Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

The heart of Mary’s praise of God comes from the stark reversal of fortune she experiences in becoming the mother of Jesus. As a young, relatively ordinary Israelite descended from the tribe of Judah, she could never have anticipated God’s choosing for her to become the bearer of the God-man himself. Yet God does choose her, and it elicits one of the most well-known and profound declarations of praise ever recorded.

Mary’s praise reveals something quite close to the heart of God and describes his consistent operation in the world. God “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Prov. 3:34). The lofty, self-satisfied, and mighty in this world will find themselves time and again cast down and humbled. The humble, the hungry, and the lowly will instead find themselves lifted up by the merciful favor and grace of our God. This pattern will happen again and again and it is for the benefit of all that God keep doing it.

Lent is a moment where we have the opportunity to look first at ourselves and ask whether we are among the humble or the proud in this world. Are we confidently living in our sins? Are we looking for sinners out there somewhere (when the call is coming from inside the house)? God will, out of love for us, oppose us lest we be destroyed by our own hands. Do we see the need for repentance, change, forgiveness in our hearts and lives? Then we can expect, though it is painful to be so self-reflective, God will nevertheless lift us up.

I would like to leave you with a thought to carry with you through Lent: what is one sin you have long since ignored or excused in your life? Where would humility, lowliness, the willingness to accept rebuke and correction change your relationships, your commitments, your love and actions in this world? Before you give up sweets or some other thing for Lent, try to live away from an old, tired sin that has long impeded your life. See how the Lord, through his mercy, might in that moment of repentance meet you and lift you up.

Leaning on the Lord with you always,

Pastor Devin Murphy