This third week in Advent is about joy. I’ve been waiting for just the perfect time to do this particular praise! for me praise welcomes the Holy Spirit into this space. Think of it as Jesus walking into Jerusalem to the praise and song of His followers. Here we go!
When you feel the joy, don’t you really want to
Jump, jump, jump
Don’t you really want to
Move, move, move,
Raise your hands to the roof, roof, roof.
Joy is such a joyful word! I know this sounds really silly. I just can’t help how I feel about this great word. So, understandably, it boggles my mind to think how Mary could have found any joy in her circumstances. Surely she was terrified – pregnant out of wedlock and facing the potential of disgrace at best, and death at worst. And yet, joy she found. We know this through the story of Mary’s visit with her older cousin, Elizabeth found in Luke 1:
“Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child ou crry. Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.” Luke 1: 39-45
You will recall that the archangel Gabriel announced two things to young Mary. First and most important, that she was to be the mother of God’s son. The second and perhaps more curious given the importance of the first, was that her cousin Elizabeth, thought to be well past childbearing age, was 6 months pregnant. With this in mind, Mary goes with haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Now this was no small undertaking. Ein Karem, where it is thought that Zechariah and Elizabeth lived, is 80 miles south of Nazareth. It would have taken at least 9 days walking across 3 mountain ranges to get there. So why did she go? It is likely she went for 3 reasons. One was to share her news with someone who would understand. Another was to offer support and care for her cousin in the last months of her pregnancy. And lastly, Ein Karem is only a short distance from Bethlehem where her betrothed Joseph lived. She had to tell Joseph.
So off to Ein Karem goes Mary. When she arrived at the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, she greets Elizabeth. The scripture says that when Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting that the baby in her womb “leaped.” Literally, the baby John the Baptist jumped for joy! Elizabeth and her baby already knew that they were in the presence of the Holy, of the Son of God, of the promised Messiah.
There are 2 big ideas that come from this story – big ideas we can apply to our lives.
The first big idea is that of encouragement. Elizabeth is an older relative of Mary – perhaps closer to a favorite aunt or maybe a second mother. If there was anyone who needed encouragement, it was Mary. And Mary knew that Elizabeth would listen, and understand, and not pass judgment. It also seems clear that Mary went to care for and encourage Elizabeth during the last 3 months of her pregnancy. Elizabeth encouraging Mary and Mary encouraging Elizabeth. I’m guessing that you have had an Elizabeth or two at some time in your life – someone who encouraged, who listened, who shared wisdom and was spare on the advice and opinion. One of my Elizabeths was my Horizon Club Guardian Jean Metzler. Horizon Club was the senior high school level of Camp Fire Girls. Jean saw the leader in me. She encouraged me and nurtured my leadership skills. She also steered me to leadership opportunities so I could exercise and practice these skills. I’m certain that each of you have been an Elizabeth to someone. What child have you taken under your wing? What teenager have you listened to? What young man or young woman early in their career or parenthood have you shared your life wisdom? And what have these young people, these Marys taught you? I’d like you to honor these Elizabeths and Marys in you life. Sit for a moment, quietly, and give thanks for these encouragers in your life.
The second big idea that comes from this scripture is that joy breaks out! As usual, I did some dictionary work on the words “joy” and “happy.” The definitions weren’t particularly instructive, but the origin of these words was. “Happy” comes from an old English word “hap” meaning “lucky.” “Joy” derives from a Latin word meaning “rejoice.” Simply using these root meanings, “happy” is fleeting and dependent upon a set of circumstances coming together at just the right time. “Joy” on the other hand, comes from a deep well within – something that bubbles to the surface.
Adam Hamilton says that “joy, unlike happiness, can come to us independent of our circumstances. It comes from not changing our circumstances but from viewing them through the eyes of faith.” For me, this gives context to Paul’s words to “Rejoice in the Lord always” and “pray without ceasing” and “Give thanks in all circumstances.” These words were not written when Paul was happy. In fact he was in prison waiting to find out if he would live or die. For him, joy was an act of faith and he rejoiced and gave thanks. What circumstances in your life are tough? How might you get through them through faith and giving thanks?
Many years ago when I was still living in Everett, I was at the end of my troubled marriage and in a very dark place. My daughter (maybe 18 or 19) asked me a question: “When are you going to be happy again?” I didn’t have an answer. I knew I couldn’t just flip a switch and I’d be happy – when the circumstances of my life changed, I would be happy. I think what my daughter observed was not the absence of the outward appearance of “happy” but rather that the inner well of joy was not visible. I, of course, found my way out. I somehow was able to tap into my deep well of faith, where joy resides. It was faith that got me through. I have a magnat on my refrigerator that says “Where God lives, joy resides.” Kind of sums it up, doesn’t it?
Elizabeth called Mary blessed three times in this scripture. Mary cannot change her circumstances. She instead chooses to act on faith that God is at work. Mary responds in words of joy and praise to her God found in Luke 1:45-55. This psalm is call The Magnificat, and also Mary’s Song. Settle in and read these beautiful words that describe so well the character of our great and glorious God.
Mary’s Song
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 is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
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,
In remembrance of his mercy,
According to the promise he made to our ancestors,
To Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Amen.
Amen.