Advent

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.  Why am I so honoured, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.  You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:39-45

For most new mothers it can be exciting when you find out that you’re going to have a child. You start thinking about who you are going to tell and when you are going to tell them. In today’s culture many parents wait a number of weeks before sharing this news with others. 

Now imagine young Mary. The angel Gabriel has told her that she is going to bring the Son of God into the world. Will she wait for a few months before she will tell anyone her news? Can she keep this a secret? How long will she wait?

“A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea.” (Luke 1:39)

Where would she go? Who will she tell? Who would believe her? Who would understand her?

She would go to a relative, Elizabeth, who “has become pregnant in her old age.” (vs. 36) Of course, Elizabeth would understand Mary because God has just given her a miraculous child at an old age. Elizabeth was carrying the child that would herald the King and Mary is carrying the King.

The Good News is that Jesus has come into the world at this season of Advent. Mary couldn’t wait to tell of the coming news of Jesus! Like Mary, we should be so moved by this that we are hurrying to tell others of Jesus too.

Reflect

How can you begin to share this good news with others?

Give us your spirit that we may wait

obediently and with discernment,

caringly and without passivity,

trustingly and without cynicism

honestly and without utopianism,

Grant that our wait may be appropriate to your coming

soon and very soon,

soon and not late,

late but not too late.

We wait while the world groans in eager. Amen