Articles
Having a Faith like Elizabeth and Mary
In Luke 1, the first account Luke writes is about a woman named Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah–Zacharias depending on your Bible’s version–who was a priest. One day as the priests were burning incense he had a vision of an angel. He was told by the angel that he and his wife would have a son called John, that their son would be a Nazarite, and that he would prepare the hearts of the Israelites for the Lord. Since Zechariah and Elizabeth were old, he was skeptical and probably surprised about the angel’s message, so he questioned it and was made mute for his disbelief. The Bible doesn’t say what Elizabeth’s reaction to her husband being mute had been. Luke 24 simply says, “After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, ‘Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.’”
Jewish society during Elizabeth’s time would have viewed childlessness as a punishment and as being disapproved of by God. Elizabeth knew that God was the only one who could have made having a child at her age a reality. She didn’t question the miraculous gift like her husband, but gave the credit to God. There exists much conjecture surrounding why she hid herself after giving birth to John. However, since she gave Him the credit he was due, Christian readers know that her decision to hide herself was righteous. Much like Jesus would later on, she took the time to be alone with God that she needed. How many of us would have proclaimed the blessing to all or even been tempted to flaunt it?
Unlike Elizabeth’s situation, Mary most likely wouldn’t have been tempted to flaunt her pregnancy because Jewish society would have viewed her as an adulteress and wouldn’t have been kind to her. Yet, Mary displays her faith because despite knowing these consequences, Mary reacted to her news of pregnancy by responding to the angel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). We also know of Mary’s heartfelt faith for God when she questioned the angel about becoming pregnant despite being virgin. God told the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” When Zechariah questioned the angel about having a baby, God’s messenger tells him his punishment was a result of his unbelief (Luke 1:20). Yet, when Mary asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” in Luke 1:34, the Bible doesn’t note any unbelief in her heart.
The remarkable heartfelt faith displayed by Elizabeth and Mary in Luke 1 is an inspiration for all Christians. Whether we view our situations as blessings like Elizabeth or potential trials like Mary, God will be there to help us get through them. Thus, like these two amazing women, we must be heartfelt and steadfast in our faith.
