Today’s Gospel is a little different to others in that it features two women dialoguing with each other and we know both of their names – Mary and Elizabeth. Usually men are the centre focus in most of the narratives. Women were important in Jesus’ ministry. They will be part of Jesus’ traveling community and will be faithful to Jesus to the end, as he dies on the cross surrounded by women, including his mother Mary, even though he was abandoned by his male disciples. At the empty tomb two angels in dazzling white garments will tell the women who came to the tomb about Jesus’ resurrection even though their message will be rejected as “nonsense.”
Luke tells us that the two women in today’s Gospel trusted in the words God had spoken to them even though their husbands had doubts. It’s interesting that both Mary and Elizabeth represent two extremes in God’s actions to bring about his love by sending his Son into the world. Elizabeth was well past the time of childbearing while Mary was at the other end of the age scale, Elizabeth was married to Zechariah while Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but not yet married.
They were given a considerable role to play that involved great trust in God, putting them at odds with the cultural and religious norms of the day, especially Mary. Elizabeth was beyond the child bearing age while Mary was unwed. So what can we learn from Mary and Elizabeth other than the importance of both of them in the work of God.
Firstly we see with both Mary and Elizabeth everything is possible with God. In fact those very words were said by the angel to Mary when she asked – “How will this happen?” How will I give birth to a child if I am not married. Notice she said – how “will” I, not how “can” I. She wasn’t doubting the angel’s message but simply asking what she must do.
The angel explained to Mary about God’s work when he said:
See, your cousin Elizabeth, as old as she is, is going to give birth to a child. She was not able to have children before, but now she is in her sixth month. For God can do all things.”
Elizabeth is the barren woman who is made fruitful by God and will give birth to John the Baptist. Just as God created the world from nothing, God can also create life from the lifeless. This is what we need to keep reminding ourselves of as we wonder where our world is going to find healing.
Our world is going exactly where God is wanting it to go even if it doesn’t seem like it – even if we don’t fully understand it. It didn’t seem like Elizabeth would or could give birth. Where there was barrenness, God created life. Where there seemed to be hopelessness God creates hope. That’s why we need to keep trusting in God for the future of the church. A church that seems to be barren. A church that seems to be without hope.
In Elizabeth we see a God of renewal in that he removes the disgrace she felt. Elizabeth says: “In these days the Lord has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Likewise we know that God is always acting in ways to renew the earth, to renew the church and to renew our lives even using what we see as evil being used to bring about good, such as this pandemic, as Joseph told his brothers who tried to kill him – what you intended for evil God used for good.
So too our hope is in that God will use these past 2 years of suffering and uncertainty to renew the world. But we don’t know how long it will be for the renewal or till we see what God will do.
Like Advent, we are asked to wait patiently as did Elizabeth who gave birth in her old age – well beyond the age that women gave birth. God did the same with Abraham and Sarah giving birth to Isaac in their old age as he had promised many years earlier. We too are asked to wait patiently in the hope that what God has promised will be fulfilled.
God has promised us new life and Christmas will affirm that promise when God’s love will create Jesus’ birth. The Word of God will become flesh and dwelt among us and he will send him again to bring us to our eternal home. We are asked to wait patiently for the promises to be fulfilled which doesn’t mean we do nothing while we wait. Until Jesus returns we are asked to be the presence of Jesus in the world by loving our neighbour and being Christ’s presence to them.
God is a God who works in unexpected ways. In our Old Testament reading we hear that God didn’t choose the largest of the states of Israel for the birth place but the one of the smallest: You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel. Just as he chose King David rather than one of his older or outwardly stronger brothers as God said to the prophet Samuel – “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” as he did with Mary and Elizabeth.
How often don’t we judge the work God is doing by human or outward appearances: That church has more young families – more children – more money – more members – we need to do what they are doing. Does God do what others are doing? Certainly not with Mary and Elizabeth. And that’s what Mary discovered when she wrote her song which we call the Magnificat: My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. And again she continues: He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
I know we all desire to have a full church with every seat filled. But do we desire that so we can meet our budgets and seem to be more successful so we feel a sense of achievement?
That should never be the aim.
The aim should be so that more people hear the Gospel. And if that is our aim then that will certainly motivate us. Let us never give up hope no matter how small our congregations get – remember God chose Bethlehem in Ephrathah, who was one of the little clans of Judah.
Let us never give up because the demographic of our parish is getting older – God chose Elizabeth and Sarah well beyond youthful child bearing age to bring about new birth and a fulfilled promised. Let us never give up because it seems impossible that anything could happen – God chose an unwed young girl to bear his Son for everything is possible with God.
This Christmas let us again celebrate that God is an unusual God who choses unusual ways to bring about his plan and uses very unusual people, like lowly Mary and like you and me to bring about his mighty deeds.
