Hospitality Heals Our Estrangement
“Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” What’s this about? Luke doesn’t tell us why she went or what she was looking for but maybe we can get a clearer picture of what’s going on if we put this coming Sunday’s gospel from Luke 1:39-25 in a larger context. The angel Gabriel has just told Mary that she has been chosen and favored by God, that God is with her, that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her, that she will conceive and give birth to a son, the Son of God, and she will name him Jesus.
As soon as Gabriel makes his announcement and departs, so does Mary, with haste. She wastes no time. She hits the road running and heads for the hills as they say. Maybe she’s excited and wants to share this good news. Maybe she wants to celebrate what is happening in her. Maybe she’s overwhelmed and needs someone to talk to. Maybe she is trying to figure out how to deal with Joseph, her mom, and dad. Maybe it’s any one of these things, all of them, or a thousand other things that caused Mary to leave with haste. Whatever Mary’s reasons, you and I know what that’s like. Haven’t there been times in your life when you set out in haste looking for something or someone familiar to stand with you in the midst of the unexpected and unfamiliar?
Throughout our lives we find ourselves in situations or circumstances that are incomprehensible, strange, or new. They’re beyond our previous experience and more often than not they leave us feeling estranged from ourselves. I don’t think Mary is running away from home, her life, or herself. But, I think she leaves home so she can return, and she knows Elizabeth is one who can help her come back to her home, her life, and herself.
Mary doesn’t go to just anyone. She goes to Elizabeth, her older cousin, her go-to person. Elizabeth is getting on in years, “who was said to be barren” and who is now 6 months pregnant, just as Gabriel had said would happen. She went to someone who would love her and not judge her - someone who would encourage and offer her hope, truth, and assurance. What I am really describing here is hospitality. The hospitality Elizabeth offered Mary was more than an open door, a warm welcome, and a place to stay. It was a prayer commending Mary to God. It was a blessing that gave Mary back to herself. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” Elizabeth says to Mary. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” That’s how deep and authentic hospitality works. It’s an event in which we recognize God’s presence and leap for joy. It’s an event that is pregnant with possibilities and new life.
How is that event of hospitality alive in you today? Allow yourself to recognize the hospitality of God’s presence in your life this Advent season so that it can cause you to leap for joy. As we begin to recognize the hospitality of God’s presence in our lives, consider accepting this invitation to come to Grace this Advent Season – be part of this congregation that is filled with prayer, fun, laughter, and love for Jesus! Experience the presence of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. All come at Jesus’ invitation – the young and old, the assured and the doubting, the wise and the foolish, and the in-between. All are welcome here! Come to the Feast!
Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday and Christmas Eve as we “celebrate God’s love together,”
Blessings and Peace,
The Reverend David O. Guss, Ph.D. - Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church.
