Luke 1:26-56
Soon after Mary’s encounter with Gabriel, who announced that she would be the mother of Jesus, Mary “got ready and hurried” to go and visit her cousin Elizabeth, who had experienced a miracle in her own life and would soon be giving birth to John the Baptist. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby inside of Elizabeth “leaped for joy.” Then Elizabeth said something to Mary, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Promises? What promises? What promises has God fulfilled? Then, Luke writes Mary’s song in Luke1:46-56.
Here are some highlights:
- “His mercy extends to those who fear him.”
- “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their in- most thoughts.”
- “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but lifted up the humble.”
- “He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.”
Mary is recalling that God has kept his promises. God has performed mighty deeds, scattered the proud, brought down rulers, lifted the humble, filled the hungry, and sent the rich away empty. She remembers the stories of what God has done for the people of Israel. But there is a sense that Mary believes that God is about to do it again. God is about to bring his full justice through the child growing inside her.
Justice is coming.
The proud will be scattered.
The powerful will be brought to ruin, while the humble will be lifted up.
The wealthy (greedy) will go away empty, while the hungry will be filled.
These are lyrics you would not hear in our modern-day worship service. These are lyrics, a cry for justice! A cry to see the powerful brought low, the wealthy brought to ruin, and those who are humble experience mercy; those who are low will be lifted up, and those who are hungry will be filled with good things. This is the great reckoning that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is longing for, longing to see his Son do. Mary had dreams and visions of a God who would bring true justice, a God who would sit with the humble, powerless, and poor.
This is not some spiritual exercise that Mary hopes that those who are spiritually poor, or spir- itually hungry, or spiritually fear God. No, Mary is speaking of those who are literally poor, starved, and humble. Mary is literally calling for the downfall of the powerful and wealthy. Mary is no Mother Theresa. For some, if Mary were alive to- day, she might be called dangerous, woke, or too much.
In a world where it seems as though the pride- ful, powerful, and wealthy have all the control and bend everything to their benefit, the humble, poor, and powerless are forgotten and used. A world where wealth and power are celebrated, and being poor and humble is seen as a problem. Where many people strive or dream of becoming the next billionaire or sitting with the powerful, Jesus is with the poor, the hungry, the powerless, and the meek. The true King is on the underside of power and will bring the wealthy, powerful, and prideful to ruin while lifting those on the margins of society to glory.
The first will be last and the last will be first.
Excerpt from the book “A Subversive Advent”
Phil Steiner 