Sometimes it seems you just can’t win.

As I prepare to preach on Luke 1 I was struck by Elizabeth’s response to becoming pregnant with John the Baptist. As an older woman, presumed to be barren, she says, “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.” (Luke 1:25). At the other end of the chronological spectrum young Mary is pregnant with Jesus. Matthew describes Joseph’s situation with these words, “Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.” (Matthew 1:19) I continue to be intrigued by the use of the word disgrace. Mary’s character is questioned at being pregnant so early and out of wedlock and Elizabeth was looked down upon as being childless so late in life. I am comforted to know that living in God’s grace is not a matter of meeting human expectations but rather by being obedient to God’s call and willing to wait on the Lord’s timing. In this respect both Mary & Elizabeth were living in God’s grace.

One more reference to disgrace is found in Acts 5:41 “The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.” I pray that I might be available to God’s call upon my life and always willing to serve the Lord whenever and wherever asked, without regard for what the world will think of me. Thank you Mary, thank you Elizabeth, thank you Apostles for modeling faithful living in spite of the world’s expectations.