Luke s account of Jesus ministry SESSION. With Burning Hearts: Luke. Mary s Song IN CONTEXT. Scripture Focus: The Word to Live By: Session Truth:

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1 SESSION 1 March With Burning Hearts: Luke Mary s Song Scripture Focus: Luke 1:46-55 The Word to Live By: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:46b-47). Session Truth: We can rejoice in the knowledge that God is mindful of his humble people and will do great things for and through them. How would young Mary have had the theological insight to produce a song as stirring as the Magnificat? Though she was unschooled in the truths of heaven, God had supernaturally marked and prepared her for his purposes. IN CONTEXT Luke s account of Jesus ministry and mission has often been called the Gospel of Compassion. It pictures Jesus as the Savior of all sorts of people. Many of them had no place or power in society children, women, the poor, disreputable outcasts, such as the woman who anointed his feet, common folk like Mary and Joseph. Jesus expressed more than mere human sympathy. His compassion was divine. He demonstrated the very nature and character of God. This quarter s study will help us understand God s compassionate nature. To live as he lived is not humanitarian; it is godlike. In today s Bible study, we consider the meaning of God s compassion as captured by the song of Mary, known traditionally as the Magnificat. Her song was an expression of praise to God for what he said he would do for and through her. 2 March ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS

2 SCRIPTURE Luke 1: 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. We believe in the full inspiration of the Scriptures and encourage the comparison and use of several translations as part of the discipline of Bible study. EXPOSITION Introduction Luke reveals the heart of Mary in what has come to be known as the Magnificat (1:46-55.) The song introduces one of Luke s most important themes in his gospel, that of divinelyorchestrated social reversal. How could young Mary, in a society that traditionally educated women only in household chores, possess the theological depth and insight to produce a song of such stirring rhythm and grace? Let s find out in this week s Illustrated Bible Life article, Mary, How d You Know? It is possible that Mary herself was the source that Luke consulted when he wrote his beautiful gospel. He does tells us that eyewitnesses and servants of the word provided the earliest materials handed down to him, and that he carefully investigated everything from the beginning (1:1-4). This is not a story spun from Luke s fertile imagination. It is an account of what actually happened. Jesus puts a song in the hearts of all who follow him. When I preached revival services for Pastor Jack Dell, I always asked him and his wife, Tillie, to sing the simple but to me eminently encouraging song, You can have a song in your heart in the night. I am not surprised that the young woman who birthed Jesus should have responded so lyrically to the surprising announcement that she had been chosen by God to mother the long-awaited Messiah. Let s listen again to Mary s song. It s chock-full of wisdom and joy. Mary Sang to the Glory of God (Luke 1:46-47) Listen as Mary tells us why she sang. My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. She didn t sing to amuse or amaze any judges or critics or friends. She wasn t performing in hopes of be- MARCH APRIL MAY 3

3 There is a rich tradition in the Old Testament of women singing God s praises and declaring his character and actions in song. Miriam and the women sang of God s victory over Pharaoh at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20-21). Deborah sang of how God gave the Israelites victory over Sisera (Judges 5). Hannah sang of how God had taken away her humiliation and barrenness when he gave her Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Mary continues that tradition in the New Testament record. coming the next Israeli Idol. Her song was not intended first of all to express her feelings. She sang because she desired to glorify the Lord. The song was her way of honoring him on this occasion and for its reason. Like the host of angels who sang to the astonished shepherds on the night of Jesus birth, Mary s motive in singing was Glory to God in the highest (2:14). This should be the reason our choirs sing, the reason our congregations sing, the reason our special songs are sung to exalt him who is our Savior. I m sure that all of us are aware of the music wars that have produced so much dissension and division in many of our churches for the past several years. Our motives in making music have a lot to do with the degree to which our differing tastes in music were allowed to become barriers to our fellowship. When Paul told the church in Colosse to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God, he immediately added, And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:16-17). Here s a question to ponder: If we sang to glorify God and listened to singing to glorify God, would there not be more blessing and less fussing in our churches? I sure don t want to start a ruckus in this Sunday school class, but we could benefit from an honest searching of our motives in fighting these music wars. Mary Sang About the Attributes of God (Luke 1:48-50) If we haven t broken up into small groups to debate and battle our music motives, let s move on from why Mary sang to what she sang. The Mighty One, Mary sang, has done great things for me. God was the subject of her song. search Mary s song breaks all the stereotypes of her as a young, self-absorbed mother, too naive to know about the political climate around her and too centered on her pregnancy to care. Here, Mary speaks in the highest Old Testament prophetic voice, echoing all the great Old Testament themes of redemption, freedom, and justice. She was revolutionary for her time, probably for this time too. She exhibited a large vision of God, a sense of God s grand purpose, and the heart of God for oppressed people (Bruce B. Barton, et al., Luke [Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997], 27). 4 March ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS

