Luke 1:46-55 *
Majoring in the Minors: St.
Mary, Mother of Our Lord
Dear Friends in Christ,
Countless girls and women of every age and every culture continue to bear her name. She is easily the subject of a hundred thousand works of art. And she is perhaps the best known and most beloved person in the Bible outside of Jesus Christ. As we continue our summer sermon series on the minor festivals of the Church Year, today we turn our attention to
MARY, THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD
As popular and beloved as she is, the truth is there is a down side to Mary. Not to her personally – the Bible portrays her as a devout child of God who came to understand her role in God’s plan of salvation – but in what has been done to her. Unfortunately, down through the centuries Mary has become the victim of myths and legends and been elevated to a position that neither she nor God ever intended.
For instance, within the Roman Catholic Church Mary has been essentially put on the same plane as Jesus as one to be worshipped, venerated and prayed to. Special shrines and grottos to Mary are common, and she is often referred to as the Queen of Heaven. Official Roman Catholic doctrine enacted by papal decree states that Mary was born without original sin (did you know the term “immaculate conception” refers to Mary’s birth, not Jesus’?) and that at the end of her life she did not die, but was bodily assumed into heaven.
Please note: I am not “bashing” the Catholic Church; simply reporting what can be found in their catechisms and doctrinal statements.
We disagree because, sadly, none of these teachings have Biblical support. As a
result of this undue elevation given her in Roman Catholicism and to avoid the
impression that we concur with such ideas, the
Nevertheless, while Mary the mortal is not worthy of our worship, Mary the devout believer is certainly worthy of our honor. Today, on the basis of our text, and in recognition of the fact that historically the Church set aside a festival to remember her, we’d like to give Mary her due.
The way in which we’d like to do this is by working our way through Mary’s best known words. In some ways we might consider our text to be the very first Christmas carol ever written. It was composed and performed (if we may use those terms) by Mary at the age of 14 or 15 year as she was looking forward to having her first child. Her song was a response to the fact that she was carrying within her body at that very moment nothing less than Immanuel (“God with us”) – the Son of God made flesh. Her words have come to be known as “The Magnificat.”
In keeping with a model with which we are quite familiar, we’ll proceed by dividing Mary’s Song into four stanzas, looking at what each one has to tell us. But first, let’s set the stage for this song.
Shortly after the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she
was going to be the mother of Jesus (an event referred to as “the
Annunciation”), Mary went to visit her relative
However, when Mary arrived for the visit,
Stanza 1: “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.”
The Latin translation of these opening words of Mary is “Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” meaning “My soul magnifies the Lord.” That’s why we call it what we do.
In this first stanza Mary is almost beside herself with joy. She talks in terms of her soul and spirit,
meaning her gratefulness extends deeply inward and comes from the very essence
of her being. Her words remind us of
King David in Psalm 103 when he talks about the need for his “soul”
and “all
my inmost being” to “praise his holy name.”
Mary is particularly in awe that all this is happening in view of her station in life. God didn’t choose Annas the High Priest’s daughter or Herod the King’s daughter to be His instrument; He chose her.
Think about Mary.
Here she is. Common name, common
person. Probably in her early to mid
teens. Probably poor. Lived in the small, nondescript town of
And yet in His grace and mercy God chose her to not only know Jesus and to save her eternally through Him (note that she refers to God as “my Savior”), but to bear Him for the world. This must have sent her mind reeling…
There are some blessed parallels here, aren’t there? Think of Mary. Now think of us. Are we any less common folk than Mary? How many of us are high-born? How many of us grew up in palaces? How many of us have royal blood coursing through our veins? How many of us will find our way into history books after our time on earth is over?
Nevertheless, God has also been mindful of our “humble state.” We, too, have been chosen by God. Chosen to know Jesus as our Savior. Chosen to understand that even though we sin, we have been fully and freely forgiven through the doing, the dying and the rising of Jesus. Chosen to bear His image and His likeness before a watching world. Which makes us very blessed people.
And so we are confronted with the same question Mary invariably wondered about. Why? Why should we be so blessed? Why have we been chosen for the privilege of knowing and bearing Christ? Why is it that we know Jesus as Savior while others in this world are floundering around looking for answers? Again, why should we be so blessed?
The answer is found in a single word. A single word the depths of which can never be plumbed by any mere mortal. That word is “grace.” Mary understood this and her response was to praise the Lord from the very depths of her being.
Can our response be any different?
Stanza 2: “From now on all generations will call me
blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his
name. His mercy extends to those who
fear him, from generation to generation.”
In this verse Mary comes with more thanksgiving and praise. She is again struck with the greatness and mercy that God showed to her personally, a mercy which she knows extends beyond her to every generation before and after her.
Which means she’s talking about us. We are a part of the generations upon whom God has extended His greatness and mercy. As Mary was struck with the great things God has done for her, we also must think of all the great things God has done for us…
But it’s hard to think if our mind is on other things. Regardless of our station or our time in life, most of us seem to keep ourselves pretty busy. Add in an ample amount of distractions and diversions and hobbies and unsolicited responsibilities, and many of us could admit to spending most of our time and energy on just trying to keep up. Just doing the things that need to be done can often leave us spent or exhausted.
The point is that if we spend so much time concentrating on
these little (but necessary) things, we can miss contemplating the great things
God has done for us. Kind of like the
man who lives ten miles from the
The message of Mary is to take time to focus on the greatness of what God has done for us. Not only on that first Christmas, but each and every day as He showers us with abundant physical and spiritual blessings.
Stanza 3: “He has performed mighty deeds with his
arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble. He has
filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.”
In this verse Mary contrasts the blessings of God upon His Children with the judgment that falls upon those who do not fear Him. In God’s economy there is a decidedly different understanding of the “haves” and “have-nots.” It has nothing to do with worldly wealth. It has everything do with Christ. And, thanks be to God’s mercy, we have Him.
Consequently, we who were once spiritually hungry have been filled with good things. Again, it all has to do with Christ. He fills us and satisfies us. With what?
Unconditional love that is not dependent upon a certain level of performance. Forgiveness of the sins that rightfully ought to damn us. The knowledge that for us heaven replaces hell. Comfort in time of trouble. Confidence in time of uncertainty. These are the things which fill us up and satisfy us. These are the things which satiate spiritual hunger. These are the things that constitute real wealth.
And these are the things that are ours.
Stanza 4: “He has helped his servant
In this final verse Mary expresses joy and gratefulness for God’s faithfulness. In other words, He does what He says He will do. With God there are no good – but unrealized – intentions. No dashed hopes. No unmet expectations. Only kept promises.
And what has He promised? Many things. But the most important is this: a Savior from sin. Mary rejoiced at the fulfillment which would soon take place and which she had the privilege of being party to.
And so our text – and perhaps the world’s first Christmas carol – comes to an end. It’s a Scriptural song of God’s love and faithfulness and mercy, promises made and promises kept. It’s also more than Mary’s song. It’s our song as well.
On this day when we commemorate the minor church festival of Mary, the Mother of our Lord, let her serve as an example for us. As we, like Mary, take time to quietly contemplate and meditate, we will, also like her, increasingly appreciate the great gift that God has bestowed upon us in His Son…
Then our souls will glorify the Lord, and our spirits will rejoice in God our Savior. Amen