Weekly Bible Reflection: 4th Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a; Ps 80; Heb 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45

The First of the New Testament Prophets

This week we are focussing on “prophecy”. And “pregnancy”

The beautiful prophecy of Micah over Bethlehem: “ .. from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel … when she who is in labour has given birth”.

Psalm 80 invoking the help of God on the prophesied one “May your hand be on the one at your right hand, the one you have confirmed as your own”.

Hebrews recalling the prophecy of Psalm 40: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll: I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” (a bit of research suggests the original Hebrew for this psalm translates as “my ears hast thou digged for me”, but the Greek psalmists understood that as meaning that the Christ was “opened up” to obedience (obedire – to listen) and so translated it in a way which made its meaning more apparent).

And finally the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. Two pregnant women greeting each other in acknowledgement of prophecies fulfilled – and proclaiming their own prophecies. “when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy”. (ref also Ps 40 above)

We often talk of Mary Magdalene as the apostle to the apostles. And John as the last of the OT prophets. Here we have two women, chatting over a cup of watered wine, greeting each other with prophecies of a new order. Perhaps we should consider them the first prophets of the New Testament.

There is a parallelism between pregnancy and prophecy. Certain and uncertain. Visible and invisible. A child impossible to hide, and a child yet hidden. Both look forward; both have deep roots in past stories and histories. Both are “torch bearers” for a new way of living.

I keep thinking of the 2012 Olympic torch relay around UK. This was a visible torch, yet not everyone could see it (or chose to see it). Even so, there was a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation around the city (Lincoln) where I was living at the time. As if the earth was rocking slightly and a new order was possible.

Pregnancy and prophecy are both like that – a new order obviously for the new parents, but for all of us in ways we cannot foresee. Every pregnancy is a prophet of hope.

Questions

1) It is notable that these first two NT prophets – the first bearers of the Good News – were women. Any comment?

2) The prophecy of these two women (joy, thanks, praise hope – ref also the Magnificat) is in some ways quite different from the teaching of John last week. How do you engage differently with them each?

3) What prophecies of hope have set you all a tingle?

4) How does a new child bring about a new order?

5) What prophecies do you sense you might be pregnant with? Do they show yet? Do you try to hide them? Who do you run to share your news with?