The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son Jesus would be the long-awaited eternal king of God’s people. Young Mary drew three important conclusions from Gabriel’s announcement which she included in her psalm of worship recorded in Luke 1:46-55.
FIRST: Mary had a profound sense of humility in the face of Gabriel’s announcement. Wondering about God’s choice of her, she said, “He has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant” (v. 48). Why should God choose her for such an important task, to be the mother of the Eternal King?!
Mary lived many miles away from the important city of Jerusalem in a relatively unimportant town called Nazareth. She was not from an honored or powerful family. She sprang from working-class stock. From what we know about first-century Jewish culture, Mary was probably a young teenager, perhaps as young as thirteen. She had not lived long enough to do anything of consequence. Who am I? she could rightfully ask.
God has a habit of choosing and using people who are marginalized or even disdained in this world. In 1 Corinthians 1 we read, “Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence” (vv. 26-29).
SECOND: This idea that God will humble the arrogant and exalt the humble brings us to Mary’s second conclusion. God’s choice of her, despite her humility, was a clear sign that he was determined to change the status quo in this broken world.
Mary’s praise included these words, “He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (vv. 52-53). God is the original social justice warrior. Those who abuse their power and wealth to oppress and deny others will answer to him.
God told his people in the Old Testament that they would always have poor people in the land. They were to treat them with kindness. He also warned them against oppressing those who live on the fringes of society, those without influence in the halls of power.
THIRD: Mary is relating all these things to the child God has miraculously conceived in her. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises God made to his people throughout their generations. Her song of praise reaches its climax with these words, “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors” (vv. 54-55).
Two thousand years before Mary sang her song of praise, God made promises to that great man of faith Abraham. Included in those promises, God said that he would bless all peoples on earth through Abraham, that is, through one of his descendants (see Genesis 12:1-3).
Jesus is sent by God to bless all peoples. Jesus is the one who has humbled himself so he can exalt those who are humble enough to trust him. Jesus is the one appointed by God to be Judge on that great and awesome day. As Jesus put it, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:30).
Like Mary, we rejoice in our humility before the Lord, knowing that he has chosen to lift us up by the work of our Savior: Jesus Christ. Like Mary, we believe God’s promise to make all things right through the rule of his promised King: Jesus Christ. And like Mary, we worship God for including us in this great work of eternal salvation!
May the Lord give us eyes to see and hearts to sing at his great Christmas work,
Brother Richard
brotherrichardsblog.com 