Spirit of Friendship 

(Mary and Elizabeth)

Scripture to read: Luke 1:39-45, 56. 

“39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40  where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard  Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy  Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is  the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should  come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my  womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his  promises to her! 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned  home.” 

Behind the Text: 

Mary - Mary was young, pure and a virgin. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that  she was highly favoured by God. She was to bear God’s child and be the mother of the  Messiah. Although Mary believed, she was puzzled and fearful of public shame (at that time,  she was already betrothed to Joseph!). Though puzzled, she stillsurrendered. Knowing that  Elizabeth was pregnant, Mary made time to go and meet her.

Elizabeth – She was not only the wife of a priest, Zechariah, but also the daughter of one.  Elizabeth had grown old and had given up all hope of becoming a mother until she, too, was favoured by God to conceive and deliver John—the Baptist, the herald to the Messiah. She was Mary’s relative and, at this time, six months pregnant.  

The Text: 

This passage wonderfully captures the elements of friendship. To begin with: Mary is young and a virgin whereas Elizabeth is “well along in years” and past child-bearing age. They do not seem to be relatable to one another at all, right? Mary did not look for a friend who was her peer but rather for a friend who could relate to her and spiritually guide her.

I, too, used to be someone who was comfortable with friends of my own age and intelligence. I refused to be friends with others. When I faced a major crisis in my life, I found that my friends were no help. They wanted to help but didn’t know how. I then understood the problem. They were my own age with very similar experiences but perhaps they hadn’t faced what I was facing at that time. Thankfully, God sent an older sister to me who helped me to overcome the crisis. I learned a lesson there. Mary was child-like and her need for support and encouragement made her go to an older sister who was probably more spiritually mature. We can’t be content just with friends of our own age (which is necessary too). We need older sisters to guide us. They have run the race that we are now running. We can learn from their experience. The true Spirit of friendship breaks the age barrier. 

• Mary visited Elizabeth and it was memorable. The Bible says “Mary hurried….” The word  hurried (spoudes) means diligence, earnestness, speed, zeal. We get the idea that Mary  went with purpose and earnestness. Mary and Elizabeth each shared their story to the  other.  

If you want to form a friendship, start it with openness. Be open, be real, be honest with the other person. The world today, however, is different. There are lots of barriers to open, deep talks. We have various means of communication (WhatsApp, Twitter, etc).  Most of us have become comfortable with limited, less meaningful conversations. We make do with emojis to speak our heart. 

What about media, then? What do you like to watch? What does it promote in you/your  friendship?  

Does it bring in worldly standards to your thinking?  

Does it make you feel overpowered or less capable?  

Does it create “not up to the mark” kind of fear? True friendship doesn’t run in fear.  The true Spirit of friendship avoids distractions and overcomes fear.  

• Elizabeth demonstrated a very sweet and humble spirit, a meekness and love that are so desperately needed in friendship. She was not only older but, by being the wife of a  priest, she was recognised by society as being more honourable and of a higher social  class. Yet Mary, poor and unrecognised by the world, had been chosen by God to serve  in a more special way. Wait a minute. “How is it possible? This is unfair. Why Mary, why  not me?” 

Let me be honest. I love my friends but still, if I had been in Elizabeth’s place, I might  have definitely felt, “It’s unfair, why not me?” Have you ever compared yourself with your  friend? Have you ever felt it’s unfair—not because she had received it but because you  hadn’t received it? Elizabeth showed unconditional love with no envy or jealousy, no  hurt, no withdrawal. Contrary to worldly standards, she rejoiced over Mary’s call. The  true spirit of Friendship is marked by selfless, unconditional love.  

• Finally, Mary and Elizabeth were both chosen by God for different aspects of his plan.  When Mary reached out to Elizabeth, they both acknowledged and understood God’s  plan because they were both exceptionally God fearing. Their meeting was fragrant with  rejoicing and praising God. The difference between godly and worldly friendships is... God. When God is in the middle of a friendship, that friendship always uplifts each  partner and elevates the relationship to a godly standard, avoiding all forms of worldly  standards of pride, envy and malice. The true spirit of friendship requires the true  Spirit of God.

Conclusion

Friendship is a meaningful and purposeful relationship. It goes beyond business relationships.  Mary, a young and blessed woman, breaks all barriers in seeking Elizabeth’s counsel and encouragement during her crisis. Elizabeth, on the other hand, willingly humbled herself to help  Mary. She denied and surrendered herself to push Mary and her child forward.  We need friends of various ages. We need to build a meaningful friendship. We must think for others first and rejoice over their success. Then, we would be able to experience the true spirit of friendship by making true fear, respect and love for God our number one priority .  

Questions for Reflection: 

● Who are your friends? Are they able to mould you spiritually?  

● What do you do when you all get together as friends? Is there an open talk about our  own lives? Do you praise and honor God and his will? Or is it just another movie  hangout?  

● Do we feel spiritually built up after our gathering?  

● Have you compared yourself with your friend? If yes, what was your reaction after the  comparison? (hold back or burst out) 

● What are some of your fears in friendship?