Love
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46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
It has been said that if mothers wrote more of the songs we sing at Christmas, we would probably have fewer songs about silent nights and babies who don’t cry. It’s an interesting—and somewhat humorous—thought, but the truth is, we do have a song written by the very mother of Jesus. And it doesn’t, in fact, mention silent nights or non-crying babies. Perhaps the most surprising thing about it is that it isn’t a soft and sweet lullaby at all; it’s a powerfully subversive song that speaks of the mighty power of God that is breaking into the world in unexpected ways.
It speaks of strong arms, of promise, of the powerful thrown down from their thrones, and of the meek and humble being raised up. It’s a song of love but not in a soft way. Instead, it conveys the strong and steadfast way that the love of God has been and continues to be expressed in the world. It’s a song of a mother’s love for and gratitude to God.
We sing songs that speculate about whether Mary fully knew what God was asking her to do, and what we find here in Luke 1 is that Mary had a prescient understanding of the mission of God through Jesus in ways that many around her didn’t seem to grasp. Mary understood, better than some who perhaps should’ve known better—like the priest Zechariah—that God was moving in new ways.
ZECHARIAH IS SILENCED, BUT MARY SINGS
Luke 1 focuses on the voices of women.
Zechariah is silenced immediately upon his unbelief at Elizabeth’s pregnancy. For those unfamiliar with the story, an angel appears to Zechariah, who is a priest, and announces that his wife is pregnant. Due to their old age, Zechariah doesn’t believe it possible, and the angel renders him mute until after the baby is born.
The story of Mary and the angel is a stark contrast to the story of Zechariah. Zechariah questions Elizabeth’s miracle pregnancy, but Mary believes hers. Even though Mary, too, questions what the angel says, she is not silenced. Shortly afterward, she sings.
This contrast is significant because Zechariah was a religious leader—if anyone were going to believe God, and then speak prophetic words about God, it would be him. Elizabeth, however, is the one who speaks prophetic words over Mary upon her visit. She declares that the child in Mary’s womb is her Lord.
Mary, in contrast to Zechariah, is just a humble peasant girl, yet she believes in the power of God for a miraculous pregnancy. She declares the power of God through song.
This dominant focus on female dialogue in Luke 1 represents a stark contrast to the cultural norms of that time as well. Remember, they lived in a patriarchal society, where women couldn’t own property or testify in court. The fact that Luke puts the prophetic words of women at the front and center of his book reveals that something different is happening here. Their culture is going to be upended by this coming Messiah in ways that no one expected.
It is also significant to note that the fact that Mary’s song precedes Zechariah’s reveals that the kingdom of God is not entering the world in the ways they expected. It would’ve been expected for the kingdom of God to be ushered in through power or prestige, but the Messiah is not coming through those channels; instead, the Messiah is coming through a humble peasant girl from a no-name town.
MARY’S SONG IS A LOVE SONG—BUT NOT IN THE WAYS WE EXPECT
When we think of love songs, we generally think of sappy or sentimental, but this is a power song.
Mary responds to God by rejoicing in God, which is an act of love. She sees God as being faithful and ever-present to her.
She gives God thanks for being present not just with her but also with the world. She speaks of the generations honoring God and declares the miracles of the past done for Abraham and Sarah.
She glorifies God’s character, declaring God’s mercy toward humanity. She uses the language of filling people up.
She speaks to the strength and power of God and God’s mighty arm.
This song is not isolated; it reflects the depth of Mary’s faith because she references so many songs of the Old Testament—words she would have heard growing up.
Her song echoes the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 and 2, borrowing some of the same language that Hannah used as she prayed for a son with deep longing. Verse 48 references 1 Samuel 1:11. Verse 53 references 1 Samuel 2:5.
11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
5 he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him.
The psalms are also referenced throughout the song. Verse 46 references Psalm 34:2. Verse 47 references Psalm 35:9. Verse 49 references Psalm 111:9. Verse 51 references Psalm 89:10–11. Verse 53 references Psalm 107:9. Verse 54 references Psalm 98:3.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.
9 He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name.
10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.
