Reflecting chapters: Luke 1 and 2
The character ‘Elizabeth’ appears only once in the entire Bible in the Gospel according to Luke. While all the pomp and glory seem to surround Mary’s pregnancy in the birth narratives, it is often done so by pushing Elizabeth’s pregnancy into the background. Even though the two pregnancies may seem contrasting, both stories have their own significance. Today, we will only focus on Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
Pregnancy, one of the most natural phenomena on earth, happens to be ‘universally common’ and culturally unique at the same time. It is traditionally believed that women have the special God-given privilege to be able to conceive, grow, and nurture a child inside the womb and thereafter give birth. At the same time, it can be a very lonely process. Even worse for women who cannot give birth.
Growing up in an Indian Christian household, I recall the phrase ‘good news’ being thrown around quite often. While this literally meant the gospel of Jesus Christ as given in the Bible, many Indian Christians would tell you that “good news” is better known to carry the meaning of a couple sharing news of their pregnancy. I know of many newly married couples who have been annoyed with the question, “Any good news?” only a few months into their marriages. The idea is simple. Get married, have kids. Parents, In-laws, Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents, Neighbors, Church folk, friends of our parents, that random person who showed up at the wedding, so many people want you to have a child as soon as you are married. The stress is real.
For Elizabeth, her ‘good news’ came in a strange way. According to the Bible, she was ‘barren’ and up in age. Imagine the stress she must have gone through! Moreover, her priest-husband, Zechariah, got into a little trouble as he could not believe the words of an angel who appeared to him bringing him his ‘good news.’ As a result, Zechariah was impaired in speech.
Following this turn of events, Elizabeth conceives and surprisingly goes into seclusion for five months (see Luke 1:24). The Bible does not really give us details on why Elizabeth goes into seclusion for five months, but it gives us the space to wonder why she could have. One can imagine from an Indian cultural perspective what a big deal barrenness is, and Elizabeth passed through. But, God intervened and changed her narrative (becoming pregnant after being called “barren” is somewhat of a Biblical template for instance like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah etc.).
Going into seclusion as soon as she was conceived can be an act of rejoicing, perhaps even an act of protest in the face of people who always poke their noses into people's private affairs. Perhaps, she even thrived in that seclusion. Imagine having a mute husband during your pregnancy!
Elizabeth and Mary eventually met and supported each other in their pregnancies for a few months before Elizabeth gave birth to John. Somewhere at this point the “Magnificat,” a song traditionally attributed to Mary, was sung. This song, also a song of liberation, is accepted today as Mary’s own song. However, there are some ancient manuscripts that point to Elizabeth being the author of this famous song. There is a footnote also offered in some Bible translations. There is so much happening here in the first two chapters of Luke and especially in the pregnancy story of Elizabeth!
We so often gloss over the fact that Christmas is essentially a birth story. It involves bodily fluids, changing physiological appearances in the mother, a lot of aches and pains, and a lot of fears and anxieties for the couple involved. By the time this article is published, my wife and I would have had our first baby or maybe not! Our pregnancy story is one of a kind just like every other pregnancy story. I have personally been exposed to so many aspects of the mysteries of human life in these past 40 weeks and it has made a huge impact on me. Being pregnant during a pandemic came with its added challenges. In many ways it felt lonely, but the hope of seeing a baby at the end of it offered us joy to handle the anxieties.
Elizabeth and Mary had their own pregnancy stories. Between conception and birth there is so much drama. In essence, it is the creation of a human being, dirty beings formed from the dust and dirt of the earth. Do you have your own pregnancy story? Share it with others! Do you know of a family member or a friend with one? Go and talk to them about it this Christmas because God chose the dirty and wonderful route of pregnancy to enter our world as Jesus! Would you not want to know the details?
Prayer
Dear God, may this advent season open our eyes, hearts, and minds to the realities of our own existence, beginning with our own birth narratives so that we may more fully understand the purpose of your Incarnation in our midst. Amen.
Author: Ben Jonathan Immanuel
About the author: Ben works with the Student Christian Movement of India as one of the Executive Secretaries. He holds a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the United Theological College, Bengaluru. His growing areas of interest are theology, technology, and everything to do with time and space. He and his wife, Sonia, are expecting their first child in the first week of December.
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