Luke 1:46-55
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor 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.” [NRSV]
Devotion
Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and told she would bear a child and the child would be Jesus. This must have been overwhelming news for a teenager. In the familiar song, Mary Did You Know?, the composer asks if Mary really knew how wonderful and ultimately how heartbreaking this important role would be for her. “Mary, did you know… the child that you’d deliver, would soon deliver you?”
In our annual Christmas pageants, we are reminded of Mary’s youth and inexperience. She was marrying an older man, she was a virgin, and she probably had lived a sheltered life. But when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, we see a new confidence in Mary. Just a short time before, she meekly accepted the news, “let it be with me according to your Word,” but now she speaks with conviction the words above, commonly known as “Mary’s Song, The Magnificat.”
It is interesting to note that Mary said all this only in the presence of Elizabeth. Not in public, maybe not even to Joseph. Elizabeth was a trusted relative, a friend, and confidante. Some scholars believe Luke may have learned of this conversation from Mary herself after Jesus’ death and resurrection. That tells me that yes, Mary knew the tremendous challenge ahead of her and the awesome responsibility of it. And she trusted in God to give her the strength to see it through.
In our annual Christmas pageants, we are reminded of Mary’s youth and inexperience. She was marrying an older man, she was a virgin, and she probably had lived a sheltered life. But when she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, we see a new confidence in Mary. Just a short time before, she meekly accepted the news, “let it be with me according to your Word,” but now she speaks with conviction the words above, commonly known as “Mary’s Song, The Magnificat.”
It is interesting to note that Mary said all this only in the presence of Elizabeth. Not in public, maybe not even to Joseph. Elizabeth was a trusted relative, a friend, and confidante. Some scholars believe Luke may have learned of this conversation from Mary herself after Jesus’ death and resurrection. That tells me that yes, Mary knew the tremendous challenge ahead of her and the awesome responsibility of it. And she trusted in God to give her the strength to see it through.