This season many Christians around the world will focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus, and we print her song of praise for us to reflect on.
Luke 1:46b-55
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
One of the principal characters in the original Christmas story is the virgin Mary. St Luke in his telling of the story records the song of Mary, called the magnificat, which reveals in song Mary’s understanding of what was happening to her, and around her, when she became miraculously impregnated with the baby Jesus through the Holy Spirit. As she reflected on these things and the ways of God this is what was revealed to her:
That as unusual as the circumstances of her pregnancy was it was a magnificent and wonderful thing for which to give thanks because God was at work in the midst of it all in spite of the danger it brought her in regards to social rejection.
Mary sang” “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
She understood that she was chosen for a special task and although as a common person she felt unworthy she still accepted that God’s choosing her was a sign of his great favour to her. It reminds us that God is good and as the prophet Jeremiah said: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for your welfare and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
1} She realized she was to have a place in history as part of the fulfilment of the revelations and promises of God spoken through the prophets of old for her people Israel. She declares the truth that God is holy. This is an often a neglected truth not often reflected on but an important truth nevertheless since when Jesus taught his disciples to pray one of the first things he teaches them to pray is that God’s name is to be hallowed or made holy. Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. God is holy which means he is singularly unique. Isaiah the prophet puts it this way: Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
2}She believes God is a merciful God and sings:
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.
God’s mercy is not just for today. He has shown mercy through all generations by the strength he has shown to those who fear him. To fear God is to stand in awe of Him and desire to please Him. She realizes too that God sets things in a just order in the end so that the powerful are humbled and the lowly exalted.
3} God is the provider to his faithful people.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. And so we are taught to pray “Give us each day our daily bread.” Knowing that all good things come from god ultimately.
4} Israel remembers his mercy and his promises made to the ancestors, Abraham and his descendants forever.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” It isn’t a one generation thing. God always acts according to his merciful nature. And so God deals with us tending always to mercy but also justice. Mary knew this and it gave her courage to face all that was to happen.
We too can learn from Mary’s reflections and we too can sing a song of blessing to the Lord. As the Psalmist says: 146:5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
146:7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
146:10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
Submitted by Rev. Calvin Brown