Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Search Archive Print This Article Magnificent song of Mary Wednesday, December 22, 2010 Luke 1:46-54 Mary said to Elizabeth, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior ... He has come to the help of his servant Israel." That he was born at all ... God respects men that much? To be born from them? Born among them? Just what IS being born? Rebirth of life, the end of death ... Mary, chosen to be Jesus' mother, knows the deepest joy. She can change nothing of what is about to happen, and would not; because her son will change everything. Mary listens to Gabriel; she will learn to listen to Jesus. She knows his origins; she knows how much his Father loves him. Jesus is not just another man born of men. If he were, his words full of hubris would choke him. As the nursery rhyme ends, "I knew an old man who swallowed a horse. He died, of course." If Jesus is just another man, then this is the very fallen world, not the kingdom of God. There would be no chance for him to effect or for us to accept such radical change as he claimed to bring. Violent death or execution would almost certainly send this soon-to-be-grown fool on a hill and his ideals into oblivion. From the very beginning, Mary knows better. In the world after Jesus is born, new life comes to us all. His cradle is ours as well. Life no longer ends with physical death. Tombs cannot contain Jesus' spirit. And no longer do they contain ours. Jesus, you swallow up your enemies, and mine. I sing and shout your victory. You cast down and you raise up again; you humble and exalt us all. "; Add      Edit    Delete