The Song of Mary

Just to prove my sermon illustrations are not always about my family, the Chiefs or politics, How many of us are tracking the Men’s Soccer team in the FIFA World Cup?

I sat down to watch a replay of the USA/Iran game until I fell asleep. Tried again, fell asleep again. It just wasn’t meant to be!

I learned months ago that Patrick Mahommes’ wife is a partial owner of the KC Current team that plays in the NWSL – National Women’s Soccer League and that broke ground on the first professional soccer facility exclusively for a Women’s team.

As I tried to learn something about the team, I found this picture of half the team and I know it is too small for most of you to notice, but in the teal letters under each players name you can see that all players, except for one, specified that she was a her. I thought playing for the National WOMEN’s Soccer League would make that apparent, but I guess my assumption is 2020 thinking that is outdated today.

How many of you have seen a name tag, a social media profile or heard an introduction that included, “My pronouns are...”? I’m convinced that when you play for a team, or work for an employer, it is your team/employer that should be the focus rather than the individual.

What does this have to do with Advent you ask? In the words of Romans 12:3 we are instructed ... I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think...

Our Text today is a song spoken or sung by a young lady who was so overwhelmed by God that she didn’t think too highly of herself.

Transition: Mary’s awareness of God’s attributes kept her from any hint of self-absorption as her words overflow in praise to the goodness of God who blessed her.

God’s Mercy incites Praise (Luke 1:46-48)

Mary has pondered Gabriel’s news for a few days/weeks (1:39)

These words are not a knee-jerk reaction to Gabriel’s announcement.

Her thoughts have ruminated all the time she was preparing and traveling to see Elisabeth.

The more she thought about what was going to happen, the smaller she became and the larger God’s plan became.

A Surprise Encounter with God’s Will

People respond very differently when they encounter the hand of God. Some respond with bargaining out of a difficult situation as if God is just a little above an equal.

Some respond with anger when they conclude that God’s plan is not what they had for their life.

Some respond by trying to run away.

Bargaining, anger & running are frequently responses to an image of a god who is not the God of the Bible. The God who communicates through an angel with Mary is a Merciful God.

Consider these comments by Dane Ortlund describing Exodus 34:6–7 in a book we studied in Sunday School recently. “Merciful and gracious.” These are the first words out of God’s own mouth after proclaiming his name (“the LORD,” or “I am”). The first words. The only two words Jesus will use to describe his own heart are gentle and lowly (Matt. 11:29). And the first two words God uses to describe who he is are merciful and gracious[i].

Transition: Because God is so full of mercy, His interactions with us are very personal.

God’s Mindfulness incites Belief (Luke 1:49-50)

What He does for us, makes Him “my Savior” (v.49, v.47)

The facts of v.49 lead her to the description in v.47

Later in the song she talks about what God does throughout the world, and what he does throughout the ages to her people, but here is a testament of personal conviction.

This time of year we sing, “Joy to the world the Lord is come.” But has the Lord become your Savior?

Mary sings that God took notice of her

My friend, God takes notice of you as well.

After Jesus spoke about how the Father cares for the plants and the birds, He concludes with:

Luke 12:7 ESV:2016

7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Transition: Even when we see God as merciful, and personally mindful, it is essential that we never try to tam Him because...

God’s Might incites Surrender (Luke 1:51-53)

UP < DOWN

Proud, Mighty & Rich < Humble & Hungry is an upside down economy. What we consider being “on top of our game” brings down and when we realize our brokenness and need for Him, He makes things right.

God humbles the proud and mighty while richly meeting the needs of the humble and hungry.

1 Corinthians 1:27 ESV:2016

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Matthew 5:3 ESV:2016

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Mary speaks of deeds already done

aorist verbs are complete, not describing a process.

“swam” vs. “was swimming”

When Luke records that Mary used this verb tense, she was speaking of something being completed.

by impregnating her, the deeds (showing strength, scattering the proud, bringing down the mighty, exalting the humble, filling the hungry, sending away the rich as desolate) are as good as done.

Transition: We tend to think of a dictator in negative terms, But what if the one making the edicts is not selfish, but merciful. This is what we may describe as a benevolent dictator. On the rare occasions when we encounter a benevolent dictator, we may be awestruck by his majesty!

God’s Majesty incites Obedience (Luke 1:54-55)

God’s mercy causes Him to help (v.54)

We saw in our Genesis series earlier this year that God created humanity to share in His image and His work of ruling. Because we are a reflection of Him, it is in His nature to help us to reveal His image withing.

Do you recall the last line of the 3rd verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem?

“where meek souls will receive Him still, the Dear Christ enters in.”

In some ways it seems like yesterday, and in other ways it seems like forever since we heard “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!”

1. This was a chant that carried the idea of surrender.

2. “I’m not going to resist you, You will have no problems from me.”

3. This is one of the reasons why some fellow-worshippers raise their hands when we sing. It is a physical display of surrendered emotion and will to our Lord.

4. When we don’t get in the way, the mercy of our God prompts Him to help His people and His helping incites us to obey His direction.

