Friday, August 15, 2014
Luke 1:46-55 “Mary’s Song”
Most commentaries on Mary’s Song or The Magnificat appear in Advent. In that season we think about the birth of Jesus and we recall the visit of the angel Gabriel telling Mary how she will conceive a child and that her cousin Elizabeth, although advanced in age, is also with child. Mary prepares and travels to the hill country to participate in the birth of Jesus’ cousin John. The sight of Mary approaching causes the baby to leap in Elizabeth’s womb while she declares, in a brilliant revelation that she is honoured to receive a visit from the mother of her Lord.
Mary’s response is the Magnificat:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name.”
Both women immediately give praise to God and both recognize that they are servants of the will of the Lord. Both give no credit to themselves but deflect it all to the Lord who is the author of all their fortune. In this they are like Hannah, who sings a similar song in an earlier time. In contrast to the unhesitating faith of these women, Mary and Elizabeth each has a husband who thinks in human, secular terms. Joseph thinks of putting Mary away privately to avoid the shame of her pregnancy, and Zechariah challenges the fact of his wife’s pregnancy and is struck silent until the child is born.
Mary’s Song is revolutionary in its content. She claims that God’s mercy extends to those who fear him and that could of course include Gentiles, a daring idea for Jews to consider. She acknowledges the powerful arm of God and tells of the weak and ever-failing devices of those who would be rulers of this Earth. They will be scattered and brought down, she says. Again, in contrast, she tells of the raising up of the humble and the hungry while the rich are sent empty away. In this section, Mary opens up a vision she sees of both the power of God destroying the enemies of good. Yet she has no fear of this God who shows his compassion for the humble; who he feeds the poor and watches over those who call on his name. This is after all, her Saviour.
Mary’s song is a well-crafted statement of faith. It is so much more than a young girl expressing her thanks to God for choosing her as the mother of the Lord. Certainly Mary’s Song contains sharp words of revolution and many have seen Jesus as Messiah who has come to begin a social revolution, but it would be a mistake to look at these verses as merely an early prophetic vision of Jesus’ political manifesto. There is no doubt that the song is political, but it is spiritual as well.
The joy and adoration that fill the whole of the song clearly speak to an underlying spiritual revolution. The thread of spiritual obedience in all the verses is grounded in the Jewish prophets before this time. And it is the spiritual revolution that will transform and help God’s servant Israel, not violence. God’s promise to Abraham and his descendents will be fulfilled, but not with war. Through the lens of the Magnificat, a glance at today’s headlines in the newspaper shows the wrong choices today’s leaders seem to be making time and time again.
The verse following the song states that Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, then returned home. This detail tells us much. It says that Mary was present for the birth of John the Baptist. As a young teenager, she was included in a circle of midwives. The skills she learned on that occasion would help her greatly when her own time of delivery came.
My experience of Mary’s Song has always been in Advent or at Christmas time. Wonderful musicians have composed beautiful settings for this song. It’s a favourite of many. In a decorated church, with a powerful choir supporting the music, it’s easy to let the beauty of it all wash over me. I can easily forget the text. The words of this song speak out of Mary’s total humility in the face of incredible honour. Her vision of the historical sweep of God’s presence in the life of all humanity is breathtaking. And her solid faith in the promise the Lord has made to make things right for any who look to him is an inspiration to us all. Even without the familiar artistic settings, Mary’s Song is as powerful now as it was when it was first uttered so many years ago.
Peter Mansell August 10, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment