As Mary moves toward the time when Jesus is going to be born and Elizabeth is looking at the arrival of John, the two women get together. As they are approaching each other, something happens that is rather unusual in one sense and normal in another.
Luke 1:41 (NASB95) When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.The middle phrase of this verse doesn’t portray anything unusual. Babies kick, squirm, punch and other assorted movements while they’re still in the womb. I can remember before mine were born, putting in my hands on the distended belly of my wife and feeling the movement, and if I was really lucky, even getting my hand knocked away. There’s nothing unusual in that.
What was unusual was that this led to Elizabeth being aware that she was being filled with the Holy Spirit. She must have shared this with Mary and when Luke was interviewing Mary later on, she must have related it to him. This is unusual. Pregnancy doesn’t usually end up in this kind of thing.
By coincidence this morning I was reading in Psalms and came across this verse,
Psalm 39:3 (NASB95) My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue:We need to be aware that God is quite capable of stirring up our inner emotions and our thoughts. He’s capable of focusing us or refocusing. One of the reasons that we remember special days is that so we can gather our thoughts, contemplate, and perhaps decide to do things a little bit different in the future.
Mary and Elizabeth were stirred as they got together. During this holiday season use the times when we gather with friends and family to allow God to make something jump within us, perhaps you can have a renewal of the Holy Spirit in your life this time of year.
Merry Christmas.
homo unius libri
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