What a Warm Welcome!

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! ”

Luke 1:39–45

Imagine what Mary must have been thinking and feeling after she was visited by the angel Gabriel. The visit had been a surprise, and even if Gabriel told her that she was highly favored and that the Lord was with her, that praise must have paled in comparison to the news that she, a virgin, would become the mother of the Son of the Most High.

Mary believed Gabriel and was a willing servant, even if she didn’t understand all the impossible details. Miraculously, everything happened as Gabriel promised and proclaimed. Pure Mary discovered that she was, in fact, pregnant. She would try to remember everything Gabriel told her and ponder the news that she would give birth to a son and name Him Jesus.

At some point after Gabriel’s news, Mary decided to leave her family’s home and travel to Judea to see her cousin Elizabeth, who also was experiencing a miraculous pregnancy. Mary could take comfort and relate to this older member of her family who, most assuredly, would understand the miracle and wonder of an unplanned, unprecedented pregnancy.

Mary, who somehow made the sixty-to ninety-mile journey from Nazareth to Judea, would have been tired, especially as a pregnant mama. But she hurried, arrived at the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth.

Elizabeth didn’t even need to see Mary to know what happened. The baby in her womb, John, leapt for joy. And Elizabeth responded with a welcome that would encourage and bless the weariest of travelers.

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”Elizabeth cried out. Can you imagine what those words would have done for Mary? Here she was, unmarried and pregnant, carrying the Son of God. Most likely, other people didn’t believe her. But her cousin didn’t have to wait for the news. She knew. Mary was pregnant with the Messiah. All of the waiting was over: God was keeping His promises, and Elizabeth celebrated before she heard any details from Mary.

How did Elizabeth’s greeting end? “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Blessings. Praise. Belief in the Lord’s miraculous ways.

Elizabeth was the hostess to reassure Mary and encourage her with love. While Mary wouldn’t always be warmly welcomed by others, Elizabeth honored her and flooded her heart with joy, relief, and confirmation.

Like Elizabeth, you can speak life and hope into the hearts and minds of your guests. You may not have a Holy Spirit-filled baby leaping in your womb to reveal secrets about your guests, but you do have an opportunity to find out what your company might be facing. Do they appear worried or weary? Excited? At peace? Take time to discern how they’re feeling and be sure to ask sensitive but thoughtful questions.

While catching up is important, so is the way you impart a blessing. Do your guests feel welcomed and seen? Do they feel heard? Do they feel known? Speak God’s truth into their lives and their situations. It will be a gift that continues to bless your guests long after they’ve returned home.

Father, thank You for the welcoming example that Elizabeth gave. Oh, how I want to spread joy and encourage my guests with her kind of encouragement and hopefulness. Please help me share my faith in You by the way I greet my guests. Please give me words to speak that will affirm and inspire. Help me point to You in the way I respond to others and the words I choose to use. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Think It Over

• What’s the warmest welcome you’ve ever experienced? What’s the warmest welcome you’ve ever given?
• How have previous hosts blessed you by the things they’ve either said or done for you?
• What are some key phrases you could use to bless a guest who’s visiting your home? What life-giving phrases would you like to hear? Use those with your company.
• What welcoming tips or phrases can you borrow from Elizabeth?

Put It into Practice

• The next time you welcome a guest to your home, try your best to give a joy-filled, meaningful greeting. How can you bless your guest by the kind, affirming words you choose?

Home Work

As you get ready for your events and gatherings, consider how you’ll create a welcoming mood. What sights and smells would you like your guests to experience when they enter your home? What would you like them to hear? This week, create a playlist as a musical backdrop for your gathering. You could make your musical selections based on your company’s taste or on the mood you’d like to create. Enjoy!

For more devotionals by Hilary Bernstein, find her book, The Welcoming Home, HERE.