We have been journeying alongside Mary for the past three weeks. Through Mary’s story, we have journeyed through the traditional Advent themes of hope, love, joy, and peace, reflecting on her unique role in the coming of Christ and how her faithful response to God can inspire us in our own lives. We began with the Annunciation – the Angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she had found favor with God and the Savior of the World would be born through Mary's womb. As the Theotokos – the God-bearer – Mary carried the hope of the world, the same hope held by the Church today.
Mary then traveled to see her cousin Elizabeth. We experienced the joy of the Incarnation as Elizabeth’s child leaped for joy in his mother's womb. Elizabeth then made the first confession of Jesus as Lord. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, and before she departed, she declared her Magnificat. The Magnificat is the exclamation mark at the end of Mary’s, “Let it be.” Think all you want that “Let it Be” is the gospel according to Sir McCartney but the truth is its actually the Gospel according to Mary!
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on, all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
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 powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever."[i]
Nine verses declaring the mighty acts of God. A declaration that things now are not the way things will be in the Kingdom of God. The joy felt by Mary is not a personal feeling but a revolutionary declaration of God's justice and mercy.
The lowly lifted.
Mercy and strength that spans generations.
The removal of the powerful who secure their power through force, fear, and exploitation.
A promise kept in the covenant made with Abraham.
A few weeks ago, Cliff Ogea sang Mary, Did You Know? during worship. The song was beautiful. If you missed that Sunday, you really did miss something special.
The question posed in the song is quite simple – Mary, did you know what your boy was going to do? Did you know your son would do this and that?
Mary knew about the prophesied Messiah. She would have known the prophecies of Isaiah. The Messiah will:
“Will be born of a virgin” (Isaiah 7:14)
“Will have His way prepared” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
While being overwhelmed by the “favor” presented by the angel Gabriel, Mary knew these stories. She would have, at the least, had an idea of what she was agreeing to be a part of, and at the same time, she would have known that this favor could ruin her engagement, resulting in the possibility of public humiliation or worse.
Mary knew about similar greetings.
Mary knew Hannah had received a similar greeting.
Mary knew Hannah prayed her heart out, praying holes into the rug, never giving up on the possibility that God would work the miracle she so desperately wanted. Even with her graying hair, Hannah never stopped praying for a child.
Mary knew Hannah, too, had been called "favored one" by God.
Mary, being a good Jewish girl, knew this story. Mary knew that after Hannah gave birth to her miracle baby, Eli, the priest, told Hannah that the baby must be given to the Temple to be consecrated as a Nazarite, one separated and dedicated to the Temple. Knowing this story, Mary must have wondered what would become of her child.
At the very least, Mary knew that as the “Son of the Most High,” her child would be set apart just as Hannah's child was.
Mary’s mind must have been racing as she traveled to Elizabeth’s home.
Mary had to consider that, in her role as “favored one,” life would never be the same or simple. The routine of family life would be different because her son would fulfill the prophecy in the Temple.
Knowing what had been foretold by the prophets, Mary had to consider what was to come for her child:
He “will be widely rejected.”[ii]
He “will voluntarily accept our guilt and punishment for sin”[iii]
Mary's only question to the angel, “How can this be?” may have left her kicking herself for not asking more.
The question is not one of defiance or arrogance. Mary’s question to the angel was different from the doubt expressed by Elizabeth’s husband, Zachariah.
Mary was not questioning the work of God. She was questioning her ability to live up to the task being presented to her. Mary was puzzled.
“Gabriel,” she asks, “how will this work?” Mary saw herself as lacking the necessary qualifications for the task.
Mary knew that according to the standard of the time, she was unqualified for the task.
Mary knew that she had not met the human requirements set by the religious context of the time.
She was poor.
She was the wrong gender to wield power.
She was undereducated.
She was young.
Her assertion of her “lowly'” station was beyond accurate by all standards of the time. This would have made her acceptance of the angel’s message even more remarkable, as she was not only a young, poor, undereducated woman, but also the wrong gender to wield power in the society of her time.
When she arrived at Elizabeth's home and saw a child “leaping in her (Elizabeth's) womb,” Mary had to think of what the angel had told her. Mary knew Elizabeth was pregnant, and that was a miracle in itself.
Mary knew Elizabeth’s pregnancy was unexpected and that it was not the same thing as a virgin birth. Mary had grown up hearing stories of women like Sarah and Hannah, and now Elizabeth, but she knew that her pregnancy would be new waters to wade into.
Mary knew that when Elizabeth began to show, no one would question her pregnancy. God blessed Elizabeth and Zechariah with a child. Mary, on the other hand, being an unwed teenage virgin, would have her character called into question. She knew there would be rumors and gossip. Mary knew the scandal of the incarnation would be felt heaviest by the one bearing the Word made flesh in her womb.
Mary was different. Her child would be different. And Mary knew it was all true.
It is easy for us to look back on the story of Mary and romanticize the role she played. It is easy for us to see how God favored her as she was invited to be the Theotokos – the bearer of God. It is easy to assume that the Incarnation was not difficult for Mary.
But being favored meant that she could lose it all if things did not go according to plan. After all, the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will be “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit. While she had not felt anything yet, she knew what “overshadowed” meant. Mary knew that King David, generations ago, overshadowed King Saul. She knew the story of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem with dancing and jubilation rather than fear of its presence. She knew that the power of the most high overshadowed the ark.
So, in response to the popular Christmas song, yes, Mary knew.
She knew.
But here’s the thing: the question in this song is directed at the wrong person. I mean, we know Mary knew.
The question is not, “Mary do you know, but rather, do you know? Brody, Logan, and Meghan, Brett and Lauren, do you know?
Do you know that his child that we celebrate on Christmas is the one who will do all of the things mentioned in the song – walk on water, heal the blind, give life back to the dead?
Do you know that while being rejected and despised, Jesus extends grace to all?
Do you know there is nothing you can do to outrun the hope, love, joy, and peace of God?
Do you know?
Through her Magnificat, Mary becomes a reflection of the church. Mary is our reflection. As she declares, considers, and makes sense of what is happening, her Magnificat becomes our song – the same old song the church has proclaimed for generations. The song declares that in and through Jesus Christ, God has done what we believed to be impossible. God does, through Mary, the inconceivable.
[i] Luke 1:47-55
[ii] Isaiah 5:1,3
[iii] Isaiah 53:7,8
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