"Magnificat anima mea Dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. Quia respexit humilitatum ancillae suae; Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me decent omnes generationes."  "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.  From now on all generations will call me blessed."

          Thus young Mary of Nazareth sang the most famous song of all history, the "Magnificat," from the Latin verb meaning "to glorify."  Mary did not sing her song in Latin, though certainly she had a passing knowledge of the official language of the Roman Empire.  Most everyone back then knew two or three languages, and used them for both business and pleasure.  But Mary sang her song to cousin Elizabeth in Aramaic, a Hebrew dialect that would not have sounded so luxuriant as our song.

          Mary's message has mystified and amazed the sages of the ages, men and women of faith who have attempted to explain what she said.  But no one has been able to say it more clearly or briefly than she did.  It's a masterpiece, full of the Gospel, full of the hope of a young prospective mother.

          Because she became the mother of God's Son, Mary is honored in all segments of the Church.  Some have wrongly elevated her a bit too high, but it's good that we all recognize the role God gave her.

          Martin Luther honored Mary.  Some have tried to prove Luther thought she was born without sin or that she had no other children, but such ideas are rationalizations with no scriptural basis.  Mary was born of sinful parents, therefore she was sinful.  The Gospels repeatedly refer to Jesus' brothers and even sisters.  To rationalize that after bearing God's Son she refused to have sex with Joseph is foolish speculation, wishful thinking of those who want to elevate her beyond the honor God gave her.  Romanticism does not make good theology.

          Mary begins, "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 is touched to her very soul by God's honor.  She and all her people had looked forward to the day of the Messiah, and it shocked her to realize she was the chosen vessel through which He would come.  She must have daydreamed what it meant, recalling stories told her of the greatness of the Messiah who would restore Israel's fortunes.  She, a humble Hebrew maid, had been chosen by Almighty God - an unthinkable honor for a lowly woman from Nazareth.

          She continues, "From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name."  She is totally correct - future generations will honor her.  Is this pride?  Selfishness?  No, it's the musing of a young woman wondering aloud what other young mothers have wondered.  What will her child be like?  How will others view her motherhood?  What will he look like?  Her gentle humanity is showing itself in these touching words.

          "His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation."  Mary's faith in God is very evident.  God's mercy gave her this exalted position, this heavenly responsibility of nurturing God's Son.  She will bear, nurse, bathe and train the Son of God.  She is not fearful of God, and knows His mercy is always shown to the faithful, to the generations of those who love God and keep His commandments.

          Mary continues, "He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble."  God has no time for the proud.  Pride is the devil's weapon against God.  Too often we turn our backs on evil, hoping it will go away, hoping evildoers will somehow be acceptable to God.  We must remember it is up to God to change evildoers.  We cannot do this.  God calls on us to exercise justice and mercy, but never to turn our backs on evil.  Evil must be exposed for justice to prevail.

          "He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty."  God is the great and holy Provider.  Nothing comes to us without His loving hand.  No simple grace or great honor, neither a tiny gift nor a huge windfall, comes without His knowledge and mercy.  We Americans enjoy unbelievable abundance and God calls on us to be generous to help others, especially at this time of year.  When Mary says God sends the rich away empty-handed, she speaks of spiritual poverty, not earthly.  The greatest wealth is never in our banks but in our hearts.  God fills the hungry with good things, with food and the essentials of life, and also with His love.  The Lord provides the needs of the humble, but He lets the selfish find their own ways.

          Mary concludes her song, "He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."  Mary is not thinking of herself only, but also of her people, the Chosen Ones.  God has been merciful to Abraham and Old Israel, and now He will be merciful to His New Israel, the Holy Christian Church.  God spoke personally to Abraham and his descendants.  Today He speaks to us precisely through the Holy Bible, and often vaguely through events that happen.  And always God helps, and never harms.  That should be our motto also, "To help others and never to harm."

          Mary, betrothed to Joseph, would not have been a more mature woman in her twenties or early thirties, as Leonardo and others have depicted her.  Probably she was about fifteen when she gave birth to Jesus.  There was an extremely sad movie shot in the country of Iran called, "A Time for Drunken Horses," which has a thirteen year old girl in the lead role.  She is trying to keep her brothers and sisters together as a family and avoid starvation of Iran.  She carries her baby brother around on her hip through much of the movie.  There is a pathos to so young a woman carrying a child.  There are such limitations that surround such a young mother: educational, social, emotional, financial.  Yet, even in the face of such limitations, Mary ponders the primordial wonder of new birth, the great hope and joy that children bring to us.  She was to be the mother of God's Son - such a thought was unthinkable!  And such an honor was immeasurable.

          Think of other great women in history: Sarah, wife of Abraham, the Queen of Sheba, Cleopatra of Alexandria, Mary Magdalene, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, Mother Teresa, to name just a few.  Yet every one of them pales in comparison to the scope and breadth of influence this one young girl from Nazareth has had on people over the centuries.  No woman can compare to this humble maiden of Nazareth.  She is truly worthy of our honor more than any other woman.

          Mary lived near modern day Ramallah, in the West Bank where today despair has been replaced by fanaticism and suicide bombers.  It's harder today than in her day to find reason for hope.  Mary trusted in the true God who gave her hope for today and eternal hope for the future.

          Two years ago Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry, Baylor University students, were held by the Taliban for a couple months for preaching Christianity in Afghanistan.  After they were released, they were at a press conference, thanking God and the people who had prayed for their release, recounting how God miraculously looked over them in prison and brought about their release.  Watching the press conference was a crusty older New Yorker who said to a pastor there, "Reverend, why is it that God seems to be so cozy with evangelical Americans?  What about the two million mothers in Afghanistan who are praying every day for their children?  Did God answer these girls' prayer because they are Christians or because they are from Texas?"  He told her, "Ma'am, I suspect the Texas connection is helpful.  But those girls are profoundly grateful to God just to be alive."

          Mary sang a beautiful song of hope.  She knows of oppression and injustice, but instead speaks words of hope for the future.  The poor we will always have with us.  Oppression will always be around.  Now is the time for joy, now is the time for giving God praise.  She could have complained at what was wrong, but instead she praised God for what was right.

          "Magnificat anima mea Dominum."  The Song of Mary is the song of love.  Love came down from heaven, Love was born into the world, and Love is the Son of God.  May you and I join Mary in glorifying God this Christmas for His wondrous mercies.  And may we, too, rejoice in God our Savior.  Amen

Copyright © 2003 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.