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Mary and Elizabeth - a biblical antenatal group

 Helen Jacobi explores the Advent season through the characters of Mary and Elizabeth from Luke’s gospel 
Rev Cate Thorn

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Mary and Elizabeth - a biblical antenatal group

Transcript
Mary Brave, active, faithful. Not afraid to seek help and to offer help. Elizabeth strong welcoming speaks her mind. Mary and Elizabeth are our last two characters of Advent. In the Bible group that's been meeting each week. We looked at this passage last week and we noticed the difference between last week's story about Joseph and today is story. Last week, we read the Matthew version of the birth story and in it Mary is silent. Everything is done to her In today's story from Luke Mary acts and speaks and Elizabeth is equally vocal. Joseph is nowhere to be found and no Izzy Korea. We have met Elizabeth earlier, in Advent with Zechariah as they learnt, that they would be the parents of John the Baptist. But today's story belongs just to the two women. Mary was just an ordinary girl who went to spend time with her cousin Elizabeth. Mary was Escaping The Shame & Scandal and gossip of being found to be an unmarried mother. She may well have been running for her life. No one was going to believe her stories about angels. She did what young pregnant women have done for centuries. She got out of town. Elizabeth would have been the object of gossip as well. Being pregnant later in life and her husband Zechariah mysteriously being struck mute in the process, they would have been gossiped about in their town. So Mary and Elizabeth take refuge together and they support each other. they would have shared their fears and their hopes, they would have done practical things like so clothes for their babies They would have talked about their strange experiences and encouraged each other. And Mary, no doubt along with other women. From the town would have assisted Elizabeth when the time came for John to be born, Mary and Elizabeth are our Biblical version of an antenatal group, That woven into this very personal Encounter of two pregnant, women, other threads of Israel's history. When we hear Elizabeth's, words blessed, are you among women? And blessed is the fruit of your womb. Many of us might think of the Roman Catholic prayer, Hail Mary, full of grace. Our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb. William Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God. Pray for us. Sinners now. And at the hour of our death A prayer known off by Heart by every Roman Catholic, and many others around the world. And the Hail Mary is based on Elizabeth's words and we still pray it everywhere, it sounds beautiful, and it is a beautiful prayer. But when Elizabeth said these words or when Luke wrote them for her, the words were referencing words found in both the song of Deborah and the Book of Judges and words spoken about Judith in the book of Judith, which is from the Apocrypha the song of Deborah is about Deborah, who's a prophet, and a judge in Israel and the 12th century BC, and it describes, the murder of an Assyrian General says, era by a woman, jeil Jal, Most Blessed of women be jail, it says and then the song describes in grisly detail, how she struck him with a potential Peg and a mallet, it's quite kind of gruesome really And the story of Judith is seat in the time of a castle and the 6th Century BC and it's not thought to be about real events, but it's a tale of a woman Judith held up as an example for the women of Israel to follow. She to kills her enemy cuts off his head. While he is sleeping and she is praised. Oh daughter. You are blessed by the might buy the most high, God above all women on earth. So blessed. Are you among women begins life. Not as a Pious prayer but as a war cry, a war cry in Praise of women who joined their men and battle to redeem Israel. and so now, Mary and Elizabeth join this line of women who bravely stood up to the oppressor Mary's strength also reminds us of Maryam who was Moses, led the people of Israel to safety after the crossing of the Red Sea. Maryam to led the women in song and here Mary and Elizabeth, sing God's praises. It's a really personal intimate encounter in our group. Last week, we reflect many of the women in the group reflected on their memories of being pregnant and feeling the first movement of a child. It's that very personal intimate idea, but woven into it, other threads of macro history for the people of Israel. Luke is also writing politics, here amazingly, he captures the intimacy and then weaves in the big picture as well. Luke goes on to say that when Mary discovers her part in the story of God's coming to Earth, she sings and she sings words based on the ancient song of her for mother Hannah, she sings about God and God's blessings for the poor and the lowly and those who had waited for generations for God to fulfill God's promises. Her song which we call The Magnificat is a very radical piece of theology about God, changing the world. And the village of Ein Karem near Jerusalem. There is a church built to honor the visit of Mary to Elizabeth. When they were both unexpectedly pregnant, it's called The Church of the visitation. Some of you may have been there and The Magnificat the song of Mary is reproduced there in 42 languages and tiles on the wall. You can read them in your own language and think about Mary and what she prayed for the future. Our some Matthews voices have sung us a version of The Magnificat, every Sunday in Advent. My soul magnifies the Lord. And my spirit rejoices in God, my savior for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely from now, on all generations, will call me blessed for the mighty one has done great things for me and holy Lee is his name, his Mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength. 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. He has filled the Hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel and remembrance of his Mercy. According to the promise, he made to our ancestors to Abraham and his descendants forever. powerful words from Mary, echoing the words of Hannah Not the kind of words you would expect in the intimate moment from a pregnant mother. But they're strong words claiming her history, claiming who she is. Because Mary was a girl who felt called by God to take risks, to be brave and to bring a child into the world, who would be known as God's son. God dwelling with us Emmanuel, the word made flesh. A child who would show us the way At one level, this is the story of an ordinary girl who had a baby. but the way Luke writes that it's the story of women claiming their place in the changing of our world forever, So let's sing with Mary sing with Elizabeth Delight in their stories and their courage. And may our hearts and Minds be alive. This Christmas with the transforming love of God of which they spoke.