What a warm scene! Two women, related by blood but separated in age by many years, sharing each other's joy in their pregnancies. Mary was probably still a teenager, while Elizabeth was thought to be well past the age of childbearing.
In the normal course of things in an ancient Near East setting, young Mary would be required to show submissive respect to her older cousin. How surprising it is, then, to hear Elizabeth praising Mary and even calling Mary's baby "my Lord." Here was a woman with spiritual discernment and maturity, and she knew that even though her pregnancy was a miracle of God, Mary's was an even greater miracle. Elizabeth had the rare ability to honor someone who should have been considered her inferior.
About thirty years later, when the two boys have become men, John finds himself in a situation similar to his mother's so long before. He has become a well-known and respected man of God with a prophetic ministry. And yet, when John learns about the ministry of his younger cousin, he speaks that sentence that has become so famous: "He must become more important while I become less important." (John 3:30).
Where did John learn such humility? It is hard to miss the parallel with Elizabeth's words to Mary. John had a wonderful example in a godly, humble mother.
Let us never forget how much our behavior is learned by our children, is copied by them, and then becomes part of their character. May God help all of us who are parents to represent the character of Jesus to our children in the way we live.
- 19 MARCH -