Friendship

The angel’s announcement was probably still ringing in Mary’s ears, along with the fears and unknowns. Was it even possible that a small-town teenager, and a virgin at that, could be carrying a divinely conceived Savior?

She remembered something else the angel had said.

"And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:36-37)

So Mary “went with haste” to see Elizabeth, about a 100-mile journey. She needed a friend — someone she could talk to, someone who would understand. Luke shares a glimpse of her arrival.

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)

Mary’s response to this knowing and loving welcome is called The Magnificat; it’s a beautiful, heartfelt song of praise. Luke writes that she stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, probably until the birth of Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist, before she returned home to Nazareth.

We don’t know a lot about what happened during those three months, but we can draw some lessons for friendship from what we do see in this passage.

First, God showers love on us and fills our needs through friendships that reflect Him. He kindly provided Elizabeth to Mary and filled her with the Holy Spirit so she would instantly understand her young cousin and recognize the miracle she was carrying. The first book of John says, “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). Elizabeth’s warm greeting had to be soul-filling and faith-affirming for Mary, and during the weeks that followed, the two women undoubtedly shared conversations that uplifted and encouraged them both. They were able to give one another love because they were close to ultimate source of love.

We also see two women of different generations, yet they were sharing similar experiences. Our similarities tie us with one another, but our diversity offers different vantage points. And wisdom isn’t exclusive to old age.

Another notable trait of their friendship is that Mary and Elizabeth mutually submitted to one another. Elizabeth’s posture was humility, while Mary demonstrated sacrifice as she traveled a long distance to serve, we can assume, her cousin in her last trimester even when she was facing her own trials. It’s a beautiful picture of what Peter shared, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5)

And finally, Mary and Elizabeth pointed each other to Jesus. They stepped outside of the gravity and excitement of the moment, and tuned in to the One whose glory they were witnessing, the One who would sustain them, and the One who was the point of it all.

As we consider these two friends, we must also face the reality that The Fall has woven a thread of sinfulness into our female friendships. Our inclination is to compete and compare. But when Jesus is invited into our relationships, it is an overflow of his love and grace that allows us to experience the gift of friendship that Mary and Elizabeth shared.

Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, you are the point of it all. Surround us with women who will direct us to you. Show us how to be better friends, how to humble ourselves and how to love one another as you love us. We ask that you grant us wisdom as we navigate our relationships so that we will invest in those that will glorify you and set boundaries to guard us from others. May you be the love of our lives, for we will only find perfection in you. Amen.