Written ~ 12-23-2023
Luke 1:46-56
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For He took notice of His lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and He has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear Him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped His servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For He made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and His children forever.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
One thing I love about this story is the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. I would imagine, because Mary’s life turned upside down so quickly that not too many people understood what was happening. It would have been quite a scandal to have a young woman become pregnant when she wasn’t married yet. The time Mary was spending with Elizabeth had to fill her heart with immense joy, not only that, the support Elizabeth gave her was exactly what she needed.
When you and I are struggling, overwhelmed, happy but a little scared, misunderstood and don’t know where to turn. It is important to have that one person you can run to with anything that is going on in your life. To have a person like that, someone who loves you, who understands what you are going through and sits down next to you with complete support and blesses you, that is an absolute must! What if Mary had no one to turn to? Joseph was there but he had some things he needed to work out for himself! What if Mary had to go through this incredible journey all by herself? She did have the Lord, she was wholly devoted to the One who could see her through every difficult moment and the Lord was a huge presence in her life, especially now. But to have a dear friend to turn to is invaluable!
Elizabeth has just told Mary she is blessed “because she believed that the Lord would do as He said.” (Luke 1:45) Our passage for today is Mary’s response to all that is happening to her. In my Bible this set of verses has the title “Mary’s Song of Praise” and it shows us just how thankful she is to have the Lord’s favor. The part I want to concentrate on are the verses 1:46-49…
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For He took notice of His lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and He has done great things for me.”
See how humbly she comes to the Lord? “For He took notice of His lowly servant girl.” She knew she had found favor in the Lord’s eyes and remained humble.
Think about it.. what if you are blessed with an incredible talent, or you have been given a gift from the Lord that brings you fame or prestige among your peers, think about how easy it would be to become a little puffed up and begin to think of yourself as better than the rest. We never see this in Mary, even when she says, “…from now on all generations will call me blessed…” She could have easily thought of herself as better than everyone else. But no, she remains humble, her spirit is bowed down to the Lord in praise and rejoicing. And what I really love about this is she is sharing this moment with Elizabeth! I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just Mary who was praising the Lord, I’m guessing Elizabeth was joining in too.
When you have wonderful news to share, who do you most want to share it with? When you need your spirit to have a little recharge, who do you turn too? When you want to praise and rejoice, who do you want by your side singing and dancing right along with you? It is important to have an “Elizabeth” by your side when you go through the highs and lows of life!
Think about this! Mary is pregnant with our Lord and Savior and she is beyond thankful, I would imagine she might think her praises don’t seem quite enough for the honor that was bestowed on her. She continually glorifies the Lord and recognizes He is the “Mighty One who is Holy” and acknowledges “He has done great things for her.” Mary continues her “Song of Praise” with a recount of all that the Lord has done.
Do you take time to recount all the things God has done in your life? Do you offer a “song of praise?” When we are going through a particularly wonderful time of life we mustn’t forget to praise the Lord. It’s easy to go along with your day when all is well and not give the Lord the praise He deserves, so be thankful, acknowledge all the “great things He has done for you.”
Mary spent three months with Elizabeth, in that time, I can just imagine them planning for the arrival of their sons and excitedly talking about the things they wanted to teach their little boys. It doesn’t say between verses 1:56 and 1:57 whether or not Mary was there for the birth of Elizabeth’s son, but assuming she was, what a wonderful time of rejoicing it must have been! (If you want to read about the birth of John the Baptist and the beginning of his ministry, continue reading verses 1:57-80, these verses will not be included in our Bible Study time, for now.)
Verse 1:56 says Mary went back home after spending three months with Elizabeth. Her heart had to be exploding with joy, she would be incredibly excited to share all that happened with Elizabeth’s son being born. She would have been revived, her heart set on the task ahead, nothing was going to get her discouraged. But as she returned home, there still could’ve been those side glances of judgment and gossip could’ve filled the air. Nevertheless, Mary was given a purpose by the Lord Himself and I imagine she was determined not to let her “questionable circumstances” stand in her way.
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”
Even during your own circumstances, let your heart rejoice! Your King, Your Savior is about to be born!!
~AMEN~