“Mary’s Song” Luke 1:46-55
Introduction
“A Call to Revolution: Mary’s hymn of response to the angel is the famous Magnificat, so named by the Roman church for the key word in the Latin translation of the first line of this prayer of praise offered by Mary. Mary, in her naturalness, unself-consciousness and humility, was now able to sing about how proud she was that God had chosen her. In her true humility, she praised God that she was especially blessed.
There is a danger in trying to spiritualize the Magnificat. These are the most revolutionary words ever spoken. Through the Messiah, the mighty will be brought low; the humble, the lowly, will be exalted. William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, warned his missionaries to India never to read the Magnificat in public. Christians were already suspect in that country and they were cautioned against reading verses so inflammatory.
Jesus, the ultimate revolutionary, completely reverses all human values. What Mary was prophesying about her unborn son is terrifying to the establishment, whoever and wherever they are. They cannot hear these words gladly. We may attempt instead to spiritualize these verses, but deep down we all know that Jesus has come to instigate the kind of revolution we need.
Henry James, great novelist of the past, said in Ivan Turgenieff, "Life is, in fact, a battle. Evil is insolent and strong; beauty enchanting but rare; goodness very apt to be weak; folly very apt to be defiant; wickedness to carry the day; imbeciles to be in great places; people of sense in small (a comforting thought); and mankind generally unhappy, but the world as it stands is no illusion, no fanaticism, no evil dream of the night; we wake up to it again forever and ever; we can neither forget it nor deny it nor dispense with it; that’s what the world is."
José Ortega y Gasset, one of the greatest of all Spanish writers, said, "Before long there will be heard throughout the planet a formidable cry rising like the howling of innumerable dogs to the stars asking for someone or something to take command." And that’s why Jesus has come—to take command to lead the revolution, an incredible revolution, unlike Mao’s or Marx’s or Castro’s; a revolution of love.” (The Preacher’s Commentary)
Transition
Today, we will look at the “Magnificat,” that is, Mary’s song or Mary’s hymn as it is sometimes called. In Psalm 103:1 David writes, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” (NIV) Mary’s song echoes these very sentiments with regard to seeing the salvation of her people and of herself.
In simplicity, in humble adoration, in amazement of what God was doing in her life through the child which she carried, Mary’s soul exploded with joy, wonder, and awe, as the sacred child she now carried.
In Mary’s song is reflected the pure grandeur of the meaning of the coming of the Christ Child. Her soul rejoices because God had been mindful of her humble state. So too, in Christ we have been given the invitation to likewise rejoice that God has not forgotten us in our humble state, but that He has stooped low into the mire of the human experience.
Jesus, the might of the compassion of God incarnate, represents to you and to me the great reality that God’s mercy has been extended to us in the tangibility of human flesh! Immanuel, God with us, Jesus our savior and redeemer!
Exposition
Here is an interesting question that has gained significant academic attention in recent years and has been popularized in television documentaries; what did Jesus look like? Surely, at Christmas time with so many manger scenes littering the yards of homes and churches alike, it is an interesting proposition.
What did Jesus, the man, look like? Was he tall? Was he short? Was he beautiful or unattractive? What color was his hair, his skin, his eyes?
There is less than well documented historical account of one Publius Lentulus, who is said by some to have been Governor of Judea before Pontius, and to have written the following letter to the Roman Senate: “Lentulus, the Governor of the Jerusalemites to the Roman Senate and People, greetings. There has appeared in our times, and there still lives, a man of great power (virtue), called Jesus Christ. The people call him prophet of truth; his disciples, son of God. He raises the dead, and heals infirmities. He is a man of medium size (statura procerus, mediocris et spectabilis);
he has a venerable aspect, and his beholders can both fear and love him. His hair is of the color of the ripe hazel-nut, straight down to the ears, but below the ears wavy and curled, with a bluish and bright reflection, flowing over his shoulders. It is parted in two on the top of the head, after the pattern of the Nazarenes. His brow is smooth and vary cheerful with a face without wrinkle or spot, embellished by a slightly reddish complexion. His nose and mouth are faultless. His beard is abundant, of the color of his hair, not long, but divided at the chin. His aspect is simple and mature; his eyes are changeable and bright. He is terrible in his reprimands, sweet and amiable in his admonitions, cheerful without loss of gravity. He was never known to laugh, but often to weep. His stature is straight, his hands and arms beautiful to behold. His conversation is grave, infrequent, and modest. He is the most beautiful among the children of men." (Catholic Encyclopedia)
In a recent documentary which I viewed on the History Channel on television scientist and historians of various types explored the genetic data of the region of Jesus life and created model of what he may have looked like. It was very interesting to see how people of that time period may have appeared.
Western European paintings of the Middle Ages nearly always depict Jesus with features which are much more in keeping with Western Europeans than with people of the ancient near east, in the lands of Judea.
It occurs to me that like those painters of the Middle Ages, we all tend to create Jesus in our own image. The natural human tendency is an inclination toward defining deity according to our own likeness, our own needs, and our own preferences. We greatly prefer a God, who suits our preferences, don’t we?
This is exactly what even ancient idol worship was all about; making a stone likeness of prosperity, health, physical potency, to worship is fundamentally about defining deity according to one’s own terms. Idolatry is not reserved for the worship of pagan idols alone; idolatry comes in various forms and it is always about redefining or defining the divine according to one’s own terms.
In Christ, however, we see God meeting us where we are, in our sinfulness and brokenness, according to His sovereign decree, not our finite inclinations. In Christ we see the perfect display of the relationship between God’s holiness & grace, God’s sovereignty and mercy, and the sacred creator and His creation!
The hypostasis, that is, the perfect union of the eternal deity of God indwelling the human flesh of Jesus, is a picture of communion between God and His creation; that is, the creator of the universe has stretched out His hand in Jesus Christ that you and I might not simply know of, but know Him!
While we cannot know for sure exactly what Jesus looked like in His facial structure or physical appearance, we can know exactly what He looked like, according to the Scriptures; compassion nailed to a tree! Jesus looks like the harbinger of the upside down Kingdom of God! Jesus looks like a revolutionary of God’s love, grace, and mercy and He is calling us to join the revolution!
Conclusion
Mary’s song is her hearts cry at the wonder of all that God was going to do through the child she would bear. She carried with her He would come to reconcile us unto God and institute a revolution of radical love! We have been enlisted into this revolution of love by the sovereign decree of God who has called us, given us the gift of faith, and even now is working within unto His glory!
How do you participate in the revolution you ask? Surely, it sounds too high and lofty for daily life in the midst of job, family, and all of the rest that goes with this life. Hear and take heed of the words of John Wesley in “Revival and Revolution.”
John Wesley’s rule for Christian living: “Do All the Good You Can, By All the Means You Can, In All the Ways You Can, In All the Places You Can, At All the Times You Can, To All the People You Can, As long as Ever ... You Can!”
What did Jesus look like; compassion incarnate! What are we supposed to look like; Jesus! The Christmas story is one of the birth of a revolutionary; a revolutionary of love. What we celebrate has little to do with mangers, stables, and shepherds; these are but mere details of the birth of the most world-shattering birth, the defining moment in human history.
We need not be scholar, evangelist, missionary, pastor, or any other kind of full time dedicated worker of the Lord to participate in the revolution. We need only to be willing to reflect the heart’s cry of Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord” and then live that out in each moment by moment interaction with the world around us. Join the revolution, stay in the revolution, run the race to win. Amen.