She was poor, young, female, easily overlooked, not deserving

‌When we view ourselves as weak, broken and disregarded we become bitter against power and those who possess it. But we view the one with power as merciful to our needs, mindful of our condition, and mighty to act on our behalf, that is the type of majesty to which we bow down and surrender.

That is why Mary’s surprise has been turning into a hymn of surrender and compliance.

When we realize God’s mercy, attention and might to act on our behalf, and the grace and forgiveness that He desires to give, It becomes very natural for us to simply put our hands up and surrender.

“but preacher, you don’t know what I’ve done”

You are right, I don’t know what you have done. And you don’t know what I have done! Each person in this room, watching this video or listening to this podcast has done something that means we are undeserving of God’s forgiveness and grace.

Mary didn’t deserve God’s blessing. Just because she had never been with a man does not mean that she had never done anything wrong.

Yet, she took the angel at his word when given the announcement and in today’s song she doesn’t praise the angel, she glorifies and exalts the Lord who wishes to redeem, restore, and bless everyone within the sound of my voice.

Transition: When we humbly submit to God’s grace in our lives, it changes us. When we humbly participate with God’s plan for our lives, others get to encounter the mercy, mindfulness, might, and majesty of a God who loves them

Conclusion:

Outside the city of Cairo, Egypt, on the edge of a high limestone hill, is a large slum where many thousands of garbage collectors live. It is an indescribably filthy area, with pigs walking all around, and the smell is almost unbearable in the desert heat. Years ago Father Samaan Ibrahim, a Coptic Orthodox priest, moved into this forsaken place to serve its people. Paul Gordon-Chandler writes, I am reminded of a worshiper I met, a young garbage collector’s son named Yusuf. A number of years ago, at a Cairo construction site, an American executive lost his gold Rolex watch. Not long after, the young Yusuf, who was at that time an apprentice to his father, learning how best to collect garbage, found that gold watch. Because he was a follower of Christ, Yusuf felt led to find the watch’s owner in order to return it. This was obviously a difficult decision, as that Rolex watch was worth more money than Yusuf would ever earn during his lifetime: more than twenty thousand dollars on the Cairo black market. It took several months of looking and asking questions for Yusuf to discover the true owner of the Rolex watch. He learned that the owner was staying in a luxury apartment building in Cairo. As a poor garbage collector, wearing very dirty clothes, he would never have been let into this apartment de luxe through the lobby; he would have looked completely out of place. So Yusuf figured out a way to get in through a back exit door used for garbage removal. He climbed the stairs to the floor where the American executive was staying, and knocked on his door. The American answered the door, somewhat astonished to see someone dressed as shabbily as Yusuf. “You lost something?” Yusuf nervously blurted out in his minimal English. Several months had gone by since the man had lost his Rolex watch, so it didn’t come to the man’s mind. “Did you lose this watch?” Yusuf asked, as he took the watch out of the pocket in his dirty robe. When he saw his watch, the stunned American invited Yusuf into his apartment. When they were sitting down, he asked, “Tell me, why you didn’t keep it yourself?” Yusuf replied, “Christ taught in the gospels to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” “But why didn’t you take it and sell it?” the American persisted. “It’s not mine. It’s not my right. I must be honest—it’s not my watch. Christ said not to steal.” The American asked him, “Are you a Christian?” “Yes,” Yusuf replied. Miraculously, that American, who described himself as an agnostic, renewed his faith in God because of this example of the revolutionary teaching of Christ being followed by that garbage collector’s son. He wrote in his diary, “I came back to God because of a poor Egyptian Christian garbage collector in Cairo.”[i]

Just as this businessman received a surprise blessing from this young garbage man, I believe God desires to surprise you with His grace as described by an equally improbable witness, a poor child herself, from an implausible place and an ordinary past.

Songs in Waiting: Spiritual Reflections on Christ’s Birth Trusting and Following

Mary, in singing these powerful “revolutionary” words, is saying she trusts her Savior and will follow his new way, which is a complete reversal of the values of the world as she knew it

While the Magnificat is lovely, it is extraordinarily powerful because it speaks of total trust in God”[ii]

This song tells each of us that if we believe and receive from the hand of God, our future will be realigned. We will not receive what we deserve, but be exalted and lifted up to His presence.

I’d like to end the service a little different than usual. Our Response song will be a little longer so that each of us can prayerfully consider what it might mean for us to humble ourselves and receive either for the first time, or as a renewal, the gift of God’s grace and forgiveness.

The altar will be open. We have prayer partners, as well as myself, who are willing to pray with you as we all assume the posture of Mary’s praise: I believe in you, I humbly receive what you think best, from here forth I make you My Savior.

The camera is switching away to the video so nobody is watching your response. All those in the room are being asked to search your own hearts and pay no attention to what God calls anybody else to do.

I invite you to sing, I invite you to pray, I invite you to come.

Song of Response Video......... “Yet Not I But Through Christ”

Benediction: Philippians 4:23 (ESV) — The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

[i] Ortlund, Dane. 2020. Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. Mary has pondered Gabriel’s news for a few days/weeks

[i] Chandler, Paul-Gordon. 2009. Songs in Waiting: Spiritual Reflections on Christ’s Birth. Harrisburg, PA; New York; Denver: Morehouse Publishing. [ii] Ibid.