December 11, 2020
Luke 1:46-55—Mary
“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.” Luke 1:52-53
When I signed up to write the devotion on Mary’s Song of Praise, also known as Mary’s Magnificat, it was because, as a soprano choir member, one of my favorite anthems of the Lessons & Carols service was Mary’s prayer. The beauty of her words praising God and recognizing how richly He had blessed her was so poignant for me. It helped me to acknowledge the enormous role Mary played in bringing about God’s salvation plan.
As I reread this beautiful prayer in preparation for this writing, it struck me. It also reveals Mary’s recognition of God’s call to social justice in bringing about His kingdom on Earth. This passage is the only extended speech in all of Luke-Acts attributed to a female character and casts Mary as a prophet.1 In praising God for bringing down the powerful, lifting up the lowly, filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty, Mary is foretelling what will become the very centerpiece of Jesus’ ministry some 30 years later.
As I navigate Advent 2020 and a year of pandemic, divisive politics, racial injustice, and brokenness, I wonder how God might be calling me to respond. I wonder what action God may expect of His church. I wonder how Unity might seek to discern God’s call for this congregation in bringing about justice in His world.
Prayer: God of love and compassion, open our hearts to the hurts of this world, and our minds to possibilities for peace and justice. Help us discern our call and give us willing hands to act in your name and to your glory. Amen.
Karen Bonds
1The Discipleship Study Bible, NRSV, Westminster John Knox Press, 2008, p. 1785