Luke 1:39-55
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Blessed are Those Who Humbly Trust in the Lord
Imagine being Mary when the angel Gabriel appeared and announced that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and she would bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38). It was a shocking and unbelievable message, one that would understandably cause confusion, doubt, and fear. In the first-century Jewish context, being found pregnant with a child, not from her betrothed husband, Joseph, could result in Mary being tried for adultery and stoned to death. Yet, her initial response was not a refusal but a desire for understanding. Mary asked, “How will this be” (v. 34)? After Gabriel explained that this would be accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit and told her about Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy in old age, Mary humbly submitted to God. With simple faith, she accepted that the angel’s message was from God. Her response was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (v.38).
Our passage today continues with Mary seeking confirmation by visiting Elizabeth. Through Elizabeth’s proclamation that Mary was the mother of the Lord and the baby leaping in Elizabeth’s womb for joy, the Holy Spirit reassured Mary. It was then that Mary burst into praise, in what is referred to as the Magnificat—named after the Latin word in the first line of her song: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
The first thing we notice in her song is Mary’s profound humility. She marvels that God has looked with favor on her lowliness. Mary acknowledges that she brings nothing of merit before God to be chosen as the bearer of the Messiah. She reminds all of us to recognize our position before God: we are the Lord’s servants. There should be no sense of entitlement when we are chosen to serve. It is by God’s grace that we are found worthy. Like Mary’s, our response should be humble submission and gratitude.
Mary’s humility is matched by her unshakable trust in God. Faced with an extraordinary and seemingly impossible task—to give birth to the Savior of the world as a virgin—Mary responds not with fear or doubt but with confidence. Her trust flows from her faith in God’s power, knowing that with God, nothing is impossible. This trust enables her to accept the divine calling placed upon her life, even at the risk of misunderstanding, rejection, or death. Mary’s submission and trust remind us that when we encounter situations that seem impossible, we can rely on the truth that God’s ways are higher than ours. His thoughts are higher than ours (Isa. 55:9). God, who has demonstrated his power to guide the world according to his will, calls us to hold an unshakable trust in what He is doing today.
Moreover, Mary’s trust is not based on blind faith. Throughout generations, God has made and kept his promises to Israel. Mary saw the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s covenant, but we who have the New Testament know that Jesus the Messiah came into the world through Mary. He fulfilled the covenantal promises made to Abraham and his descendants. God’s mercy endures from generation to generation and now extends from the Jews to all people. Our God is a faithful God worthy of trust and praise. His promises never fail, even in the face of human frailty and sin.
Finally, the Magnificat reveals a God who turns the world’s values upside down, exalting the humble and bringing down the proud and powerful. It is a message of hope for the oppressed, the marginalized, and the forgotten. It also reflects the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God. As Jesus teaches, in God’s Kingdom, “the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matt. 20:16), and “the meek will inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). In the world, power is often associated with prestige, wealth, and control, but in Jesus’ Kingdom, it is those who humble themselves and serve others who are the greatest. The least are the most valued, and the humble are the most powerful.
- How does Mary’s response to God help in your own responses to difficult, confusing, or seemingly impossible situations in life?
- The Magnificat reveals how God exalts the humble and brings down the proud. In what ways does this “upside-down” nature of God’s Kingdom challenge the world’s values you encounter? How might this influence the way you live out your faith in today’s world?
- Jesus teaches that the greatest in his Kingdom are those who humble themselves and serve others. How can you apply this principle in your daily life? In what ways can you serve those who are marginalized or overlooked in your community?
Author Bio
Cynthia Tam is a pastor with The Living Room Church and the National Coordinator of Disability Ministries with The Alliance Canada. She completed her Ph.D. study in Practical Theology at University of Aberdeen under the supervision of Prof. John Swinton.
http://www.thelivingroomchurch.ca/
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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