INTRO: What would Joseph think of her? What would her family and community say? This is the story of Mary’s visit to stay with her cousin Elizabeth and telling Joseph what the angel had told her. This poem looks at Mary’s reaction to receiving this wonderful yet life-changing news from God’s angel. How could Mary, engaged to be married to Joseph, explain why she was pregnant out of wedlock. Her visit to Elizabeth would be an encouragement to Mary as God’s Spirit had worked a miracle in Elizabeth’s body as well, who was beyond childbearing years and yet was now three months pregnant with the last and most important prophet of God, John the Baptist.
This poem is Part 5 of 8 parts to the poetic script that follows the Christmas Story from the very beginning to end. I will be publishing one of the Christmas poems each week leading up to Christmas week. Beverley Joy
PODCAST – Mary and Elizabeth – The Christmas Story Part 5
Mary’s pregnancy would bring great shame
To both Mary and her fiancé
Would Joseph understand the angel and God’s plan?
And what would her family say?
Her friends, family, and community
Would disgrace her for the pregnancy
Accusing her of adultery
And the birth of an illegitimate child.
Mary told Joseph, he was very upset
Then she walked a four-day journey
To visit her cousin Elizabeth
Who was now six months pregnant.
The baby growing inside Elizabeth
Jumped for joy
When Mary arrived at her front door
Together they praised God with great joy.
Mary stayed with her for three months
Till Elizabeth was full term
Mary sang a song of praise to God
Known as ‘The Magnificat’.
Down through the ages
God’s people had waited and prayed
For the long-awaited Saviour
Growing silently in Mary’s womb.
To be continued…
Beverley Joy © 2019 of Simply Story Poetry All Rights Reserved
Why not listen to or read the whole Christmas story: The Christmas Story Part 1, Four Unusual Women Part 2, 700BC Part 3, Mary Part 4, Mary and Elizabeth Part 5, Joseph Part 6 and The Saviour is Born Part 7.
Read or listen to my poems of Women of the Bible: It Takes Two To Tango The Adulterous Woman of John 8:1-11, She Gave From Her Heart The Woman and the Two Coins Luke 21:1-4, Sweet Temptation Eve Genesis 3, Feast or Famine Ruth and I Am Ruth, ‘Thirst Quenching’ The Woman at the Well, Mary – The Christmas Story Part 2 Four Unusual Women, Part 4 Mary, The Christmas Story Part 5 Mary and Elizabeth, The Busyness Excuse Mary and Martha, Her Touch of Simple Faith The women with the bleeding issue,
You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms here
Photo by Juli Kosolapova on Unsplash
All the Women of the Bible, 1967, Herbert Lockyer, Zondervan.
Luke 1:39-56, Matthew 1:18 The Zondervan NASB Study Bible 1999 Zondervan Michigan U.S.A.
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