The Encouragement Among Believers

Introduction

Have you ever had a situation, where you did the right thing, but the people around you were actually disappointed or angry with you?

Over the last several weeks we were introduced to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a young girl, between 12-13, set to marry Jospeh. She is described as having favor with God. Suddenly, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah.

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Good news right? It is absolutely and we are told that Mary said to Gabriel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Lk 1:38. But there is no indication of naivety here. Would Mary and Joseph’s family share Mary’s faith. Would Jospeh? Would her community? The penalty for adultery is stoning, and a pregnancy during the betrothal would be evidence of adultery. It would bring shame to Mary’s family.

The enormity of the situation is beyond the ability of a young girl barely into her teens. Mary would have been illiterate with no skills or resources. Her only defense when it is discovered she is pregnant would be, “I am a virgin and I am carrying God’s son.” Would you believe her? Can you imagine the burden she felt? There is no indication that she was afraid. But there is also no indication she is naive to the weightiness of the situation either. The more I study Mary, the more I am astonished at Mary’s bravery and maturity.

No one ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrows burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear.

Le me also say this, the person who accepts the role of Christian leadership find themselves in a very lonely place. The burdens of leadership can seem overwhelming at times and they are not meant to be shouldered alone. At the same time, we must be very careful about who we ask to help shoulder that burden. There are people God never intended or equipped to carry what you carry as a leader.

Whether you are a leader or not, life will deliver its fair share of burdens. So what do you do when faced with life’s burdens? Some people try to “suck it up”, hide it, retreat to seclusion. Others turn to unhealthy and even self-destructive behaviors. Many Christians retreat from their church community. Other people have learned to cling to prayer, the strength of others, and they’ve learned to worship in the storm.

Mary Went With Haste

English Standard Version Chapter 1

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.

The two important words here are the operant (Mary went) and the descriptor (with haste). Luke doesn’t provide us with the reasoning behind Mary’s quick departure. Gabriel doesn’t tell Mary she needed to go visit Elizabeth; perhaps it’s implied. For Mary to travel during her Betrothal would be unusual. Luke only tells us that Zechariah and Elizabeth live in the Judea Hill Country. Probably, somewhere near Jerusalem since Zechariah was a priest. That means that Mary would have traveled 60 or 70 miles through the rugged terrain.

I think Mary’s departure is a further reflection of her faith. Gabriel tells Mary that Elizabeth is pregnant and Mary goes there. Mary would understand the significance and the miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. There is a Divine bond that now exists between Mary and Elizabeth. Her need to go is likely for mutual support. If anyone would understand about Mary’s situation, it would be Elizabeth and visa-versa.

The message here is that we are to be intentional and quick with encouraging each other. There is a precedence in our going to others. We follow the Spirit and we don’t lag behind, even do so at great risk or cost. God places believers together and we are to continually encourage each other and help each other with burdens

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 8:31 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Mark 10:27 ESV

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Matthew 17:20 ESV

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

A young man said he had tried to tell an older gentleman about the love of Jesus. The old gentleman replied, “I feel none of the love of God. I feel nothing of God caring for my burdens. I am old and must take care of myself, shop for myself, and carry my groceries home from the store, by myself.” The young man was stifled to provide an answer, to which I said to him, “You were the answer.” Do you know someone today who needs encouragement? Go with haste.

When Mary arrives, she would come into the courtyard of the home and call out to her aunt to which the infant John, still in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy. Remember that Gabriel told Zechariah that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his conception (Luke 1:15). “Such comfort there is in the presence of Christ (though but in the womb) as it made John to spring. What then shall it be in heaven, think we?” (Trapp).

May I also say a couple of important facts regarding the unborn here. Science has once again caught up with Scripture in understanding that the unborn are aware of their mother’s emotional state, but they have their emotions in their mother’s womb. Secondly, Luke points out that John leaped for Joy. Mothers are very atuned to the movements of their child by now. Such attempts at physiological explanation miss the point of the narrative. John is seen from the very beginning in his forerunner ministry by his response (Luke 1:17). Last, Jesus would be just a few days or a couple of weeks conceived by now, but even as a small Zygote, Jesus was recognized as Immanuel - God with us.

