To
read:
Luke 1:46b-55
And Mary said, "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."Text from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
To think about:
Somehow it's especially appropriate that, of all days in Advent, we're reading
Mary's song today. It's a song of enormous contrasts in almost every sentence:
the magnificence of the Lord and the lowliness of his servant; mercy and fear,
bringing down and lifting up, filling and emptying. And tonight, of course,
we'll remember the greatest contrast human history will ever know: the birth of
a Prince in a stable. There will be no palaces in this Prince's life - no silken
robes, no leisure time, no fine horses to ride, no sumptuous feasts. Instead,
there will be the realities of poverty, hard work and, eventually, agonizing
death as a most uncommon criminal.
Does Mary know all this as she speaks her inspired words? It doesn't really matter if she knew then, because we know now. As we wait this night for the magnificence of the Lord to come again to our needy world, we can remember those contrasts and God's purpose in sending us a Prince in a stable.
Does Mary know all this as she speaks her inspired words? It doesn't really matter if she knew then, because we know now. As we wait this night for the magnificence of the Lord to come again to our needy world, we can remember those contrasts and God's purpose in sending us a Prince in a stable.
