Week 24: Celebrate others: Mary and Elizabeth

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:41–45 ESV)

There’s a beautiful scene between two relatives in Luke 1, as we read about the coming of Jesus. Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist, and her cousin Mary had just been told by an angel that she would give birth to a son and he would be named Jesus, the Son of the Most High. Imagine having this kind of news and needing to process this with a friend. And it’s especially tricky when you are a virgin and learn you are expecting a child.

In Luke 1, Mary visited her relative Elizabeth to tell her the unexpected and life-changing news. At the moment she entered, the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

The interesting part about this moment is Elizabeth’s joy in her response to Mary’s news. She could’ve been a little confused that her cousin had just “one-upped” her by sharing that she was pregnant with the Savior of the world. Instead, she recognized that the Lord was fulfilling his promises through Mary. It was a moment of pure support, praise, and celebration. She immediately proclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42 KJV).

Throughout the Bible, and even in today’s culture, we see moments of jealousy and comparison. Even in Christian communities, we see jealousy and discontentment when God is blessing others. Let’s pray that our children respond to their friends just like Elizabeth did to Mary. Let’s pray that they trust the Lord with their paths and step in as the first one to celebrate with joy for their friends and family.

Jesus, when __________ has a friend or a family member who has great news, let them be the first to celebrate. Let them cast aside the feelings of jealousy and stand firmly in their own journey with God. Let them be known as friends who praise what God is doing in the lives around them.

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