This is the tale of two women; two women who discovered that God had miraculously made them mothers; mothers of a son who would serve with significance. Both of these women broke out in song praising God for being the kind of God who had blessed them in their personal insignificance; the kind of God who brings the high and mighty to their knees and lifts the lowly up to undreamed of heights. We read these hymns and think that God always does this; that every proud person is brought down by God; that every humble person is lifted up by God. If we spiritualize these hymns that may be sustainable, but I’m not so sure these women were thinking of the downward-upward movement of spiritual reality. Not every desperate and barren woman was so favored by God. He didn’t choose every poor virgin to be the mother of the Messiah. But still, God is the kind of God who loves to humble the arrogant and lift up the humble. And isn’t that something to praise?
After Elizabeth, all full of the Spirit, blessed Mary and her baby, Mary burst out in hymn (Luke 1:46-56). This is commonly called the Magnificat, which is the Latin word for “Exalt” in verse 46. Some have criticized the concept of a poor, teenage girl from the insignificant town of Nazareth being able to compose such an amazing hymn. Hmm. This seems to be an arrogant assumption about poor people to me. As a young Jewish lady, Mary would have grown up listening to the Old Testament words and concepts this hymn is built upon. The prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-11 may have been a particular favorite song of young ladies. Can you picture poor young ladies exuberantly belting out Hannah’s song, all full of hope for themselves, as they gather water together at the well? That seems likely and there are a lot of similarities between the two songs.
The words “soul” and “spirit” are sometimes used interchangeably, and that may be the case in verses 46 and 47. Mary exalts – glorifies, makes large – the Lord and rejoices – was filled with delight – in God from her inner self; her soul and spirit. This is no passing hymn. This is a praise that welled up from deep inside of her. She is overwhelmed that God would notice her – the lowly slave girl from Nazareth. And since God favored her she will be thought of as being blessed by all succeeding generations. And hasn’t that proven to be truth? The Mighty One has done great for her. Yeah, let that one sink it. The one whose name is holy has accomplished great things for this lowly girl. Even though Mary is referencing her very physical pregnancy, there is a spiritual reality for all of us here isn’t there? Yes, yes there is.
Mary then turns her attention to the kind of God this Mighty One is. Just as the Psalmist sang out in Psalm 103:17 he is the kind of God who heaps his mercy upon generations after generations of those who fear him. He is the kind of God who accomplishes strength with his arm – power. He scatters the superior; the ones who are arrogant deep within the thoughts of their hearts. He is the kind of God who topples thrones and lifts up the humble. He is the kind of God who satisfies the hunger of the hungry and sends the wealthy away empty-handed. All of these statements of God’s character are steeped in Old Testament symbols and words. Mary is praising God for being the kind of God who has and does these things. She is not attempting to establish a theological reality of what God always or must always do. Some thrones are never toppled. Some lowly, God-fearing, servants are never lifted above their current situation. Again, there is a spiritual reality that is always true here, but that may not be Mary’s main concern.
Mary finishes her hymn by praising God for helping Israel, his servant. This is probably an allusion to Isaiah 41:8-9, which is a promise that Yahweh had not forgotten Israel in their captivity. They will be delivered. Mary picks up this theme and applies it to the Messiah; her son. Her pregnancy is not only about God honoring a poor village girl, it is about the character of God who turns the world upside down, it is about God remembering his child Israel and bringing salvation in spite of the sins.
This is the tale of two humble ladies who when God notice them, they broke out with a song of praise. But their praise was not just a thank you for my baby. Nope. Their praise was an acknowledgment of the character; the holiness of God – God who loves to lift up the lowly to dizzying heights of favor and contentment; God who loves the reversal of fortune motif. So, when something amazing happens in your life, I encourage you to follow the example of Mary and Hannah and break out in uncontrollable praise.