Merry Christmas to all on this the eve of Christmas eve!
There is a lovely song that you have likely heard this season that ponders what Mary the mother of Jesus knew. This week I heard a talk about the revolutionary nature of Mary's song found in Luke 1, and I have continued to ponder what Mary knew - and it seems to me that she knew a good deal that is worth remembering. This song of Mary's stands in sharp contrast to the typical portraits of Mary with a serene almost otherworldly on her face. Mary sings a song of revolutionary praise proclaiming that because of who the God of Israel is, the time of the powers that be and the status quo is up whether they now it our not. Mary's song sings out that Caesar who was worshiped in parts of the Roman empire as Savior and Lord, and Herod who was proclaimed as king of the Jews are pretenders. In Mary's song their time is already up, it has happened - rulers have been brought down from their thrones and the humble have been exalted. Of course even as Mary is pregnant and singing her song, Caesar is issuing decrees that force here to travel to pay taxes in the last days of her pregnancy, and Herod has a military fortress that would have looks down on an anything but a still Bethlehem swelled with people who have been forced to travel to pay taxes to an oppressive occupying force. Still... against this oppressive political context as an unwed pregnant teenager Mary proclaims:
46 And Mary said:
This song of Mary's is the oldest Advent hymn. It is the most passionate, most vehement, one might almost say, most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. It is not the gentle, sweet, dreamy Mary that we so often see portrayed in pictures, but the passionate, powerful, proud, enthusiastic Mary, who speaks here. None of the sweet, sugary, or childish tones that we find so often in our Christmas hymns, but a hard, strong, uncompromising song of bringing down rulers from their thrones and humbling the lords of this world, of God's power and of the powerlessness of men. These are the tones of the prophetic women of the Old Testament: Deborah, Judith, Miriam, coming alive in the mouth of Mary.
I'm praying this season that my heart will be aligned with those on the underside of power, and will with Mary sing that God has brought down the rulers who oppress, and has filled the hungry with good things. I want to raise a fist with Mary against the way things are - when the way that things are - is not how they should be. I want to sing a song that magnifies the God of Mary who brings down oppressive rulers from their thrones.
There is a lovely song that you have likely heard this season that ponders what Mary the mother of Jesus knew. This week I heard a talk about the revolutionary nature of Mary's song found in Luke 1, and I have continued to ponder what Mary knew - and it seems to me that she knew a good deal that is worth remembering. This song of Mary's stands in sharp contrast to the typical portraits of Mary with a serene almost otherworldly on her face. Mary sings a song of revolutionary praise proclaiming that because of who the God of Israel is, the time of the powers that be and the status quo is up whether they now it our not. Mary's song sings out that Caesar who was worshiped in parts of the Roman empire as Savior and Lord, and Herod who was proclaimed as king of the Jews are pretenders. In Mary's song their time is already up, it has happened - rulers have been brought down from their thrones and the humble have been exalted. Of course even as Mary is pregnant and singing her song, Caesar is issuing decrees that force here to travel to pay taxes in the last days of her pregnancy, and Herod has a military fortress that would have looks down on an anything but a still Bethlehem swelled with people who have been forced to travel to pay taxes to an oppressive occupying force. Still... against this oppressive political context as an unwed pregnant teenager Mary proclaims:
46 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,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
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,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, preached a sermon on Mary's song against the backdrop of the growing power of Adolph Hitler and Nazi party. This is a part of what he said:
This song of Mary's is the oldest Advent hymn. It is the most passionate, most vehement, one might almost say, most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. It is not the gentle, sweet, dreamy Mary that we so often see portrayed in pictures, but the passionate, powerful, proud, enthusiastic Mary, who speaks here. None of the sweet, sugary, or childish tones that we find so often in our Christmas hymns, but a hard, strong, uncompromising song of bringing down rulers from their thrones and humbling the lords of this world, of God's power and of the powerlessness of men. These are the tones of the prophetic women of the Old Testament: Deborah, Judith, Miriam, coming alive in the mouth of Mary.
I'm praying this season that my heart will be aligned with those on the underside of power, and will with Mary sing that God has brought down the rulers who oppress, and has filled the hungry with good things. I want to raise a fist with Mary against the way things are - when the way that things are - is not how they should be. I want to sing a song that magnifies the God of Mary who brings down oppressive rulers from their thrones.
