What Sweeter Music
This Sunday our choir will present a cantata of lessons and carols. One of the passages that is not featured is Luke 1:47-55, the Magnificat. I love this song of Mary and it reminds me that we all should have a song of faith in our hearts.
Luke 1:47-55 (NRSV)
47 … and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
What does it mean to be lifted up. In order to be lifted up you have to be down, way down. In fact, the literal translation of the Greek for “lowly” is “those of low estate”, meaning in that time period those who are hungry, needy, more remotely; those who fear him. Mary was of “low estate.” She is not one of the proud of verse
51: “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.”
The proud do not fear God and are neither hungry, nor afflicted. They are confident in their own achievements; they consider themselves above others and have no need for God. If we have no need for God, it is impossible to truly understand the greatness of the Christmas event. We don’t see ourselves as needy.
We don’t need God’s grace, God’s mercy, or at least we aren’t aware of our need. In this state of “well-being” we cannot summon the emotions necessary to sing as Mary does, to allow our souls to “magnify the Lord."
Mary’s need is her recognition that she is afflicted, not so much as an individual, but as a one of God’s people who needs the intervention of a savior, the long-awaited Messiah! She is afflicted, as all God’s people are, and she is waiting for deliverance from the affliction, the affliction of sin. We all need the deliverance brought to us in the birth of the Savior!
What joy to celebrate the coming of our Savior, God with us, in song this Sunday.
May we all come to worship on Sunday and celebrate God’s gift of faith and grace in the long awaited Messiah, Jesus the Christ!
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Jeri-Lynne
