Mary’s journey of about sixty miles (on foot!) from Nazareth to near Jerusalem to visit and care for Elizabeth may be seen as an outstanding act of charity, as well as a very human indication that she could not keep good news to herself. But Luke, of course, probes this event more deeply and finds also the fulfillment of scriptural symbolism. Mary, in carrying Jesus, is the new ark of the covenant, the sign of God’s presence among his people. This journey resembles in broad outline the transfer of the ark to Jerusalem in 2 Sam 6. Note especially the cry of David in 2 Sam 6:9 and his dance in vv 14-16 as corresponding to Elizabeth’s greeting and the activity of her unborn baby. Mary is a source of blessing for the house of Zachariah and Elizabeth, just as the Lord blessed the house of Obededom — and the duration of the stay is the same, three months (2 Sam 6:11).

Another echo from the past is the image of Mary as the victorious woman. Elizabeth’s blessing-greeting (v 42) recalls the blessing of Deborah upon Jael after she had killed Sisera (Jdgs 5:24) and, more remotely, that of Judith after she had beheaded Holofernes (Jdt 13:17-18; 15:9-10), Thus Mary is seen from the very beginning as the woman who assures final victory of the enemies — sin and oppression.

Micah succeeded Isaiah in prophetic spirit, and the content of his message was basically the same: the sinful and corrupt Jewish nation would be destroyed in a violent judgment, but a select remnant would emerge, and the messianic promises would be fulfilled in them. This prophecy looks back to the origins of king David — a young shepherd boy from a tiny town (see 1 Sam 16) — in contrast to the empty vainglory of the present king in Jerusalem (= Zion, chapters 1-3). David’s simple origins are to be the model for the future king who would restore Jerusalem to her true strength and glory in the Lord.

This psalm sets side by side two different metaphors for the Lord’s rule and care — that of shepherd (vv 2-7) and vine-grower (vv 9-20). Each is developed beautifully in its own right, but they do not mix well (as this selection of verses attempts to do) because they represent two completely distinct and often antagonistic types of people: shepherds, who were nomads having little regard for property boundaries; and farmers, who were settled folk whose existence depended on the integrity of their fixed parcels of land. Nevertheless, a sense of confidence in God’s care for his own comes through. Response: "Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved."

A genuine religious spirit sees sacrifice as an outward sign of an inner recognition of God’s lordship over all creation, an act of submission to him. This often degenerates into a manipulative view of sacrifice as having value to "buy" God’s favor. This is at the heart of the distinction made in the letter to the Hebrews between Christ’s sacrifice and the Jewish sacrifices. His is perfect because it does not depend on the offering of some external thing but consists in the total acceptance of the divine nature into humanity by the human will of Jesus Christ. His fidelity and love is the one effective model for all time of our acceptance of God into our lives, and so a repetition of limited sacrifices is no longer needed nor even possible.

1. How do the qualities and actions of Mary, as the bearer of Christ, speak to your life as a Christian?

2. How can Jesus’ accomplishment of the Father’s will be the model for your own following of God’s will?