507 Singing Mary’s Song Wrong
For years I preached ‘em. Advent sermons about Mary, the mother of Jesus; and in particular, messages from Luke 1:46-55 often called, Mary’s Song or The Magnificat.
I talked about how God chose Mary because of her amazing humility. After all, Mary begins by singing, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”
“Mary's experience teaches us,” I declared from my poinsettia adorned pulpit, “that humility is the most important quality we can have as Christians. And when we humble ourselves and make ourselves available to God we learn – as Mary did – that with God nothing is impossible!”
I wasn’t alone; just about every Mary’s Song sermon I’ve heard has said basically the same thing. Well, nothing is impossible - including the fact that most of us pastors sang Mary’s Song wrong.
Think about how ridiculous that would make her look if Mary was talking about humility. In today’s vernacular she’d be singing, “Praise God! Hallelujah! He chose me because he knows I’m so humble.” Somehow boasting about one’s humility just doesn’t come across as true humility.
No, Mary was singing about how amazing it is that God noticed her because of, not despite of, her humiliation (a better translation). Mary was a young, dirt poor, pregnant and unmarried woman – a complete nobody looking up at the bottom rung of the social ladder. It would be like a lower cast Hindu woman suddenly becoming the General-Secretary of the United Nations – only much more. Mary was chosen by God to bear his Son. No wonder she sings.
Suddenly, the rest of Mary’s Song also makes sense. “He (God) has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humiliated. He has filled the hungry with good things but sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:52-53). Mary sings that God is shaking the ladder and indeed reversing the current crushing social order. He is both lifting up the oppressed and bringing down the oppressors so that eventually all will enjoy dignity, mercy and salvation.
Part of me likes my old advent sermons better. By the world's standards, I’m rich, comfortable and healthy. In many ways I don’t need God – at least not Mary's God. I am just not all that needy, or so I think. Besides, this song can be quite threatening. But Mary just keeps singing.
Is her song coming to pass? Is Jesus’ self-declared mission just three chapters later gaining traction? Jesus said, “…he (God) has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…” (Luke 4:18).
Yes! Everywhere, even blind folks like Clothman are finally seeing. Christmas isn’t just about sins being forgiven or getting into heaven, as important as those things may be. It is about God injecting this third rock from the Sun with new order; a new way of living that results in his will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
So keep on singing Mary. Sing until all the world hears and makes your song their own.
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