December 15: Show Some Spirit

December 15:

Luke 1:39-45  “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’”

In today’s passage, Mary and Elizabeth are sharing a little “girl” time.  Even though they are at both ends of the age spectrum, both of them are pregnant for the first time, and I imagine them sitting head-to-head whispering their excitement, fear, questions, and apprehension about is to come.

Interestingly enough, Luke pauses to mention that “Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1: 41). Other than the fact that Luke’s commentary was God-breathed and therefore, dictated per God’s direction, how could anyone know that she was filled with the Holy Spirit? Are there physical markers?

There is a woman named Delrose at the church I attend.  She is over 90 years of age and has been a member there for more years than I have been alive. 

When Mike and I first married, we decided to attend this particular church, which so happened to be my husband’s home church.  Naturally, as a married woman and member of the church, I was added to a serving circle. In our church, the serving circles are composed of groups of the female members.  Each group takes a turn throughout the year to serve food and clean up at various church events.

Barely 20 years of age, I remember showing up at my first serving event.  Since it was not my home church, I knew no one. Likewise, at the time, there was an “old guard” of aged church women who ran the church kitchen like a military operation. There were strict rules about equipment, and there was a distinct hierarchy in the chain of command. Unless one understood the nuances of serving in the kitchen, it was best for her to stay under the radar as the old guard was known to be quite gruff and impatient, especially with “newbs.”

Delrose was a member of the “old guard;” however, she was kind and patient.  I recall that she immediately swept me under her wing and helped me learn the ropes of being in a serving circle.  With a smile, gentle teasing, and pleasant conversation, she helped me feel at ease, and in no time, I was working that kitchen just as well as anyone else.  Still to this day, Delrose has a special place in my heart, and I can say with confidence that Delrose was and is filled with the Holy Spirit.

So back to the original question. . .How can you tell if someone is filled with the Holy Spirit? The easy answer is that his/her life reflects the Fruit of the Spirit, which includes: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control (Galatians 5:22).

Delrose loved on me with her kind, patient, and gentle approach.  She could sense that I was apprehensive, so Delrose made sure that she practiced self-control to exude peace and calm that would then trickle over to me.  Her jokes and teasing brought joy to our task and also put me at ease. To this day, I am thankful for her goodness and faithfulness to her Savior. I consider her a model of true faith.

Even though we weren’t there with Mary and Elizabeth to observe Elizabeth’s non-verbals, the conversation that Luke records is enough to let us know that Elizabeth is channeling several of the same characteristics. 

“Blessed are you among women. . .” (Luke 1:42) Immediately, Elizabeth shows love to her cousin.  Technically, from a human standpoint, Elizabeth should have been ticked off at Mary’s seeming-indiscretion.  As an elder woman and a priestess no less, she should have chewed Mary out for such morally-reprehensible behavior.  However, because she is filled with the Holy Spirit, 1) Elizabeth knew the scoop and was aware of what was happening, and 2) Elizabeth practiced the first essential Fruit of the Spirit – Love. 

There was no doubt that Mary probably was apprehensive about crossing Elizabeth’s door step, so Elizabeth immediately put her at ease by calling her “blessed among women.” Rather than focusing on Mary as a source of disgrace (which is probably what the rest of the town was doing), Elizabeth celebrated Mary’s special honor.

“Blessed is the child you will be bear!” (Luke 1:42). Again, love and affirmation flowed from Elizabeth. Where others may have questioned the legitimacy of the child in Mary’s womb, Elizabeth proclaimed not only the legitimacy but the special honor that awaited the unborn child.

“But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1: 43) Elizabeth’s humility bolstered and encouraged Mary.  I have no doubt that Mary had been experiencing scorn and rejection by those around her.  Even though she was a young woman of incomparable faith, it had to have been wearing on her.  Elizabeth humbled herself so that Mary’s confidence could grow.

In addition to humility, Elizabeth illustrated faithfulness – not only to Mary but to her Savior as well.  By referencing Mary as “the mother of my Lord,” Elizabeth affirmed her faith in God, the prophecies, and the Christ child.

“As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1: 44). Again, Elizabeth emphasized the joy in the circumstance.  Undoubtedly, Mary had been berated about the shame, disgrace, and embarrassment that she had caused Joseph and her family.  More than ever, she needed to hear that the impending birth was a joyful event.  Elizabeth, filled with the words and attitude of the Spirit, did just that.

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (Luke 1:45). In addition to the love, joy, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness that Elizabeth had channeled already in the conversation, she also offered peace to Mary by commending Mary for her faith.  In spite of the fact that the road she chose would be a bumpy and winding one, Mary’s decision was praised by the Holy Spirit through Elizabeth.

Just as Delrose did for me, Elizabeth did for Mary.  By allowing the Spirit to produce fruit that flowed from the inside out, Elizabeth not only affirmed and encouraged Mary; she also provided a model of faith for Mary as she began one of several difficult challenges in her faith journey.

As we consider all this, the question that arises is with whom do we identify most: Elizabeth, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, or the critical, assumptive, and judgmental townspeople? In order for our lives to reflect the Fruits of the Spirit, we have to be attuned to the Spirit. The only way to do that is through relationship- by spending time with Him in prayer and His Word.

Lamentations 3:25 “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;”

John 11:41 “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.”

Challenge: Study with a classmate. School often can be very stressful. Finding the motivation to study or trying to score high grades can be a challenge. Studying with a friend can be a great solution and much-needed encouragement.