4 Mary sang about the Holy One: holy is his name. The name of God functions, as do our names, as shorthand for all he is and does, for the totality of his personality, character, and deeds. In many ancient myths, certain pagan gods had sexual affairs with women. Mary s God was holy, incapable of sin, but he possessed power enough to create life within a virgin s womb. The sexual liaisons of pagan gods and human women produced offspring called demigods, part human and part divine and therefore mightier than ordinary people. A familiar example is Hercules. Contrary to a favorite claim of the run-of-the-mill atheists, Luke s story is no myth and Jesus is no demigod. Mary sang about the Mighty One, the doer of great things. We can form purposes that frustrate us because we lack power to achieve them. What God decides to do he does, and no powers, demonic or human, can prevent the achievement of his will. As Gabriel declared, Nothing is impossible with God. During the Civil War when Sherman s army was marching through Georgia, one of the soldiers, in a playful mood, snatched a pretty hat from the head of a young black woman and set it on his own head. Furious, she told him that if her power matched her will, she would thrash him. Sometimes we can t do what we want to do, but that s never true of God. Mary sang about the Merciful One. His mercy extends to those who fear him. She marveled that the Almighty would use a person of such humble state as hers as a servant of his purpose. She does not emphasize what she is doing for There is a danger in trying to spiritualize the Magnificat. These are the most revolutionary words ever spoken. Through the Messiah, the mighty will be brought low; the humble, the lowly, will be exalted. William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury ( ), warned his missionaries to India never to read the Magnificat in public. Christians were already suspect in that country, and they were cautioned against reading verses so inflammatory. Jesus, the ultimate revolutionary, completely reverses all human values. What Mary was prophesying about her unborn son is terrifying to the establishment, whoever and wherever they are. They cannot hear these words gladly. We may attempt instead to spiritualize these verses, but deep down we all know that Jesus has come to instigate the kind of revolution we need (Bruce Larson, Luke in The Communicator s Commentary [Waco, TX: Word, 1983], 39-40). God, but what he is doing for her and through her for others. She does say, All generations will call me blessed, but she does not say that they will call her great. God is great; she is blessed. His greatness confers blessing upon the humble. Nothing more quickly disqualifies anyone for God s work than does an inflated ego. Uncle Bud Robinson used to say that pride was the only disease that made everybody sick but the one who had it. If it was possible for anything to sicken God, the sight of church bosses strutting and boast- MARCH APRIL MAY 5

5 ing would create a need for barf bags in heaven. God s mercy is for those who fear him, not for those who mistake themselves for gods. The kind of fear that Mary sings about is a symptom of humility. Mary Sang About the Works of God (Luke 1:51-53) He has performed mighty deeds with his arm. Mary s song reflects her acquaintance with her Bible the Old Testament. All the mighty works that she ascribes to God s arm can be found there. They were works of might. Often the Old Testament speaks of them as the works of his right hand. The reason for this is simple. We can only talk of God in human terms, and the vast majority of men are righthanded. The right hand is generally the strongest, the power hand. God s right hand is a suitable metaphor for his power as greater than all powers opposed to his work. Mary sang, He has brought down rulers from their thrones. A classic example is the Pharaoh who vainly pursued the fleeing Israelites in the Exodus story. Moses celebrated that ruler s downfall as a smashing blow from God s right hand that shattered the enemy (Exodus 15:1-12). Another example is the pagan ruler of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. He boasted of the empire that he built, and God smote him with a judgment that drove him insane. He lived like a wild beast unwashed, unshaven, and unloved until his pride was broken. He confessed his arrogance and God s omnipotence, saying, He does what he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand (Daniel 4:35). The center of the song elaborates on what happens when God s strength is displayed (1:51-53). The theme is developed in two sets of contrasting parallels or reversals. In the first (1:51b-52), the proud and powerful are scattered and brought down, respectively, and the lowly are lifted up. The second set (1:53) begins with the hungry being filled and ends with the rich being sent away empty. The human categories represent economic and political opposites, and as a result of God action, they are said to move toward a common middle ground (Sharon H. Ringe, Luke in Westminster Bible Companion [Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995], 35). Mary sang that God lifted up the humble. He brought down the pridefilled Saul and elevated David, who was just a teenaged shepherd with a flair for poetry when Samuel secretly anointed him to be Israel s second king. In many of the psalms, David rejoices in the salvation and the security provided by God s right hand. A comprehensive example is Psalm 98. There Israel s sweet singer exhorts, Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations (vv. 1-2). Mary s words sound like she may have just read this psalm before bursting forth with her song of praise. Mary sang, He has filled the hungry with good things. God supplied 6 March ADULT FAITH CONNECTIONS

6 manna from heaven that nourished Israel for 40 years during their wilderness period. He provided mysteriously renewed supplies of meal and oil for a widow who befriended Elijah during a long drought. Turn a moment from recollection to anticipation: The child of Mary, when he had grown to manhood and launched his public ministry, fed thousands of people by miraculously multiplying a few loaves and fish. After that unusual picnic, he had his disciples save the leftovers, which tells us that he opposed both hunger and waste (Matthew 6:34-44). Mary doesn t sing about what she has done or can do; her song praises God for his mighty and merciful works. Mary Sang About the People of God (Luke 1:54-55) Mary realized, though imperfectly, that God chose her to continue and to extend his saving purpose. She connected her experience with the stories of the Old Testament that shaped her view of God. While God s power and mercy are unlimited, Mary s audience was quite restricted and contained. She sang of how God helped his servant Israel by fulfilling his ancient covenant to Abraham and his descendants forever. She called the immediate inheritors of those covenant promises our fathers, and they were Jews. Mary s promised Son, however, would be a global savior. He would send his disciples to make disciples of all nations. This was also a fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham, for God promised the patriarch that all people on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3). He chose Abraham and Israel to bring to the world Jesus and the Bible. Mary s song became a lovely portion of the gospel and the Scriptures. It has reached an audience that is global in its breadth and centurieslong in its length. She is singing that song to us today as we study this passage of the Bible. BY W. E. MCCUMBER has served for over 69 years as preacher, college professor, revivalist, conference speaker, radio speaker, writer, and magazine editor. He has served as senior pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Gainesville, Georgia since FOR FURTHER reflection What words would you use to describe Mary s attitude? Do you know why Mary was blessed by God? Why? How can you glorify God and rejoice in your Savior during the week to come? MARCH APRIL MAY 7