Evening: Psalms 111, 113; Isaiah 28:9-22; Luke 1:39–56
Mary’s song – Magnificat – is perhaps most significant for how it highlights the place of the lowly. One strong theme in the Bible is that God’s preference, when choosing leaders, messengers, disciples or prophets, is for the lowly. Religion often forgets this. Once religion becomes established and institutionalized, it seems to require champions who are powerful in the eyes of the world. Mary is a reminder, among other things, that the mighty fall. Meanwhile, the lowly give birth to true greatness. Mary embraces the paradox that Jesus then teaches and embodies – greatness is humility.
The world says "Okay, everybody get in line". So the powerful and everyone seeking power begin pushing and shoving, jockeying for a position as close to the front of the line as possible. Then Christ shows up and, to everyone's surprise walks to the end of the line and joins the queue.(*) Then, with the authority of God, Christ says "Okay, everybody do a 180!"
ReplyDelete(*) Take Me to the Alley, Gregory Porter