Mary’s First Journey: When Women Talk
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In Haste
This word, haste, probably conjures a negative connotation in your mind because we tend to use it as a bad thing, who hasn’t heard their grandmother (or repeated her words): haste makes waste. In scripture the word haste typically refers to something done with urgency of time. Mary went to see Elizabeth with haste-in a hurry. She needed to get there with urgency. BUT, that was easier said than done.
Mary’s first journey
Mary’s first journey as the mother of Jesus was put into fast motion. And as soon as the Gabriel departed, Mary was ready to leave, too. As we consider what it meant for her to get from Nazareth to Elizabeth’s home in Judah, it’s easy to realize this trip was nothing like any of our own.
Mary came from Nazareth, a Galilean city west of the Sea of Galilee (see Luke 1:26). Her journey from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah covered between 80 and 100 miles. Luke does not mention whether Mary made any preparations for the trip or how she traveled; she may have gone on foot or as part of a caravan. In Mary’s day, a person traveling by foot could cover about 20 miles per day. If Mary walked to Elizabeth’s home, it would have taken her four to five days. If she accompanied a caravan, she would have arrived in about three days.
logos
None of the facts dissuaded her. Mary had a mission and it would start with a visit to Elizabeth.
In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, 40where she entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
Luke 1:39-40
Life Changing News
Life changing news, have you received your own? I wonder what popped into your mind first.
- A pregnancy?
- An accident?
- A diagnosis?
- A debilitation?
- Learning of a loved ones critical illness, cancer, or death?
- A generosity that traded your debt for financial freedom?
- A lost job?
- A new job?
- A big move?
- A burning down house?
- A new building up home?
- An engagement & marriage?
- Another new baby?
Where did your mind go with news of a big change? So often it goes to the negative, doesn’t it? Is it reasonable to say it’s there, in the trials and hardships, where the biggest change in our own lives take place?
Mary’s Big Change
Do you think Mary’s surrender to the Lord and her acknowledgement of her very name being blessed for generations to come, made her big news less hard for her? There’s a lot to be said about the state of our mind in hard times.
Mary’s big change was just as big of a hardship in her life as are ours in our own today. She was indeed blessed, and favored, but she was no less flesh and blood than are we. An unwed pregnancy carried a death sentence, and furthermore, it’s not just that she would give birth to Jesus, remember. No, she would give Him life and watch Him be rejected, unrighteously accused, forsaken, and murdered. Friends, that’s heavy news for any mother, isn’t it?
We, I, forsake to recognize God’s grace in ways like this. Out of His love, He didn’t have Gabriel tell Mary all of the sufferings that were to come, but she knew the coming Messiah, to be born of a virgin, was coming to die for His people. Details spared, Mary knew the news shared by God’s angel was life changing in a very big way!
Sharing her news
It makes sense, in my mind at least, that upon finding out she was pregnant with the Lord Jesus she would seek out to talk to Joseph right away. My poor husband, though I’ve really grown in this area by God’s grace, would hear the very thought being formed come out of my mouth with any (potentially) big circumstance in my life. But Mary didn’t even think to talk with Joseph, at least we don’t have any scripture saying she did…she headed for the hills-figuratively and literally.
Girl Talk
Tomorrow we will look further into their visit, but I want to settle here today. With her big news, Mary made haste into the hill country to see Elizabeth. Is there a significance here? Of course, because it’s here to learn about.
What do we know about Elizabeth? We know she was close to Mary whether a cousin or some other relative or close friend. We know she loved and obeyed the Lord faithfully. We know she was a descendant from Moses. We know she was married to Zechariah. We know she was quite old and certainly past the age of having children. And we know she was infertile in her child-bearing years and therefore, childless.
…whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron. 6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.
Luke 1:5-7
The Rest of Her Story
And, we know the rest of her story:
Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him , and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall be turn unto the Lord their God. And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him .
Luke 1:8-17
Where She was Going
Mary made hast to where she was going. Two women who loved and followed the Lord without abandoned in very different seasons of life, suddenly with more in common than not.
Gabriel announced both of these miracles of birth: one to Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, and the other to Jesus’ mother, Mary. And while he was at it, talking to Mary, he told him of her cousin’s pregnancy, too. God did that and He had a great plan in it. He gave Mary a safe place to run to. He gave her a friend who was wise, godly and willing. After 5 months of keeping herself hidden, Elizabeth opened her home and her heart to her cousin, at just this time.
Mary was running to her friend’s house. Wouldn’t you love to have been a fly on the wall? Too often, too many Christian women are more accustomed to running to the group of women to share news and gossip, but right away we can wipe gossip off the possible avenues of conversation, simply because we know what character these women had, and being busy bodies was not part of them. Their meeting together was another divine appointment. Here, two women find themselves inside of Elizabeth’s house, and inside God’s amazing story together. Oh how sweet the fellowship must have been. I can imagine their blossoming relationship including worship of their Father, and the Lord Jesus, and the overflowing excitement as they chattered hours a day about pregnancies, babies, marriage, miracles, and God.
Grace Filled Encouragement
Mary made haste, and she did it to meet the very encouragement God had already made ready for her in just the time she needed it.
He’s faithful, still the same God to you and to me this very day we are alive and breathing. Some of you, barely breathing and holding on to your own life in a lot of ways. May you be encouraged. The God who made Elizabeth’s impossible pregnancy happen did so in the exact time Mary would need her-pregnant her- in her life for consoling, counseling, courage and comfort.
Comforter
Right here in the beginning of Jesus’ birth story we see the Holy Spirit with Mary and with Elizabeth. At the end of Jesus’ life story, we see His Holy Spirit again. This time, He will be here to stay. The gift of comfort for those who know this very Jesus, born King of Kings.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:7
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
John 16:33
I’m praying for your heavy hearts, and I’m praising God for His comfort.
