The Meaning of Christmas Mary’s song “The Magnificat ” Earthly practices in

1. The Meaning of Christmas Mary’s song “The Magnificat” Earthly practices in heavenly perspective

2. We’re going to think about the significance of Mary’s song or the Magnificat as it is also known as we reflect on the meaning of Christmas. The Magnificatpoints us towards Jesus, Immanuel—our “God with us” now as well as revealing something about the hope we have when that one day, Jesus work will be completed and he’ll return to take us to himself. It teaches us a lot about trusting in God and about what it means to persevere in our faith

3. Mary's Song 46And Mary said:    "My soul glorifies the Lord 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has been mindful       of the humble state of his servant.    From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—       holy is his name. 50His mercy extends to those who fear him,       from generation to generation.

4. 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;       he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones       but has lifted up the humble. 53He has filled the hungry with good things       but has sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel,       remembering to be merciful 55to Abraham and his descendants forever,       even as he said to our fathers.“ (Luke 1: 46-55)

5. As we think and reflect on these beautiful words, we’ll unpack three of the major themes that run through the song. • Why Mary was rejoicing? • What the song reveals to us about Mary the woman • Why we must think again about how Mary has often been presented to us in church.

6. Why was Mary rejoicing? The passage we’ve just read follows on from the time when the angel Gabriel visits Mary to tell her of God’s plan for her to give birth to a baby who would be the “Son of the most High,” the long awaited Messiah prophesied in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Matthew’s gospel says

7. All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." (Mat 1:22-23)

8. Although Mary was deeply troubled by Gabriel’s announcement, the amazing thing is her response. I am the Lord's servant...May it be to me as you have said. Luke 1:38

9. Think about it— Mary is a young, poor, Jewish girl aged somewhere between 13 and 16, brought up in a small backwater called Nazareth, already betrothed to Joseph—a girl who would have known all too well the consequences of her pregnancy in her culture. Betrothal in Mary’s time was not the same as engagement is today. To be betrothed was to be considered married in everything except the sexual act. In saying, May it be... Mary would have undoubtedly known she would become not only the subject of ridicule, gossip and condemnation, but more seriously the charge of adulteress would be levelled against her and in Jewish law, that could mean only one thing—death by stoning

10. If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbour—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.(Lev20:10)

11. When we think about it, Mary’s story is quite incredible! Supposing one of our young women came to us and told a similar tale, how might we react church? Would there be gossip here too if not also a metaphoric stoning?

12. Most often Mary is portrayed to us as a woman with a white “peeliewallie” complexion enshrouded in a blue veil, compliant, passive and demure and more importantly, frequently ignored in our Protestant tradition as being no more than just the human receptacle through which Jesus was born. So often caught up in controversy about whether she was a perpetual virgin or whether Mary had anymore children But compare this image with the opening words of her song.

13. Why on Earth then was Mary rejoicing? My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. Mary knew God. Mary wasa woman of courageous faith We can’t always see the real Mary of Scripture because of the way she Has beenpresented to us

14. Mary’s God is merciful and looks after people • Tamar, twice the daughter-in-law of Judah and finally mother to Judah’s two sons (Gen:38) • Rahab the prostitute who gave shelter to Moses spies before they crossed into the promised land. (Josh 2) • Ruth, the Moabite woman who chose to follow Israel’s’ God when she was widowed. (Ruth 1) • Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, seduced by King David who became the mother of Solomon. (2 Sam 11) So important are these women that Matthew records them in his genealogy of Jesus (Mat 1)

15. So, what does her song reveal to us about the kind of woman Mary was? • Mary was feisty—a courageous woman who put her faith in God. • The first person to announce the Good News. • Her miracle son is going to be the new King David who will establish God’s rule forever and ever He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Sam 7: 13) • The God Mary knows brings down rulers He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. (Verse 52)

16. Did you ever think aboutjust how political Mary’s song is? • Anyone listening to her sing would have known just how subversive her words were. • What she was saying was that God is king—not tyrannical Herod, not oppressive Augustus the Roman Emperor. • And to say these words would mean only one thing—treason! • Treason was punishable by death. Only in heavenly perspective do Mary’s words make any sense.

17. Her song echoes to us her knowledge of prophetic stories from the old testament • A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;        [ancestor of David] • The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—with righteousness he will judge the needy... • With justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. • With the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked... • The wolf will live with the lamb... For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD... The nations will rally to him... • He will...gather the exiles of Israel; (Is 11—parapharase)

18. Notice how similar Mary’s words are to Isaiah • God is merciful to those who fear him • He will scatter the proud [that’s you Herod!] • He will bring down rulers [watch out Augustus!] • He will lift up the humble [those who do not have a voice!] • He will fill the hungry [the oppressed, the downtrodden] • He will send the rich away empty [Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth (Mat 6:19]

19. May’s song is like a rallying cry to us to trust in God, to be faithful, to persevere no matter what the world around us may look like, no matter how odd our circumstances may appear to be. Mary is often described as tender but maybe we should add another word for her—tenacious.

20. Why we need to think again about our notions of Mary Can you believe this? In Guatemala in the 1980’s the Government banned any public recital of Mary’s Magnificat because they saw it as politically subversive.

21. Gentle Mary’s song? Politically subversive? —that’s a long way from the pious images presented to us in nativity scenes and religious icons. Mary’s song is an announcement from the bottom of society that justice has arrived. In countries where basic liberties are denied, where people are not allowed to say what they think, or worship as they want, or have their basic needs met, a bold plea for justice is seen as subversion.

22. Aberdeen is a long way away from Guatemala Supposing though, this Christmas, all Christians in Aberdeen were to gather outside the Town House and just sing the Magnificat as a song of protest against injustice for homeless people, for people with disabilities, for the lack of care for older people, for those abandoned, lost and forgotten about...

23. Would it be that much different from Guatemala? Would the police come and move us on? Would we be seen as religious nutters, mad people, rule breakers, gossiped about, ridiculed and found wanting? • Or would we ourselves be able to see our earthly practice in heavenly perspective and trust that Jesus, Immanuel stands beside us singing God’s rule over the “powers” of our society? • Would we like Mary, rejoice that our Saviour has already accomplished it all for us? And would God say to us, • Well done, good and faithful servants! Come and share your master’s happiness (Mat 25:21)

24. From now on all generations will call me blessed (verse 48) • This Christmas, let’s honour feisty tenacious Mary for the legacy she has left us. • Let’s call her blessed as the first person to announce the Good News of the coming King, for her faith and courage, for her willingness to say “May it be done to me according to your word.” • Let’s honour Mary for “carrying her Cross” and let us be part of the generations who call her blessed.

25.  And Mary said:  "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has been mindful  of the humble state of his servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;  he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers