Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Elizabeth said, ‘And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, December 28, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Elizabeth was Mary’s “kinswoman.” We’re not sure exactly how they were related. There was obviously a large difference in age. Elizabeth had married a priest and was therefore fairly privileged. We always talk about Mary as if she was poor, though it’s not explicit in the text. Jewish families were large—offspring, especially sons, were highly valued—meaning extended families could include dozens of people. We do know that Mary felt close enough to Elizabeth not just to go visit her, but also to confide in her. Elizabeth was about six months pregnant at this point, and Mary only just pregnant. It’s possible no one even knew (other than Joseph) that Mary was pregnant at all.
But Elizabeth knew. Whether because Mary had told her in advance, or simply because the baby in her womb jumped for joy and “told” her, Elizabeth knew Mary was not only pregnant, but pregnant with “the Lord.”
I wonder whether Mary actually went to Elizabeth’s for her own safety—to hide away her pregnancy from those who would judge her or insist she be stoned for her adultery. Maybe she stayed there right up until she and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. The text doesn’t say.
I suppose all my rambling about this beautiful text leads me to conclude this: there is such a special relationship between close women friends going through similar life experiences such as pregnancy. It fills me with the warmth of the season to imagine the love and support these women showed each other, and makes me want to reach out to my friends and tell them just what they mean to me. This Christmas season, I encourage you to do the same.
Do I have one particular friend with whom I can be completely myself?
