Bible Study Notes: St Luke’s Gospel
Session 5 - Chapter 1 vv 39-56
Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to
a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah's house, and
greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her
womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,
You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my
womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come
true!
And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news; I'm dancing the song of my
Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most
fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name
is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out
in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies,
piled them high.
It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to
now.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her
own home.
© The
Message
For the next two Sundays in our Church's Lectionary we shall be considering the role of St John the Baptist (StJB) in God's plan of salvation, a most significant role.
Today in our study we shall consider the newly pregnant Mary visiting her cousin, Elizabeth who is also pregnant and to be the mother of StJB.
There is a remarkable poem written by a remarkable Trappist Monk called Thomas Merton and I have enclosed this for us to read today.
In this poem he is retelling the story of Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth. Merton depicts Mary leaving behind her familiar surroundings, the lemon trees, the fishing boats, the oil press and the winemaking courtyards.
Her clothes fly like sails, what wonderful imagery. He asks her what truth lies behind her eyes as grey as doves.
As she greets Elizabeth the child leaps in her cousin's womb. Merton likens Mary's salutation to a monastery bell, a call to faith experience. The unborn john wakes in his mother's body and jumps with the discovery. It is a dance of faith. What was it about Mary that awakened John?
Well Merton does not wait for words for him the ecstasy of that leap in the womb was its own Gospel revealing the joy of being filled with God's Spirit. In the face of such a mystery we are listeners to skies we do not at first understand with our heads but only with our hearts. Time enough for learning later. Mary, the Theotokos (God bearer) will bring her presence to us as ell. Her child will wake us up and will express out praise as joy takes hold of us.
Elizabeth then praises Mary, "Blessed are you for having believed". Mary's faith made possible God's entry of salvation and love into our human condition. She is probably the best faith witness we have.
Tat this point Mary breaks into song in what we now call the Magnificat. She proclaims the greatness of the Lord and attributes her joy to God. Her humility makes it possible for God to give her a sense of fulfilment. She attributes nothing to herself, but all to the Mighty One whose name is Holy.
She goes on to recall how God ministers to the lowly and the weak and raises them up, whilst dispersing the arrogant and removing the powerful from their thrones.
She reminds us that God will fill those who hunger for love, justice and mercy with everything they dreamed of. Those who are loveless because they trust only in riches remain empty because that is what they have chosen.
So where did Mary get this view of God from? You will recall last session we looked at a possible source for this great hymn of praise. A hymn heard every day in this church and thousands all over the world. A hymn based on joy! Let's look again at the 1st book of Samuel the 2nd chapter and remind ourselves of the story of Hannah.
St Augustine likened this hymn to, 'a cry of joy beyond words which even with all its exuberance fails to express the completely the joy in her heart'.
It is the unrestrained song of radiant joy. It was diving music. The point is that when we sing to God, whatever our voices are like, we are pleasing god by our joy at receiving so great a love as that which he offers us.
© Fr Michael Fuller: December 2007