Today's Card: A Woman's Wisdom on Your Behalf

From the story of Elizabeth

Her story:

She is best known as Mary’s cousin. Second best as the mother of John the Baptist. Barely known at all for her strength, her voice, her vision, her wisdom. All of these bear mention, to be sure. Within this woman’s story we discover a mentor and muse beyond compare.

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We are introduced to her as the wife of a priest named Zechariah. We quickly learn that she was not able to conceive and that both of them were “very old.” Not quite the start of the story we might hope!

At one point, an angel appeared to Zechariah and told him that Elizabeth would give birth to a son and that they were to name him John. Zechariah said, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (This next part makes me laugh.) The angel said, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be struck silent, unable to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words.” Indeed, Zechariah came out of the temple and could not speak. He returned home and Elizabeth become pregnant.

In her sixth month, the same angel appeared to Mary (Elizabeth’s cousin), saying, among other things, “Do not be afraid; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” There was more to their conversation, the whole how-can-this-be-since-I-am-a-virgin topic and the angel telling her about Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Of all the places Mary could go with this news, Elizabeth is who she chose, who she wanted, who she needed. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby leaped in her womb. Elizabeth exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

Elizabeth gave birth to her son and on the eighth day all the neighbors and relatives showed up for his circumcision and naming—expecting that he would be named after his father. But Elizabeth spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Instead of listening to her, they made signs to Zechariah to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet and then, to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately he could speak ahead. All the neighbors were filled with awe and for miles around people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “Who is this child going to be?” 

That child grew up to be John the Baptist. A wild man who ate nothing but locusts and wild honey, wandered through the desert, and called people to repentance. Later, he was the first to announce that Jesus, his second cousin, was the long-awaited Messiah and even baptized him—launching the official start to his ministry.

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OK! So much in here, yes?!? I could go lots of different directions and offer all kinds of insights and reflections, but I want to jump straight to her wisdom on your behalf (and add a bit more into the mix).