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And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for (1) he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For look and see, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And (2) his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. (3) He has shown strength with his arm; (4) he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; (5) he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. (6) He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Luke 1: 46-56 |
"Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on. "I do, “Alice hastily replied; "at least I mean what I say, that's the same thing, you know."
"Not the same thing a bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see!" (Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland)
Six impossible things were told to Mary by the angel sent from God (see Info 10 December 2015). Mary, unlike Alice in Wonderland, believed them all. A few months later, with the child in her womb, Mary, this time like Alice, said what she meant – see bold above – said six impossible things. She meant what she said.
(1) He – the Lord - has looked on the humble estate of his servant. Mary wasn’t royalty – or a celebrity. She knew that future generations would regard her as especially blessed by the Lord God because she had been chosen to carry His Son in her womb. “He who is mighty has done great things for me.” “Holy is his name.” “I rejoice that God is my Saviour.” Mary meant it and said it.
(2) His – the Lord’s - mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. Most of us hope that God will be merciful to us. We live our lives pushing boundaries and try to think that all will be well. Mary believed that God’s mercy is not for people like us. It is for those who fear Him. To live without him is not to fear. Mary meant it and said it.
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‘Man has no more right to mercy than a murderer has to go free.’ (Fred A Malone)
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(3) He has shown strength with his arm. What a strange thing to say? What did she mean? It seems that she suddenly sees the end of what was just beginning. Since God has set his saving work in motion by her pregnancy, He will complete it. Through Mary’s son, the Lord’s strength will enable folk to exit this world of pain and evil and have everlasting life. Mary meant it and said it.
(4) He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. Those collectively proud of their success and wisdom – they are scattered. Those who have power in their hands – financial, political, social, criminal – are brought down from their thrones. The nobodys? They’re uplifted through Jesus, Mary’s boy-child, and his cross. Mary meant it and said it.
(5) He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. Mary continues to see the end – from the beginning just begun. Yes, Jesus did feed the Jewish 5,000 and, separately, the Gentile 4,000. Yes, he had compassion on the hungry. (Who is hungry today?) He would send the rich away empty. (Who is rich today?) Mary meant it and said it.
(6) He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever. Israel and Abraham - the two men to whom Mary referred – were grandson and grandfather respectively. They were the original patriarchs – ancestors of all the people of Israel now known loosely as “the Jews”. Mary was a child of Israel and Abraham. She could see the first glimmers of the “help” which was to come to God’s “servant Israel”, God’s people, through the child in her womb. Mary meant it and said it.
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‘No man acts with true wisdom till he fears God and hopes in His mercy.’ (William S Plummer, lawyer, 1759-1850)
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Mary also knew the words spoken to Abraham by God. She knew that God had promised His mercy to all descendants of believing Abraham. Paul, a first century follower of Jesus, explained: Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” so, you see, those who believe (in Jesus, Mary’s son) are in fact the descendants of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” For this reason, those who believe (in Jesus, Mary’s son) are blessed along with Abraham who believed....
Mary meant it and said it. |
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