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nd Mary said, My soul doth
magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath
regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all
generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great
things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from
generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the
mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the
hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen
his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to
Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months,
and returned to her own house. (Luke 1:46-56)
The first
Advent Song of Christmas is the Magnificat
of Mary, page 26 of the Prayer Book, that begins with the words of Gospel
of St. Luke 1:46-55:
One can sense the great joy and devotion of Mary in this instant
of Thanksgiving Prayer. As I was driving to my office a few days ago in
the pre-dawn darkness, the air was cold and pristine. The stars sparkled from a
cloudless sky. I began thinking about the innocent young Mary who was visited
by the Archangel Gabriel so many years ago in a village called Nazareth. I
thought about her being at home doing her daily chores - all alone. She must
have been shocked at the warm Light that illumined her in her solace, but she
was not overly fearful. I believe the approach of God always gives us a great
peace. As I was contemplating this scene, I wondered, What would have happened
had her parents been present? I'm sure the Angel would have deliberately chosen
a time that would be a quiet, solitary moment when He could approach Mary
alone. I believe that is precisely characteristic of God and His Holy Spirit. I
believe He most often speaks to us when there are no others to distract our
attention. His voice is soft and still toward those of His own choosing. Had
her parents been present, it is unlikely that Mary would have seen or heard the
voice and presence of the great Archangel Gabriel sent from the Father. As I
thought on these things, my heart melted with love for her, and her Child, and
the Father who demonstrated such great Love to us, and to her. (AOC Christmas Letter, 9
December 2006, Anno Domini)
The
birds of the morning sing most sweetly at dawn, and after refreshing Spring
rains, too. The dawn of the Gospel follows the shadows and psalmody of the Old
Testament. It is quite natural that the shadow should resemble the image of the
true form. When we read the Magnificat of Mary, we are reminded of those gentle
strains and shadows of the same given in the early scenes of Israel.
Please examine with me the words of the lovely Hannah after
God granted her the desire of her heart (the baby Samuel):
My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD:
my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy
salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee:
neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly;
let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and
they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have
hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the
barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed
feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave,
and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low,
and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the
beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit
the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath
set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the
wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man
prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of
heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth;
and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. (1 Sam 2:1-10)
The most beautiful words follow beautiful experiences or thoughts.
But beauty needs a purity of environment for its manifestation, and it has
found its ultimate satisfaction in the gentle heart of a young Virgin. Her
great joy could not have been fully realized at the abrupt revelations provided
by the great Angel. But Mary has travelled into the hill country of Israel. On
every hand of her journey, she has been reminded by the great and Godly
heritage of Israel by the mementos along the way of prophets, kings, and
mountains of exceedingly precious events. As she walks the rough terrain into
these Great Lone Hills, her heart is fixed on the child conceived in her womb,
of the Mighty Angel, and upon the Lord of her salvation! She is overcome with
humility and love – humility because she is well aware of her shortcomings and
seeming unworthiness for the great honor afforded her and, Love, because she
has in her body the manifestation and meaning of Love Itself.
And
Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour. Mary had a soul that magnified the Lord as a
jeweler’s lens magnifies the excellence of a diamond. Observe that the lenses
of a microscope do not alter the structural appearance of its object, but
rather bears out the true structure and detail of it. Her soul was open to the
nature of the Lord and made it appear large and clear to those who met her. Do
our souls do this? Our souls are made magnifiers of the Lord whenever we
rejoice in God our Savior! Have you had moments of despair turned suddenly into
wonderful experiences of Joy in Christ? If I am sad and down, I can alter that
emotion at any time by singing the great old hymns of the church. After a few
lines of singing those spiritual and biblical lines, I have forgotten my sorrow
and bask in the light and love of God. Try it, my friend!
For
he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed. Mary is perfectly satisfied to
be only a handmaiden of the Lord. Did I say ONLY? Being a
handmaiden, a doorman, a gardener, or a butler for the Lord surpasses the
office of King in any of the great kingdoms of the world – past or present.
Mary freely admits to her low estate and does not claim any higher position,
but realizes her low estate has lifted her above the greatest of women in the
eyes of the Lord. Though only a simple handmaiden, ALL GENERATIONS will call
her blessed.
For
he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
No matter how low our station and esteem among men, the Lord our God can do
great things in and through us. He is not only Holy, but His name, too, is
Holy. He is every whit Holy.
And
his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. God’s
mercy is not confined to a single people, or a single period of time. It
encompasses every nation, tribe, and tongue; and it is eternal in its
application. Note that the fear of the Lord will always precede his mercy, for
His mercy cannot be granted to those who presume upon His grace with scorn or
cunning.
He
hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts. Should we ever forget how God’s
outstretched arm brought us over and through the waters to His haven of safety?
And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an
outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.
(Deut 26:8) Have we failed to witness the same on our own behalf? If so we have
eyes to see and see not, and ears to hear and hear not. The proud He has
scattered across the depths of the Red Seas of life. He vanquished the giant,
Goliath, with a single smooth river stone from the sling of a young boy. He has
confused the wisdom of the high and mighty and exalted the simple to the
heights of His Love.
He
hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
Belshazzar was deposed in a single stroke of the Finger of God. Ahab has God
humbled and Jezebel has He made to be food for dogs. A shepherd boy has God
exalted as King in Saul’s stead. A poor Moabitess widow has He lifted into the
line of Christ and of David. Fishermen and publicans has He called to the
Office of Apostles, the leper has He embraced and healed, the widow’s mites has
He exalted to greater wealth than all the world can contain. If we shall be
exalted, we must first and always seek the lower seats. Have you done so?
He
hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
Our friend and brother, the beggar Lazarus, rest in the bosom of Abraham while
the rich man of opulence begs for a drop of water in the fires of Hell where
his money and filthy rags of sin will avail him no relief or comfort.
He
hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy. The
evidence of His mercy permeates the Bible account from beginning to end: Blessed
is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light
of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy
righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their
strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. For the LORD is our
defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. Then thou spakest in vision
to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have
exalted one chosen out of the people. (Psalm 89:15-19)
As
he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Have you
been granted the grace of being called by that great name – the seed of
Abraham? If you have not had, it is simply because you have refused to accept
the promise and become a true child of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and
ultimately of God.
And Mary abode with her
about three months, and returned to her own house. Can you imagine the
blissful fellowship these two dear ladies enjoyed for those three months? It is
very possible Mary remained with Elizabeth until her child, John, was born for
Elizabeth, we are told, was six months with child at the moment of the
Annunciation and, having remained three months longer would take us to the nine
months for the normal course of the pregnancy of Elizabeth. Whether she was
present at his birth or not, she certainly lived to see John a great prophet in
Israel and her own Son, Jesus, as the Mighty Savior of all time and Eternity!
Have you lived sufficiently to have seen Him?
