“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Elizabeth spoke these words when her cousin Mary came to visit. Both women were pregnant at that time. Both pregnancies were unexpected.
Elizabeth’s was unexpected because she thought herself too old. She and Zechariah had tried and failed before, and this miraculous pregnancy was an answer to their prayers.
Mary’s pregnancy was unexpected because she was young and as yet she was unmarried. She had not expected an angel to visit her. Who among us does? And yet the angel had come to her, and had asked her permission to take part in the remaking of creation through the birth of God. She said yes. It was unexpected, but she said yes. {See the appointed readings}
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. It is the most natural thing in the world for these two women to seek each other out in their pregnancies. Mary had travelled a long journey to visit her cousin. We can only guess at the reasons.
Perhaps she was bored. Nine months is a long time to wait!
Perhaps she was scared – it is a serious matter to bring new life into the world. Maybe Mary sought the wisdom and advice of her older kinswoman.
Perhaps she was lonely. Pregnancy is a journey that men know little about. Maybe she sought a sister to share her experience.
Perhaps everything was just so strange and unexpected. An angelic visitor, a holy conception – maybe she simply needed someone she could trust to reassure her that she wasn’t dreaming the whole thing.
And Elizabeth did reassure her, with joy and boldness. Mary stepped into the courtyard, and Elizabeth knew in an instant that someone very special was standing before her.
Or rather, that she was in the presence of two special people. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you carry. Even yet unborn, Jesus changed the lives of those who drew near to him. The Holy Spirit had opened her eyes to see that this was no ordinary baby.
The Spirit moves through Luke’s gospel constantly, opening the eyes of the people to see God’s work and the revelation of Christ’s identity. The Spirit would inspire Zechariah’s song of prophecy that we heard a few weeks ago. The Spirit will fall upon old Simeon when he meets the infant Jesus in the temple, inspiriting his song of glory that Jesus is the light to enlighten the nations. The Spirit moves people to see Christ and to sing his praises and that includes us.
Here, Elizabeth breathes in the Spirit and she breathes out her blessing. You are blessed! Your child is blessed!
She wasn’t the only one to rejoice in the coming of her savior. Her own baby, still unborn, leaped for joy when Christ came near, because – and we all know this – the presence of Christ brings joy to our hearts.
Blessed are you among women. How astounding a thing to imagine that the word of God who created everything should become a baby. How amazing a thing to imagine that he who is eternal and ageless should be hidden in Mary’s womb. How humbling a thing to imagine that the one who is to rule Israel, whose origin is from old, from ancient days; that he should be nourished by Mary’s blood and cared for only by her love.
It is dangerous to be a baby. Life is fragile and the beginning of life is filled with risks. Perhaps it is good to take a moment to remember that none of us would be here without the sacrificial love of our own mothers who risked their bodies and lives for us.
So this is how the kingdom of God breaks into the world – with joy, with celebration, with two women and their babies, laughing, rejoicing, telling their stories, hoping about a better future, embracing unexpected gifts, creating new life.
It was an unexpected pregnancy for Mary, but it was a birth foretold. The prophets had promised it for years. Nine months is a long time to wait for any woman. But the world had been waiting for centuries. They promised a savior who would raise up the lowly and fill the hungry with good things. They promised that he would be born of a woman, and Jewish Mary knew these prophecies. I imagine that she just never thought that this blessing and this responsibility would fall upon her shoulders. I imagine that none of us really expects the great gifts that God offers us. We can only prepare ourselves in faith for the grace to say yes when the angels come to us.
The prophets even foretold where the savior would be born. You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, from you will come the one who is to rule. To Bethlehem we travel now with Mary and Joseph, for the prophecies are coming true. Elizabeth’s eternal blessing echoes on our lips – Blessed is Mary the theotokos, the mother of our God. Blessed is Jesus Christ, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth, and he shall be the one of peace.
We leap for joy like John, for Christ is with us: as baby, as man, as crucified Lord, as risen savior, as bread and wine, as joy and peace, as church. The mighty one has done great things for us, and holy is his name. Amen.