Luke 1:46-55 recounts what became known as magnificat, the praise Mary gave to the Lord on the occasion of her visit to Elizabeth, her cousin, who had also miraculously conceived, already in the sixth month of pregnancy.
It is interesting to note that the visit (as this meeting is called) was not only between Mary and Elizabeth, it was also one of their respective daughters. Was John the son of Elizabeth, the greatest prophet of the ancient covenant?He who was called to proclaim the coming of Christ. Jesus was Christ, the Lord of the new covenant. So when Elizabeth and Mary met, the old and the new covenant. Connected.
- Mary’s song can be divided into four stanzas: 1.
- Vv.
- 46-48.
- Where Mary praises God for what she has done for her.
- A daughter of humble birth; 2.
- Vv.
- 49-50.
- His thanksgiving reaches its climax.
- The goodness of God is now seen not only in relation to him.
- But “from generation to generation about those who fear him”; 3.
- Vv.
- 51-53.
- Mercy contrasts with God’s severity over those who do not fear Him; and four.
- Vv.
- 54-55.
- The conclusion.
In particular, the conclusion of the canticle presents an almost completely forgotten thought at this time of year, namely that the manifestation of God’s mercy is the fulfillment of the promise of God’s covenant made to parents, a promise of supreme value, even today, to believers and their descendants: “He supported Israel, his servant , to remember his mercy on behalf of Abraham and his descendants, forever, as he had promised our parents” (vv. 54-55).
It should be noted that since verse 51, Mary talks about how her pregnancy was fulfilling the promises of God’s covenant. He certainly thought of the history of redemption, how God, through history, had guided his people. In the book of Psalms, for example, we find several psalms that tell this story. For example, Psalm 136 says, “To whom did you hurt Egypt in your firstborn [?] And he got Israel out of the midst of them [?] With a powerful hand and an outstretched arm [?] Who divided the Red Sea into two parts?] And through them passed Israel [?] But did you rush Pharaoh and his army to the Red Sea?(Vv. 10-15).
Similarly, Mary remembers how the Lord God has acted throughout history, so that this moment would finally come, the moment when a virgin had conceived, all that God did in the Old Testament, to protect and help her people, was to ensure that the Messiah, the Redeemer, would come into the world. We can think about how he raised another descendant for Eve, after 8 80 killed Abel (Genesis 4:25). We can think of how the Lord caused the woman’s offspring to be preserved through the sin of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38). Remember how God led the small army of Gideon, an army of only three hundred men, to defeat his enemies (Judges 6). Think about the astonishing way God destroyed armies and gave Israel victory. God does all these things?To ensure that the Redeemer, the Ombudsman of the covenant of grace, was born in the fulness of times!
Father Daniel Doriani said something very interesting: “God showed the power of his arm by drowning the Pharaoh’s army at sea. He dispersed the proud Philistines by killing Goliath, overthrew the mighty Nebuchadnezzar from his throne and pulled Belsasar out of his banquet. God did all these things to save His people. Did God humiliate the proud to have mercy on Israel, as He had promised Abraham in his eternal covenant?(The Incarnation in the Gospels. P
It should also be noted that according to verse 55, was all of this done by the Lord so that Abraham’s descendants would receive mercy and favor? Forever and ever. What does this tell us? That Mary also had her eyes fixed on what the Lord God would do through the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came into the world to establish his government with justice and his kingdom with power. It also means that every proud nation would be overthrown and every proud heart would be humbled. Jesus came into the world to receive all the honor and all the glory. Christmas took place in the fullness of time for the blessed Son of God to submit all things at his feet and subdue anyone who opposes his will. To be precise, why was Jesus born? We respond quickly: to bring salvation! If true! Hallelujah! But let us remember the song of Simeon: “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, mother of the child: Behold, this child is destined to ruin and exalt much in Israel and to be the target of contradictions [?]. That may manifest the thoughts of many hearts? (2, 34-35) I ask again: why was Jesus born?, to bring salvation to his people, but also to humiliate those who have proud thoughts (v. 51), to kill the proud regarding their social position (v. 52), and to dethrone the proud for their wealth (v. 53).
Mary understood that Christmas, the coming of Christ, the incarnation of the Blessed Word, would upset the world, upset the world, be exactly the opposite of what the world expected, and it is here, my brethren, that we can observe how distorted and corrupt Christmas is in our society. And this tells us that the church did not faithfully preach the Christmas message. Christmas is a message of salvation for those who are dejected and contrite in mind. But Christmas must also be a message of judgment. for the proud, for those who trust in themselves, in the strength of their own arm, who do not care about God. Christ came to kill them with his mighty arm. Christmas is the message of subversion of traditional values of greatness in Atheus society.
Christ, the Son of God who was incarnating and born in the fulness of times, is the terror of the proud!Christ is the terror of the proud! Christ is terror for those who ignore him throughout his life, but now, at this time of year, they drink, eat from the heart and celebrate without being abandoned. What joy can Christmas have for those who will be ruined and destroyed by those born in a stable in Bethlehem, Judea?They can have as much joy as they can, as long as they are humiliated under the mighty hand of the Lord.
And far from horrifying us, our attitude must be the same as Mary’s; our souls, our hearts, our whole being must magnify the Lord; our spirit must rejoice in God, our Savior, for the coming of His beloved Son.
Praise the Lord for the fulfillment of his covenant!
May the Lord bless us today and forever!