Elizabeth’s Blessing to Mary

English Standard Version Chapter 1

And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Luke, Volumes 1 & 2 Elizabeth’s Song

These verses show the joy that comes whenever anyone recognizes that Jesus is the Christ. The first to recognize him was John, whose calling it was to announce Christ’s coming.

(Phillip Ryken)

Elizabeth’s response to the arrival of Mary (with Jesus) is amazing. Keep in mind, as far as we know, Elizabeth has no idea of Mary’s pregnancy. This revelation appears to come from the Holy Spirit who comes upon Elizabeth. Elizabeth is not worshiping Mary here, but being blessed by Mary’s faith and in turn blessing Mary as a woman.

Elizabeth also exclaims, “And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43). The highest honor here is given to Jesus. The most important thing about Mary is not Mary, but Jesus. Mary was a blessed woman because she took God at His word. Her honor comes in being the birth mother of Jesus, and the highest praise is to him. The word Elizabeth uses here for Lord is kyrios. It is the word the Greek Septuagint uses in place of YHWH. It is also used by Luke 95 times as a title to Jesus.

Do you see what happened here? The King of all mercy, joy, and peace entered into the home, even in the humbled state of being in Mary’s womb, the atmosphere was changed. Are you carrying the burden alone? The whole atmosphere changed with the coming of Jesus and the fellowship of believers in the Holy Spirit. Imagine what Mary must have felt at the words of Elizabeth. Any bit of doubt or fear within her must have instantly fled.

“God uses broken people like you and me to encourage broken people like you and me.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Sometimes we carry burdens so God can make us encourager and comforter. He encourages us, so we can do the same to others. I’ve been through so many different trials as a believer that it’s easier for me to be an encourager than it might be for others. Usually I can identify with someone’s situation because I’ve been in a similar situation before. I know how others feel. I know how to comfort. I know what to say and what not to say. Likewise, when I am facing challenges as a leader I seek those who understand the burdens of leadership for council and encouragement.

“Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.”

Ephesians 6:10–12 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Mary’s Words of Worship

English Standard Version Chapter 1

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48  for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49  for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

50  And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

51  He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

53  he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

54  He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

55  as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Mary’s song of praise is known as the Magnificat. “The essence of the Magnificat does not consist in its particular language or figures of speech, but in its revolutionary blueprint of divine favor. It is a hymn not of the proud, but of the powerless; not of just deserts, but of unexpected grace; not of a world fully controlled and determined by human powers, but overturned by divine comedy. God is the subject of nearly every verb, and the verbs are all transitive: they do not declare who God is, but what God does as the powerful deliverer of the needy and oppressed. God does not turn away from want and oppression, but toward both in compassion and rescuing intervention. In most religions a meeting with God requires the low to ascend high, sinners to become saints. The Magnificat reverses all protocol and expectations: God who is high becomes low. He sees human need and initiates a revolution that reorders reality: the transcendent God intercedes on behalf of a lowly young woman and calls her blessed; the Almighty gives mercy to those who fear him and scatters the strong, proud, and rich, while filling the hungry and needy with all good things.

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, 56.

I am astonished at Mary’s maturity. Under the inspiration of the the Holy Spirit, nearly every line and stanza is filled with Scripture including Genesis, 1 Samuel, Psalms, Isaiah, Micah, Habbakuk. This underscores two important points. First we are reminded as a church for the need to invest heavily into spiritual formation of our children and teens. Mary’s knowledge of Scripture is a testament to the faith of her family and the upbringing she received in her synagogue.

Secondly, we could look at this as the first Christian worship service. Our worship music, liturgy, services should give Scripture the same priority. Mary sings a beautiful and poetic song of praise to God, which is entirely Scriptural. We tend to look at styles and poetry and ignore the lack prominence of Scripture in our modern worship music.

Conclusion

The encouragement among Mary and Elizabeth is rooted solely in the presence of Jesus. We too are to be encouragers, burden bearers, weight lifters. But the ease of burdens is found in the coming and presence of Jesus. In the book, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes how the sinfulness of his humanity weighed down the Pilgrim as an unrelenting weight. “I fear that this burden upon my back will sink me lower than the grave,” he says, staggering under its weight.

But as Christian approaches the hill called Calvary: “Up...did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back. He ran thus till he came to a place somewhat ascending; and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre.”

Bunyan continues, “So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.”

Take it to the Cross

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