MARY VISITS ELIZABETH

Mary’s Visit to Elisabeth by Carl Heinrich Bloch, circa 1850

(Judea Early B.C. 5)

Luke 1:39-56

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judea [a distance of 90 to 120 miles]; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

We are told Mary hurried to Elizabeth home. This wasn't like going next door. Elizabeth lived perhaps a hundred miles away. It had to be a trip of a few days. We need to consider this. Gabriel had just informed Mary that she was going to bear God's Son. He also informed her that Elizabeth; a barren woman of advanced years was already pregnant.  Mary was a teenager, espoused to a man and living with her parents. Who would you or could you tell that an Angel had visited and said you were going to be pregnant yet a virgin? I think Mary went to her relative because she knew Elizabeth would believe her story, and perhaps, also would confirm the truth of it.  I don't know what she told her parents about making this trip and staying away for three months. Perhaps her visit to Elizabeth was viewed as assisting her cousin’s pregnancy. She stayed three months, so might have been present for the birth of John.

Elizabeth knew at once Mary's situation. How did she know? Scripture tells us. It was reveled to her by the Holy Spirit. She shouted her blessing on Mary for all to hear.  If Mary had any qualms, they were gone with Elizabeth's exclamation. We see Mary's great faith and humble spirit in her song, which is also called the "Magnificat". This title is simply the first word of her song in the Latin, which began: "Magnificat animum mea Dominum", "My soul magnifies the Lord". 

Mary's Song

And Mary said, “My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.”

And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

In Mary’s Song we may get an insight as to why this maiden was chosen. It certainly shows knowledge of the Scriptures and understanding of God. It is worshipful and thankful. It contains references to eight separate psalms. [ 34, 71, 98 (twice), 103, 107, 111, 132 and 138.) This was a devout person. However, being devout, pious or religious is not enough to save one and Mary was as much in need of a Savior as any human. She begins her song rejoicing “in God my Savior”.

And yes, I am aware of the dogma of the “Immaculate Conception”, but no, I do not believe that Mary was born free of original sin. There is no basis for this belief in Scripture, a fact admitted by those who adhere to it: “No direct or categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward from Scripture” (The Catholic Encyclopedia).  The defense of the dogma becomes rather strained and convoluted. The familiar words, “Hail, Mary, full of grace”, which begin the “Hail Mary Prayer” are taken from the Douay-Confraternity Bible translation of Like 1:28, “And when the angel had come to her, he said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women’,” is said to indicate the godlike state of Mary’s soul. But the Confraternity is a translation of the Vulgate, which was a Latin version of the Bible. Going back to the Greek, the literal translation is more, “Hail, highly favored, the Lord with you.” This is stated in Young’s Literal Translation as, “Hail, favored one,” in the King James version as, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured”, in the New American Standard Version as, “Greetings, favored one” and in the NIV as, “Greetings, you who are highly favored”. Even being highly favored by God does not preclude the existence of your human nature, inclination toward sin and need for salvation.

We are told only salient details in Scripture. We do not know the reaction of Mary's parents upon her return. She was probably pregnant at this time. We can speculate based on our own reactions if our daughter went off for three month and came home pregnant. We certainly know suspicions were that she was a fallen woman. How so? We know from what we are told about Joseph's reaction and plans, until the Angel also comes to him. If Joseph thought the worse, her parents probably did as well. It must have been a very trying time for them.

Think of the strength of Mary’s faith. It is difficult for us to understand how strong she was because we live in Twenty-First century America. Anyone, even teenagers, getting pregnant outside of marriage is hardly uncommon or harshly condemned anymore.

Mary was not only facing ostracism; she was facing accusation of a capital offence.

If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 22:20-21. (NIV)

There would have been no way to hide the fact she was pregnant. Although most women do not show until they are four to five months with child, if Joseph and she married before that time, her loss of virginity would have been discovered on her wedding night. If the marriage were later, then the development of the baby would have exposed her first.

Mary could have claimed she had been raped in the country during her journey to Elisabeth’s home.

But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. Do nothing to the girl; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor, for the man found the girl out in the country, and though the betrothed girl screamed, there was no one to rescue her. Deuteronomy 22:25-27 (NIV)

(Although for this to be an acceptable explanation, she would probably have had to begin yelling she had been raped immediately upon meeting other people.

Mary, in her case, was only secure by the Grace of God.