Basilica di San Francesco, Lower Church, Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337),
The Visitation of Mary to Elisabeth, fresco
La Visitazione
Since being asked to take over the ladies ministry leadership at our church, I began sending out a weekly short devotional comment. Last week I decided to do one on the words of the first woman in the Christmas story - Elizabeth. However, all three women have something in their story worth teaching us this Christmas….
1st Woman - Elizabeth
"Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people' Luke 1:25
The first woman in the Christmas story was Elizabeth - wife of a Priest (Zechariah), but…old and barren.
Then the angel Gabriel told her husband they would have a child (John the Baptist).
Barrenness brought deep cultural shame, (as also with Jacob's wife Rachel in Gen 30). Thus Elizabeth praised God for removing her reproach (disgrace/shame) before people. God cares about our circumstances, and a baby is cause for joy! Yet God doesn't always remove our shame before people. For Mary's part in the Christmas story, God gave her shame before people by having a baby outside full marriage. God's ultimate goal isn't acutally to remove earthly shame, but to bring us a Saviour to remove eternal spiritual shame. Elisabeth correctly said God had done this…but God also did what Mary experienced…because God also did what was needed to remove our shame before him, by sending his son as a baby to then die as our shame-bearing substitute. As Christmas approaches, let's praise God for what he has done for us!
2nd Woman - Mary
"he has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate" Luke 1:52
The news Mary received about being the mother of the Messiah, would have been an incredibly humbling privilege. Yet it also put her in cultural shame because of having a baby in the betrothal time before being fully married. Yet, she knew she was part of a far greater honour that could not even compare to the loss of earthly honour. She knew God chose her in her lowly earthly position and gave her a high position in his eternal plan. The honour hierarchies of this world are not the ultimate measure of what is exalted or diminished. God's kingdom honour-code turns the world's honour-code upside-down. Those who think they are high can quickly be brought low. When God is at work, those who considered themselves humble and low can receive honour beyond measure. This is the same for us as Christians. Even more than Mary, we have the great honour of being 'in Christ'…no earthly honour even comes close. Though the world may rate you as insignificant or shamed, if God has chosen you, you have been exalted to being 'in Christ'. Like Mary, then live with courage in this world, knowing the God of all Creation has called you and made you his own.
3rd Woman - Anna
"…she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" Luke 2:38
After only 7 years of marriage, Anna—now 84—probably tragically became a widow in her 20s. But instead of being bitter or resentful of her circumstances she devoted herself to faithfully serving the Lord with prayer and fasting in the temple, as a prophetess. Thus, she was right there when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be presented at the temple and Simeon was giving a blessing as he held baby Jesus in his arms. May we, like Anna, not wallow in self-pity of sad or shameful situations but see them as opportunity to serve the Lord. Little did she know it would give her the amazing privilege of being one of the first ones to see this baby that had come for God's redemption of his people. But what did she do with this amazing privilege?…she didn't keep it to herself, but gave thanks and spread the news of Jesus' arrival into the world, to everyone she could. The honour she had in having access to the Saviour who had come, was not for boasting or personal pride but for the honour of sharing. Let's be like Anna, the prophetess-evangelist, and tell the world about Jesus!
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