A Revolutionary Song
Luke 1:46-56
46 And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
Called the “Magnificat” for the opening word in Latin (magnify), this is among the most famous passages in the Bible, packed with images and theology. Vs. 46-49 are three pairs of lines in which Mary speaks of the blessing that God has bestowed on her – picking up on Elizabeth calling Mary blessed. But with the end of v. 49 (“holy is his name”) the direction shifts to be focussed on God and God’s action.
We should not move too quickly to the dramatic reversals pointed out in vs. 51-53, which often draw the attention. For vs. 50 lays out a central piece of Christian theology. God acts in mercy towards those who live in awe, wonder, reverence, fear of God. The God who can do the impossible in bringing down the powerful and the proud and the elite – the God who can do the impossible in lifting up the lowly and the hungry and the ignored – is also the God who can cause miraculous pregnancies – before such a God people should be in awe and wonder, such a God is to be revered as more powerful than any human power. God is beyond human control, and God will bring about God’s purposes in the world on God’s timetable and in God’s way. Fear of such a good, holy, and unpredictable God is both logical and appropriate.
God is in the business of turning the world upside down from the way it presently is. The way things look right now – are not the way they really are. The seeming victories by the powerful and the proud are a mirage that will be gone when God brings in the full reign of Jesus Christ. God is turning the world upside down and Mary is in awe that she is part of that process that God is bringing about in the world.
PRAYER:
O Lord, teach us to live in awe and wonder of you and your impossible actions in the world. Teach us to live in expectation of your turning the world upside down. In Jesus’ name. Amen.