I love laughing with old friends … or with new ones! I love laughter. I love laughter that is so hard my ears and stomach muscles ache. What had me laughing today was my skewed view of Elizabeth in Luke 1.
When Mary came to visit, Elizabeth called her blessed three times. She said that Mary was blessed among women. And that Mary was blessed for the child she would bear. And also, that Mary was blessed for believing that what the Lord spoke to her would be accomplished. [Luke 1:39-45]
What got me laughing was my take on that meeting and Elizabeth’s last blessing of Mary for “believing what the Lord spoke to her.”
I had just read the Song of Zacharias, Elizabeth’s husband. Zacharias unfortunately did not believe what the Lord said, and the consequences of that unbelief was that he was mute for nine months until John was born. In my imagination I could hear Elizabeth say to Mary … blessed are you for believing what the Lord spoke … all the while thinking … unlike this man of mine who did not believe and now sits over there unable to speak.
I am not sure that is what Elizabeth really thought but it is what I would have thought! I wonder if it is something Elizabeth and Mary discussed while they were together … all the while Zacharias looked on sheepishly quiet.
We need to remember that the people in the Bible were real people, with thoughts and emotions just like us. They are not superheroes, they are people empowered by the Spirit of God, just like us.
We can learn from Mary’s example of faith and obedience what TO DO and learn from Zacharias’ example of unbelief what NOT TO DO.
