And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
This text comes after the angel Gabriel has informed Mary, that although still a virgin, she is indeed pregnant and will give birth to a son, and this Son will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The text comes after Mary visits her relative Elizabeth who is also pregnant by a miracle of God, and the baby Elizabeth is carrying leaps in her womb to testify to the presence of the Son of God in Mary's womb. And at this time Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cries out Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
It is after these things that Mary's Song is documented in Luke 1:46-55, where Mary testifies the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name! But in truth, this great thing was not just for Mary but for ALL humanity. Jesus, God incarnate, took on flesh to dwell among us, to take our sins, past, present and future upon Himself, bear the burden and punishment of them so that we could be FREE.
We are reading this text after Jesus has already come in the flesh, and after He has already paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, and after we have believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to us, of cleansing us of all unrighteousness; so we can and should sing as Mary did ... for the Mighty One has done GREAT things for me—holy is his name!
The weeks of Advent remind us to set aside some time during the holiday season to reflect on our faith. The Bible readings we will read echo the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, hope, and the coming of the promised Messiah. 
No comments:
Post a Comment