Two childless old people and a young unwed mother from a low-income family. Not exactly power players on the world stage. No one could have guessed that they would change the course of human history. You or I wouldn’t have picked these three to be in the forefront of a mighty movement.
The old couple’s friends and relatives had shaken their heads for years. “Poor Z. And E. They were never able to have children. Who will take care of them in their old age?” Now they were beyond the child-bearing years. Apparently, all their prayers had gone unheard. They would die childless. Yet they remained faithful to God.
“An angel of the Lord appeared to him…
But a lifetime of unanswered prayers had taken their toll on old Z’s faith. He had always been obedient, but the shining ‘anything is possible’ faith of his youth had dimmed with each passing year of infertility.
So who can blame an old man who had been disappointed every month for decades if he was hard to convince that he would father a son after all these years? And not just a normal child, but an extraordinary, destined-for-greatness child?!
“How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
The words of a realist. The words of a man whose hope had died. The words of a man who couldn’t take one more “maybe this time.” He understandably wanted confirmation and he got it!
Altho we may feel his angel visitor was harsh and cursed him for not believing, this angelic response was the undeniable confirmation that the old man craved. He was changed. His loss turned him into a believer. All day, every day, he was reminded of the promise. No more words of doubt would be coming from his lips!
Sure enough, his elderly wife did become pregnant. Her heart was bursting with joy as her body began to bulge with baby John.
“How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”
And now another very unlikely mother enters the narrative.
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged.”
A woman. A young woman. A young, unmarried woman. A young, unmarried, poor woman. The least powerful element of her society.
The young woman lived in a low-class town. The region’s demographics were: poor, uneducated, rural. Overlooked and un-influential. No one expected much from these people. So imagine her consternation when confronted with a supernatural being sent to her with a message that she was especially favored by God!
Surprisingly, the woman’s response wasn’t questioning disbelief like old Z., but simply a request for clarification about the method of how this wondrous event would take place. She wouldn’t have needed to even ask this question if she had been married. She was aware of where babies come from and there was a missing component in her life. She hadn’t had sexual relations with a man. I’m guessing she was expecting the angel to tell her to get married right away so they could have this special baby.
“But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angle’s response couldn’t have been farther outside her imaginings.
Mind-boggling. Otherworldly. Beyond understanding.
Yet another surprise! Happy for her! What can all this mean? God is certainly doing amazing things.
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
No more questions. Just faith and hope.
Hurried preparations. Goodbyes to parents and fiancé. Unable to explain the urgency of her trip, she headed for the household of her old relatives who may be her only ally in this new, incredible adventure. Would they believe her story of an angel visit? Apparently, they were experiencing the miraculous hand of God on them. Surely they would be safe to confide in.
“Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
And so it was that two unlikely mothers gained strength from each other. Elizabeth provided the confirmation that Mary didn’t request, but reveled in.
Poor old Zechariah didn’t muster the faith to believe the unbelievable and his mouth was shut. Sweet, young Mary had the faith to believe the unbelievable and her mouth was opened.
I’m glad for God’s mercy. I’m glad he does tremendous things through unimpressive folks. I don’t know about you, but I’m not so good at doing tremendous things on my own.
Scripture quotes are from the Gospel of Luke chapter 1.