9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
The Minor Prophets are also referenced. Verse 52 references Job 12:9 and 5:11. Verse 55 references Micah 7:20.
9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
11 The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
20 You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.
Verse 53 is references Genesis 17:7, 9.
7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
Genesis 17:9
9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.
These numerous references to the Old Testament don’t just show Mary’s dedication to the scriptures, but they also paint a picture of Mary as a prophet.
It was common for prophets to use Scripture to speak to what was happening around them. Jesus himself did this on multiple occasions.
The vast number of references Mary used to illuminate and reveal what was happening around her, to her, and within her was the work of a prophet. She was reminding the world where God was faithful and at work in the past, and she was declaring and revealing what God was doing now and what God was going to do.
Once again, words we would expect to come from a place of power or privilege came instead from a humble young woman.
MARY’S SONG WAS POWERFUL AND SUBVERSIVE
It was subversive because of the messenger. Mary was a humble peasant with nothing to her name. Thomas Cahill called the Magnificat “the most muscular piece of celebration poetry in all of ancient literature.”
Subversive meaning - seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution.
The subversive nature of the song was significant because people assumed power was coming from a particular place, but that is not at all how it happened. The power center of the day was Rome. The thought was that the Messiah would overthrow this type of power using the same worldly and empire-building tactics Rome and all the other powers that came before had used. Caesar even declared himself to be the son of God, claiming that he could forgive sins.
Mary’s song, however, revealed that the Messiah was coming not through power, war, and money but through humility and an ordinary person.
The message Mary, by her very presence as the messenger, declared was that the kingdom of God is not for the wealthy and powerful but for those who are oppressed, forgotten, and downtrodden, and this was an era full of downtrodden people. They were taxed by Caesar and Herod. The Jews had lived under the thumb of the powerful for centuries. People were starving and desperate.
Mary’s song declared that the kingdom of God would be a kingdom of justice.
Those who had the power were going to be torn from their seats of power (verse 52). They would lose their power to control others, to inflict war and cruelty, to tax people to a breaking point.
Those who had wealth were going to be sent away empty (verse 53). They would lose the wealth and power they had gained by stepping on the backs of others. They would lose their ability to hoard or acquire wealth while those around them suffered.
Those who would be remembered would be the faithful who remembered God (verse 50); they would be shown mercy. It would be a safe assumption that not everyone in a culture of empire would remember or follow God. The easy route would be to bow to Caesar. It would be much harder, in a culture trying to dilute or drown your faith, to live in a faithful way.
This was a message of extreme hope to a people who had been waiting for a long time. These were an oppressed and desperate people who were likely wondering if God was listening. It had been centuries since the last prophet had spoken (another reason to note Mary as a prophetic force), and it would have been easy for them to feel abandoned. This message reminded humanity that God had not abandoned them. God continues to be faithful to God’s people, and God is going to bring about the day of the Lord—in unexpected ways.
CONCLUSION
The character Kristoff in Frozen II declares to Anna at one point that his love is not fragile. It’s a pretty important plotline, but it’s an idea that we often miss when we think, talk, or sing about love. So it might feel odd to read such a strong and powerful song on the week of Advent when we reflect on love, but it is fitting because the love of God isn’t fragile either. It’s not something that is going to be broken easily; it’s something that came in powerful and unexpected ways. It didn’t enter into the world through the typical avenues of power and prestige; rather, it came through a simple peasant girl with no claim to her name.
And this story of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God—the truly greatest love story ever told, about God leaving the glory of heaven to take on humanity—is a story of strength and beauty displayed in unexpected ways. It’s the story of a love that sacrifices itself, instead of wounding others. It’s a story of mercy instead of judgment. It’s a story of humility and humanity. It’s a story of what love should be: strong and powerful in mercy and justice. It’s a love story in the truest sense of the word, a story that continues today with us, as we reveal the love of God in the ways we live in the world and continue to see the kingdom of God break through all around us, in us, and through us.
COMMUNION
RITUAL
The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.
The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.
All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.
In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:
PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION:
Holy God,
We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.
On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.
By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
EXPLAIN ELEMENTS
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.
CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.