Tuesday, December 17
Written by Rev. David Klingensmith
First Congregational Church of Fresno
Luke 1:46b-55
We often think of Mary as just a humble young girl from a poor class of folks who, when told by the angel that she was to bear God’s Son, said very humbly, “May it be to me according to your word.”
But there is also something else about her. According to Luke’s account, she was strong enough to question how this could happen when she had not been with a man. And in these words that are usually referred to as the Song of Mary or the Magnificat, she virtually becomes a prophet.
Rev. Judith Jones says, “Mary sings about the God who saves not just souls, but embodied people. The God she celebrates is not content merely to point people toward heaven; God’s redemptive work begins here on earth. God fills the hungry not only with hope, but with food. Rather than being satisfied with comforting the lowly, Mary’s Lord lifts them up, granting them dignity and honor, a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation. At the same time, God shows strength by disrupting the world’s power structures, dethroning rulers, and humbling the mighty.”
During this Advent season, may we reflect on how we can be signs of God’s inbreaking presence, and how we can be part of God’s redemptive work in our community and the world.
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