Thanks for letting me have a part in your plan

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.

The backstory – Mary has gone to visit her older cousin Elizabeth. Both ladies are pregnant. Elizabeth with John the Baptist, who is to prepare the way of the promised Messiah. Mary with Jesus the promised Messiah whom John is to announce. Elizabeth has just declared/confirmed that Mary is carrying the Messiah. She is excited and overwhelmed to have the mother of Jesus, Mary, visit her. She declares her praise.

We enter the story – Mary, the young mother to be, sings the most beautiful song of praise to God. Firstly, she rejoices in her holy mighty God, who is both strong and merciful! She thanks God for his saving grace. She expresses her gratitude to God for choosing to include her in God’s mission to save the world! God cares for the humble, those who stand is awe of God. She rejoices in the great reversal that God, through Jesus, begins in the world. God’s kingdom is one where the humble, not the proud, are exalted. God makes sure the hungry, not the rich, are fed.

God, our rescuer and Lord, invites us too to join in God’s mission in this world. A mission to see people come to know Jesus our saviour. And a calling to see God’s kingdom established her on earth as it is in heaven. We, like Mary, are privileged to join in with God in what God is doing in this world! We, like Mary, are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the task God has given us to do.

Dear Jesus, it is a wonderful thing to be a messenger of your God news! Help us to be courageous and humble, and share the hope of our salvation and the love of God with those around us. Amen

Written by Ps. Zoe Stewart