"journey To Bethlehem: The Paradox Of Blessedness"

“Journey to Bethlehem: The Paradox of Blessedness”

Luke 1:39-55

Last week we started our Advent journey to Bethlehem by reading about how the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and bear a son, and He will be holy and be called the “Son of God.”

And even though she said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word,” it doesn’t mean Mary wasn’t confused and terrified.

I don’t know about you, but when I am confused and terrified, I need to talk about it with someone.

I need to tell someone who will listen with a sympathetic ear; someone who is wise and can hopefully give me some advice on how I can best cope with what I’m facing.

Can you relate?

Gabriel had mentioned that Mary’s relative Elizabeth was expecting a child, which was itself a miracle given that Elizabeth was thought to be beyond her childbearing years.

Mary and Elizabeth must have had a tight bond, and Mary must have trusted and maybe even looked up to her older relative.

So, most likely, before Mary even told her own parents about her pregnancy, she went to find Elizabeth knowing that if there was one person who would understand, it would be Elizabeth.

After, what scholars suggest would have been nine days of difficult travel, Mary finally got to Elizabeth’s house.

She went on in and said, “Elizabeth, it’s me, Mary!”

And when Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the child she was carrying leaped in her womb.

“And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’”

Elizabeth continued, “Why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?

For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Elizabeth, right off, recognized that the child developing in Mary’s womb was none other than her “Lord.”

John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin leapt at the sound of Mary’s voice and bore his first witness to the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

It’s interesting that the first person in all the Gospels to call Jesus “Lord” was Elizabeth, and she proclaimed it even before Jesus was born.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Can you imagine how relieved Mary must have felt when she was greeted like this by Elizabeth?

She didn’t even have to tell Elizabeth what happened, the Holy Spirit took care of that part for her.

Mary had spent the last nine days traveling with her secret, uncertain, afraid, and wondering how any of this could be true.

She was also, probably a bit nervous about whether Elizabeth would believe her story.

I mean it was a bit out of the ordinary.

But before she could even say a word about it, Elizabeth showed that she knew and was so filled with joy she could hardly contain herself.

Not only was she happy Mary had come to her house, she felt privileged by her visit.

Elizabeth said to Mary, in essence, “Listen, Mary. You don’t have to be afraid.

You’ve been blessed.

Blessed!

Don’t you see it?

You are going to be the mother of the Messiah.

God has chosen you.

You are so blessed.

And blessed is the child you will have.

In the short passage from Luke 1:42-45, Elizabeth used the word blessed three times.

“Mary, don’t you see it? You are really blessed!”

With Elizabeth’s excitement and her insistence on driving home the point Mary saw what William Barclay called “the paradox of blessedness.”

Sometimes we might think God’s blessing involves becoming rich and powerful.

Being blessed is often associated with a life of comfort and ease.

When we describe our blessings they often include our homes, our jobs, our health and wealth.

But Mary’s blessing didn’t have anything to do with those kinds of things.

It wasn’t the blessedness of security or physical well-being.

Mary’s blessedness came from being a part of God’s plan—to be used by God for God’s purposes.

Have you ever experienced that kind of blessing?

It brings with it a peace and joy that the world can’t provide, only God can give us this.

It transcends understanding.

It’s beyond description.

And it has nothing to do with ease or comfort or security that comes from possessions, from stuff!