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. —Luke 1:39-40
I imagine telling Joseph that she was pregnant was probably nerve-wracking for Mary, to say the least. They were not married yet, and she was definitely not supposed to be pregnant. The religious laws called for her stoning in that situation. Even if Joseph didn’t pursue that punishment, he was justified in divorcing her, the equivalent of breaking off their engagement. Her family could disown her, and as an unwed mother, she might never be able to marry in her culture. So I wouldn’t be surprised if it took Mary a long time to get up the courage to tell Joseph.
On the other hand, Luke tells us that Mary went “in haste” to her relative Elizabeth’s house to tell her she was pregnant. The first time I got pregnant I understood her urge to tell another woman. After the angel Gabriel left her and reality set in (and she started feeling the physical effects of pregnancy), it makes sense Mary would want the presence and reassurance of another woman a few months farther along. Elizabeth was experiencing her own miracle, being pregnant with John the Baptist as an old woman. I imagine it was a mutually comforting and exciting visit as the two of them shared their pregnancy stories and their hopes and fears for their children’s future.
For reflection: Whom has God put in your life as your “go-to” when you have big news to share? What gifts do they bring?