The opening of Luke’s Gospel draws us to contemplate the promise that Christ is coming into our midst. Coming into our lives. Entering into our day. Invading our space. Such a promise is bound to make some of us leap for joy, and make some of us sweat. Sooner or later, Christ will pierce his way into our lives. When that finally happens, will we be ready for him? Will we make for good hosts when he gets here?
Luke begins with the priest Zechariah’s encounter with the angel Gabriel who tells him that, though Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, are past the standard age of having a child, they will have a son nonetheless and name him John. Zechariah displays some skepticism at first, as might you and I. And so does the young virgin Mary (a relative to Elizabeth) six months later when Gabriel tells her that she also will, against all odds, have a son and name him Jesus. Mary too expresses some skepticism at first, but quickly lets the angel know that she is on board for whatever crazy adventure God has in store for her.
Mary quickly travels south to see Elizabeth. Does she need confirmation beyond what was given by the angel? Or does she simply need to be in the company of the only other person on the planet who’s experiencing the same impossible thing? When Mary arrives at the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps with excitement! With some added volume, Elizabeth exclaims, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And 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.” (Luke 1:42-45)
Feel the excitement of this story, an excitement that even the not-yet-born John feels at the sensation that the microscopic Christ has just come very, very close. Feel the shock that the king of the world is present, in the womb of a virgin no less. Be startled by Elizabeth’s sudden and joyful outburst. Even here in such a small and intimate setting, feel the astonishment that the most important thing in the world is happening, not in the halls of power, but here in Elizabeth’s living room.
Make no mistake, Christ comes to us through the Elizabeths and the Marys. We should do ourselves a favor and be willing to look for Christ entering our day through them. We ought to be willing to wait for Christ alongside the Elizabeths and the Marys, too, alongside all the “wrong” people who are too old and too young, those not smart enough and not qualified enough and not capable enough. Elizabeth and Mary so perfectly topple all of our expectations of Christ’s arriving. Jesus is going to enter our lives and invade our space. And he will do so through all the “wrong” people. What a strange, lovely, exciting story ours is. Let us open our eyes to see him coming, leaping with John and shouting with Elizabeth and Mary along the way.
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