Part VII
Mary’s Song
1.
Luke’s Thoughts:
Luke 1:46-56 (NIV) “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, even as he said to our fathers.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and
then returned home.”
2.
Passage Outline
I.
Mary’s Attitude toward God (vs. 46-47)
A. Mary Magnified the Lord (vs. 46)
B. Mary Rejoices in God (vs. 47)
II.
What God has Done (vs. 48-49)
A. Regarded Her as Worthy (vs. 48a)
B. Allowed Her to be Called Blessed (vs. 48b)
C. God has done great things for Her (vs. 49)
III. What God has done for Humanity (vs. 50-55)
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A. He has given mercy to those who fear Him (vs. 50)
B. He has shown His great Power (vs. 51)
C. He has exalted the humble and removed the selfrighteous (vs. 52)
D. God has fed those who hunger for Righteousness
(vs. 53)
E. He has aided His servant Israel (vs. 54-55)
IV.
Following a three month visit, Mary returns to
Nazareth (vs. 56)
3.
Information to Consider
Luke identifies the various songs contained in his Gospel
by the opening verb contained in each of the first lines of the
composition. While Luke does not specifically state Mary was
speaking under inspiration, what Mary reveals in her song is
truth and truth is always of value to our lives. Through her
words, Mary tells us God chose her, not because of her material
wealth, but by the content of her character.
Within her focus on God’s blessings (vs. 50-55), Mary uses
the “aorist” tense in expressing her thoughts. This tense
declares God’s blessings not only impacted her and the world
around her, but these blessings would continue to occur in the
lives of each and every generations following Jesus’ entrance
into human history.
While there is some concern among the non-Catholic
Christian population Mary has been elevated to a position
greater than God intended, there might also be a concern she is
not being given the recognition and honor worthy of an
individual who was so favored by God.
Every Christian give Mary honor for the tremendous
attributes in her life and the reasons why she was chosen to
participate in God’s plan for humanity: God chose Mary for the
depth of her godly character, she was the woman who would give
birth to God’s one and only biological Son, she was one of the
two people God chose to nurture and raise the promised Messiah,
and she would remain faithful to this task – a journey that
would begin in Bethlehem and would find her standing at the foot
of His cross!
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4.
Questions to Ponder
a. Was Mary’s Song a result of spiritual inspiration?
(vs. 46-54)
b. Based on her words, what might have been her
circumstances materially?
c. At what moment might Joseph have become aware of Mary’s
pregnancy?
5.
Author’s Comments
I hate to admit this, but sometimes when reading through a
chapter in the Bible I skip certain portions. Sometimes it is
when they provide a long list of names, a long list of count
totals, and sections when songs or hymns are listed.
When it comes to the Gospels, I have often skipped the
songs of Elizabeth and Mary. I don’t know why, but I do. In
writing this devotional, I forced myself to slow down and
consider the phrases Mary included in her song. The truths are
powerful and reviewing them brought richness to my time in this
section of Luke’s Gospel I would not normally have received.
I hope you take the time to read through Mary’s composition
3-5 times and consider the tremendous insights she provided us
in her lyrics. I believe the words of this teenager will
provide a keen insight into why she was chosen to be the mother
of our Lord and Savior.
6.
Closing Prayer
Father,
Thank You for fulfilling the promise to send Your Son,
Jesus, to this world. I cannot imagine the state our society
would be in without His entrance into our lives. While it
always challenges me to grasp the depth of Your love for our
world, the birth of Jesus always reminds me of the hope I have
found in my life and the love You have shown me throughout my
years.
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We pause to reflect upon the character and life of Mary.
The commitment this young woman made to honor You with her life
and the depth of her character challenges each of us to consider
her life and deepen our commitment to be more like You and seek
to live our lives as she did.
May we always remember her willingness to hear and respond
to Your call and the approach she brought to life which led You
to use her to Your glory!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
7.
Answers to “Questions to Ponder”
a. Scholars point out much of Mary’s Song was made up of
OT quotations and other parts may have been taken from other
first century songs and hymns. So while Mary pieced these
thoughts together to from a truly wonderful, Hebrew, song of
praise – it does not appear to be an original song emerging from
inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
b. From her thoughts, Mary sees herself as a servant girl
to God. She also identifies how God often uses the financially
challenged to express and fulfill His will. With these two
concepts in mind, we may say Mary came from a righteous home,
but one that was not from a financially strong background.
c. Upon her return to Nazareth, it would obvious to her
family, her community, and Joseph Mary was in the third month of
her pregnancy.
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