Mary of Nazareth

continued

He turns to tell her they are close to Bethlehem, that they will reach it before sundown.  Tomorrow, they will complete the journey by reporting to the Roman authority and registering their names for the census.  She tries not to think beyond that, knowing they must retrace these steps to head back to their home in Nazareth.  Another week on the road.  

Is it possible that the baby will wait until they make it home again?  God forbid he is born along the way on the roadside. 

She recalls the look of concern in her mother’s eyes when they parted, her hand upon Mary’s shoulder, and the blessing, “The Lord be with you.”  She knows that He is, but still the way is hard.

The day before they left, while the final preparations were being made, her mother took Joseph aside and told him what to expect and what Mary would need should her time arrive.  Mary could only see the back of Joseph’s head as he nodded with understanding and assurance that he would take good care of his young wife and the child that she carried.  Opening her eyes, she spies the same image: the back of her husband’s head as he carefully leads her and the donkey through the other travelers moving along the bustling road.  

Her heart swells with gratitude for this man, humble and obedient toward the Lord, patient and gentle with her.  In the short time they have been married, they have grown to appreciate one another, and she has learned to depend on his strength and steadfastness.  As she murmurs a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of her husband, her mind drifts back over memories of the past months.

. . . . .

After the angel Gabriel visited and revealed God’s plan for her, she had felt alive in a way she had never experienced before.  Her whole being was full of strength and life, and her heart overflowed with faith, hope, and love. The feelings were so overwhelming she didn’t know quite what to do or how to behave.  The angel had told her such wonderful things, such incredible things that even though she believed him, she didn’t know how to talk about them.  

How could she put this encounter into words?  Who would believe her?! 

Her only thought was to visit her distant cousin Elisabeth in the hill country of Judea.  The angel had said that Elisabeth, who was beyond mothering years, was expecting a child.  Perhaps she had some understanding of Mary’s situation and could help her piece it all together.  Without delay, she asked her parents for permission to visit Elisabeth, and then joined the company of some relatives who were traveling to Judea to help with the olive harvest. 

She called out to Elisabeth as she entered her home, “Shalom, Elisabeth!  Your cousin Mary is here.  Peace be within your house!”

Instead of responding in kind with the customary “Shalom!”  Elisabeth let out a gasp of surprise and then a cry of joy!  She nearly shouted in reply, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child that you bear!”  

Mary was shocked that Elisabeth would say such words to her, knowing that she was unmarried.  She almost looked around to see if her cousin was speaking to someone else.

Did Elisabeth know what the angel had told her?!

As Elisabeth stood and crossed the room to clasp Mary’s hand, she saw her cousin’s rounded belly and knew that she was truly with child.  Her heart was thrilled to see the confirmation of the angel’s words.  She knew she was witnessing a miracle.

“But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elisabeth continued, her eyes wide with amazement.  “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Suddenly, the wellspring of emotions that Mary had held in check over the previous week was uncapped.  Her conviction that the promises Gabriel spoke were true bubbled up from her heart.  The words she could not find took shape, and she could no longer hold back her joy and praise!  A poem, more like a song, burst forth from her lips, and soon she and Elisabeth were laughing and crying in each other’s arms.

The time Mary spent with Elisabeth and her husband Zechariah was exactly what she needed.  She stayed with them during the last months of Elisabeth’s pregnancy and the first months of her own, wondering together at the mystery of God’s plans.  She assisted Elisabeth through the labor and delivery of her healthy and strong baby boy, aware that this would be her own task in the not too distant future.  She witnessed the look of sheer elation in Zechariah’s eyes, with tears streaming down his weathered face, as she placed his promised son into his arms.  

How I hope that my own son receives such a welcome when he is born.  “Please, God, make a way,” she prayed.

A few days after baby John’s birth and naming ceremony, Elisabeth and Mary agreed that it was time for her to return to Nazareth.  She knew the months to come would bring many challenges which she must face, trusting that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her as He had to Elisabeth and Zechariah.  She asked them to pray for her that she would find the words to tell her parents and her betrothed Joseph and that by God’s grace, they would have understanding.  

. . . . .

Soon after arriving home, she told her mother who was shocked by Mary’s account of the angel and his words, as well as the story about Elisabeth and Zechariah.  At the conclusion, her countenance was grave.  

“Are you certain you are with child?” was all she said.

When Mary nodded, she said, “I see.  We must speak to your father.”

Her father responded by peppering her with questions: “How long had she known?  Was it Joseph?  If not, did she love another man?  Had someone taken advantage of her?  How could it be possible that she was pregnant if no man was involved?  Was she hiding something from them?”

She tried to answer as patiently as possible.  She knew they were struggling to understand what could not be explained, but her parents’ response wounded her heart, and the repeated questioning brought her to tears.  She had always tried to be a faithful and obedient daughter.  It grieved her that they could not comprehend what was happening to her and were forming a bad opinion of her. 

At last, her father perceived that she could not be dissuaded from her story.  He did not understand, but he must accept the situation as it was.  Once her condition began to show, he knew he must inform Joseph, the man he had arranged for her to marry.  Broken-hearted and embarrassed, her father told Joseph about Mary, leaving it to the other man to proceed as he thought best.  He did not share the story of the angel visitation;  all he shared with her betrothed was that she was found to be with child.  

Joseph was stunned.  He was a fine and well-respected man.  Because of Mary’s excellent reputation, her father had been able to make a good match for her, and it was understood that she would bring her husband honor and blessing as she became his wife.  In return, it was expected that he would look after her well.  

  The news hit Joseph hard, and his heart was greatly troubled.  He was in disbelief over what Mary’s father had told him.

Was it possible they had all misjudged this girl? How could this have happened when she was known to always stay close to home with her mother or with her brother’s family?  Of course, she had spent those months in the hill country with her cousin Elisabeth … 

He was still in a state of shock when he formed a plan to break off their engagement – formally, but as quietly as possible because he respected her father and wished her family no further injury.  But then another miracle occurred, further confirming what her heart already knew: that this was the work of God.  An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him not to fear, but to go ahead and marry her as planned.

She wept with gratitude when he sent word that he wanted her to become his wife immediately.  Her father was surprised, but also very relieved, and gave his blessing as best he could.  The wedding happened quickly without much celebration, but Mary didn’t mind.  She was just so thankful that God had provided this man to be her husband, that someone would stand by her side through this unusual calling.  She was aware that he, too, had been chosen for this responsibility, just as she had been.  Her parents were chosen as well, although they may not have understood.  She was grateful for their love and that they had not shunned her or even stoned her as the law allowed.  She recognized that they all carried the burden of this child in different ways. 

. . . . .

Joseph now steps back to walk beside her.  Sensing his presence, she opens her eyes and smiles at him gently.  She knows he does not fully understand what is happening – nor does she really – but he knows that he has been called and he is willing to obey.  In this way, they are alike.  

As the road crests a hill, he points out the city of Bethlehem lying below.  This journey is almost over.  At the same time, a dull pain spreads through her abdomen, and she feels her muscles tighten just for a moment.  A tremor of awareness goes through her.  She knows her time is coming, although it may still be a few days; she remembers sitting with Elisabeth, watching and waiting.  But it has begun.  Soon the words of the angel will be fulfilled.  She will give birth to her first child, a son, the promised one.  Nervous excitement stirs in her heart, along with joy, expectation, and wonder.  Looking ahead toward Bethlehem, she prays under her breath, “Let it be to me according to Your word.  Amen.”