called “ Jesus” and the “ Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David” , Mary travels to see Elisabeth.
In Luke 1:36 we read, “ And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth she hath
also conceived a son in her old age” Of
course we note Mary’s child was conceived without a man but Elisabeth was
somewhat like Hannah in the Book of Samuel who had conceived but in her old
age. “ For with God nothing shall be
impossible.” 1:37
What I note here is that we read
something quite interesting that caught my attention at least . “ And Mary arose in those days, and went into
the hill country with haste into a city of Juda 1:39 She went with
haste. That little word caught my
attention.
That word denotes care as well or
diligence. It means haste and speed to
get some business done. What do we do
with haste? My mother used to say more
than once to me, “ Haste makes waste”.
Well sometimes haste is a good thing apparently. This season of the year has a lot of
haste. We rush to get our Christmas
cards done. I know if you send a
Christmas letter it can be done quickly because you do not have to write
special notes, although you could do that.
This year I took time to write Christmas cards to the people that
sometimes I only talk to once a year that live a long way from here. I did it with no haste. I did one card a day. That was my goal.
This little word got me to thinking
about a lot of things we do. We can say
things to people in haste . That is
sometimes a good thing but other times we probably need to shut up and listen
first. We encounter that one a lot. I usually do not make decisions with
haste. But apparently if we follow the
example of Mary it is a good thing to do we learn. Haste with careful diligence and earnestness
to do the good things we should do is a good thing! If we forget to do them or delay a decision
so we do not have to make it ( by the way if you do that you are making a
decision not to act with haste) we are not acting with haste.
Mary acted with haste to go to see
Elisabeth . She acted to encourage
Elisabeth who was also due with child.
She acted to encourage Elisabeth in her belief too that God had acted in
her life and for all mankind as well.
Mary saluted Elisabeth. The
infant John leaps for joy in the womb of Elisabeth. “ Blessed is the fruit of thy womb and
blessed art thou among women “ she says of Mary. Elisabeth says something about Mary’s faith
here too: “ And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a fulfillment
of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
When we do good to others there is a mutual
blessing in that giving . The one who is
given to reciprocates and gives back to Mary.
At this Christmas time which begins on Christmas Eve and lasts until the
Epiphany of our Lord , that is the coming of the wise men to the manger, we too
can act with good haste to share the love of God to others who are not so
blessed. Mary reacts with a song which
in latin is called the “Magnificat” .
She is so blessed she has to sing about it. “ My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit
has rejoiced in God my Savior”
What are we doing with haste this Advent
and coming Christmas tide? Haste to do
good. Haste can be a good thing. It can take us to the right places …places of
worship, places of need and places where God has put us. What surprises await us there? We can act in faith like Mary. We can believe. We can be blessed this Christmastide. It can be a season of soul renewal and
spiritual rejoicing for God has blessed us with His gift of eternal life.
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