In our age of technology, we are bombarded with picture upon picture of the “good life”— the idyllic home, the growing family, the prestigious promotion, etc., and while those things in themselves are not wrong, sometimes our desires for what others have can become all-consuming, filling us with discontentment. As we look again in Luke 1, Elizabeth undoubtedly knew the stings of comparison.

Scripture tells us she was righteous, blameless, yet unmistakably barren, remaining obedient while longing for a child.

Most of us know the aches of waiting in our own ways. Perhaps you are waiting for a career to start, for a spouse to come along, or for a family to start. And in that waiting, people often give us their opinions, which at times can be helpful but many times end up being salt in our wounds. The people in Elizabeth’s time didn’t appear to offer the most encouraging words in her years of waiting.

The Taunt of Others

There is but one verse about Elizabeth in this scenario, and these words explain much of her story. In response to hearing about Zechariah’s visit from Gabriel (Luke 1:1-23), she responds with gratefulness.

Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people. (1:25)

To take away my reproach among people. The word “reproach” carries the idea of disgrace, even taunt, and this isn’t the first time in Scripture that reproach has been connected with a woman’s barrenness.

In Genesis, Rachel is finally given the gift of a child:

She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” (30:23)

In 1 Samuel, Hannah is struggling with her barrenness, along with taunts from her husband’s second wife.

And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb (1:6)

Have you ever felt the taunt or disapproval of others? As children, we can think of the quintessential bully from childhood: the cool kid belittling the nerdy genius and Miss Popular spreading rumors about the new girl. Our experience in adulthood may not be as dramatic, but we feel the reproach of others when they bask in their amazing career or flaunt their picture-perfect home—feelings of inferiority creep in as we stand next to them.

My years of singleness taught me a lot about the opinions of others. For years I wondered if God would bring the right man along as I longed to be a wife and a mom. My best friends were getting married and having babies—why couldn’t that be me? My thoughts were filled with comparison, adding weight to my ache. On top of that, I was met with comments like “Have you tried online dating? Are you being too picky? You know Hannah, you might just be too intimidating.” I often let this commentary fuel my discontentment.

Elizabeth’s Response to God’s Timing

I am not sure what kind of critiques filled Elizabeth’s years of waiting for a child or if she struggled much with comparison. She knew the battle of wanting a good thing, and yet at the same time, Elizabeth led a godly life (Luke 1:6). The words that come from her mouth in this narrative continually point to God’s goodness. In verse 25, Elizabeth echoes the words of the faithful women who have gone before her, relishing in the joy that God looked upon her, just like He took notice of Hagar in Genesis 16, Sarah in Genesis 21, and Hannah in 1 Samuel 1. And He didn’t just notice her but looked on her with favor — this phrase means to fix one’s gaze upon, to look at with concern, to regard. She cherished that God had seen her and cared about her disposition.

And not only did Elizabeth praise God for seeing her, but she also did not compare her blessing with Mary’s. Later in Luke 1, when Mary comes to Elizabeth, Elizabeth praises God for His work in Mary’s life. “And how is it granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?… Blessed is she who believed there would be a fulfillment of the word spoken to her from the Lord.”

I find this remarkable because Elizabeth had more years of obedience than young Mary and likely walked through the shame and pity from others for her barrenness. But Elizabeth rejoiced in God’s timing in her life and Mary’s, showing a grateful and contented heart.

The People

I’ve often wondered why Elizabeth kept herself in seclusion for the first five months of her pregnancy. One possibility is that she knew people wouldn’t believe her if she told them of her pregnancy. If I had been one of her neighbors, what would my response have been? Would I have presumed her barrenness was a curse from God? Would I have looked down on her, and like Job’s friends, assumed she must have had some secret sin to cause her childlessness? I know my heart, so the likelihood of these kinds of thoughts would have been high.

Isn’t it easier to critique than sit with someone in their struggle? We offer quick solutions or commentaries and somehow feel superior, assuming we would respond much better if we found ourselves in the same situation. We fool ourselves. James tells us that every good gift we have is from above (James 1:17). Instead of judging or brazenly assuming we have greater wisdom than those around us, in Romans 12 God calls us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, an often harder task, but one that Elizabeth exemplifies beautifully.
The Contented Waiter
Elizabeth offers us both encouragement and a challenge. Encouragement is found in knowing God sees us in our waiting, just like He saw Elizabeth. No painful comment or lonely night escapes His attention. But Elizabeth’s reaction also brings a challenge as her response revealed a grateful, contented heart; she entrusted her life to God’s care and goodness all while living in daily obedience, thanking God for His work in her life and those around her.

What Fills Us

As we come to the close of this Advent season, we hope you can relate a little more to a familiar story. Despair, fear, apathy, and comparison— these reactions are common to our hearts. And while the shape of our struggles may be different, our selfishness and self-reliance fill us all with sin. Yet as Paul exclaims in Ephesians 2, “ But God.” Our God rich in mercy showed us His love through His Son, the One who came as a baby. He lived among us so that He might take our place, die for us, and offer an escape from sin’s chains. Only through a relationship with Him can we ever be filled with things like hope, wonder, anticipation, and contentment (and so much more). May the words of this beloved carol fill our souls this Christmas.

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s pow’r
When we were gone astray
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy