What God Has Done.

  (Like 1:46-56)

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the most well-known, and admired women who has ever lived. Both Christianity and Islam recognize her as the mother of Jesus, making her a well-known figure virtually all over the world. She is admired for how well she handled life, and people who know about her hold her in high regard.

However, she is also the subject of controversy because she has been dubbed the "Mother of God." On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX issued a papal bull, which is essentially a decree, declaring the Immaculate Conception of Mary. This meant that she was declared free from original sin from the very moment of her conception. The document stated.

 "We declare, pronounce, and define that the most blessed Mary, the Virgin Mary, at the first instance of her conception was preserved Immaculate from all stain of original sin by the single grace and privilege of the omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. This doctrine was revealed by God and therefore must be believed firmly and constantly by all."

 This decree stirred quite a bit of controversy. Some believed that this meant she was sinless like Jesus, while others contested this belief. This debate was prominent throughout the 19th century. In 1950, on November 1st, Pope Pius XII made an ex-cathedra pronouncement, stating that Mary's body was raised from the grave shortly after her death. Her body and soul were reunited, and she was taken up and enthroned as the Queen of Heaven. This pronouncement only added to the existing controversy as it was not based on any biblical text, rather it was based upon the authority of the Catholic Church.

Today, I want to explore not only who Mary was but what I believe she herself would say about all of this. Interestingly enough, we can find some real insights into her perspective by turning to the point we have reached in the Gospel of Luke. 

As we've seen already, Elizabeth was expecting a baby, who later would became known as John the Baptist, while Mary was expecting a baby who would be named Jesus. When these two expectant mothers got together, Mary responded to the situation, and her response provides some insight into how she might address the controversy.

In Luke chapter one, we found out yesterday that the Angel told Mary, "Rejoice, for you are ‘highly favoured’, the Lord is with you and blessed are you among women." 

When Mary met Elizabeth, and Elizabeth also said this, it was in response to this spontaneous greeting, especially from Elizabeth, that Mary burst forth with what many have called a hymn. Her song is known by many as the Magnificat, due to the Latin translation of its first word, ‘blessed’. This short hymn or poem is sprinkled with either quotations or allusions to the Old Testament. It contains only eleven verses, but one Bible scholar identified 15 discernible allusions or quotes from the Old Testament, indicating, if nothing else, Mary's deep knowledge of scripture.

So, what did Mary say in her response to Elizabeth? Let's turn to Luke chapter one, beginning with verse 46. Mary said,

46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord.

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful.

55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

 This spontaneous response of Mary, we can divide it into three parts: First, she speaks about herself and what God has done for her. Second, she shifts her focus to other people who will come later, and finally, she talks about Israel. 

It's a brief but profound passage that reveals much about Mary's perspective.

In the first part, Mary acknowledges God as her Savior, indicating that she is not in fact sinless. This directly contradicts the notion of both her supposed immaculate conception, and her own sinless state. Additionally, there is no biblical evidence to support the idea of her bodily assumption into heaven. Mary's hymn reveals that she is also just a sinner in need of a Savior. 

We can see in verse 48 she says God has regarded her lowly state and the fact that in the future all generations shall call me blessed." So, there are two important aspects contained in this verse only that deserve our attention. Firstly, Mary acknowledges her humble and lowly social position. She comes from Nazareth, a small and relatively insignificant town. An that Mary herself has been saved by God.

Verse 48 emphasizes the fact that it is God that saved and blessed her. This blessing is about her transformation from a person of humble origins to one of the most honoured women in the history of humanity. This act itself is a blessing, and also indicates that God uses the most unlikely people for His divine purposes.

Additionally, verse 49 contains the statement, " for the Mighty One has done great things for me." This statement goes beyond the blessing but is also an integral part of it. It suggests that God did great things for Mary, including the remarkable privilege of being the mother of the Messiah. 

So, as I said, the first part of this passage focuses on Mary herself, emphasizing that God saved her, blessed her, and used her despite her humble beginnings and Mary's story demonstrates that God often chooses the most unlikely individuals for His divine purposes.

In the preceding verses, 39 to 45 of Luke chapter one, which we looked at yesterday, Elizabeth congratulates Mary, acknowledging her as blessed because God used her to bring the Messiah into the world. 

Then, here in verses 46 to 56, Mary responds to this congratulations. Her response centers on magnifying the Lord, showing that her emphasis is not on her own greatness but on God's. She highlights God's might, his holiness, and, as we'll see, His mercy. 

This passage, in fact, reveals that Mary views herself as insignificant and focuses on the power, holiness, and mercy of God. The only action she can take credit for is her belief, as Elizabeth mentions in verse 45.

To sum up, Mary magnifies the Lord for saving her, blessing her, and using her despite her lowly origins. She recognizes that what God did for her, He can also do for anyone who fears and reverences Him. Mary goes beyond herself in the passage, shifting her focus to other people. She declares that God's mercy extends to all who fear Him, for generations to come. God's strong arm is there to help the helpless, while He scatters the proud in their own self-sufficiency (verse 51). God puts down the mighty and exalts the lowly (verse 52), demonstrating His profound humility and fairness.

These verses lay the foundation for understanding Mary's perspective, emphasizing the power, holiness, and mercy of God, as well as His inclination to help those who are humble and fear Him.

This is what God is seen to do, and it is impossible not to notice that this theme is intrinsically linked to what God has done for Mary. He acts against those who are high and mighty in their own self-estimation and feel they do not need God. He humbles the haughty, removing them from their thrones. Yet, He exalts the humble and the lowly.

In verse 48, it says: "For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant”. " You can see that she begins by describing how God has acted in her life, and then extends this to encompass how He acts towards others. God pays attention to the lowly, to those in need. He sees, cares for, and uplifts them.

Mary emphasizes further in verse 53: “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." The term "rich" here symbolizes those who are self-sufficient, self-satisfied, and self-sustaining, those who feel they do not need God. What becomes of them? God sends them away empty. Not merely in the physical sense, but spiritually, they remain unsatisfied as they rely on themselves. However, God fills the hungry, not just with food but with blessings, goodness, and grace. 

Thus, we find that God's focus in this passage is on the helpless (verse 51), the humble (verse 52), and the hungry (verse 53). Those who seek righteousness and who depend on God are blessed. The seemingly least likely individuals are the ones with whom God works.

So, in this section of the passage, God's actions can be summarized as scattering the proud, deposing the arrogant, and ultimately sending the self-sufficient away empty-handed. Simultaneously, He exhibits His strength, exalts the humble, and blesses the hungry. The core message conveyed here is that God is inclined to bless the most unlikely individuals who seek Him and trust in Him, much like Mary herself.

In the next section of her response, she starts with her own experience, stating that God did great things for her. Subsequently, she expands her perspective to refer to others, emphasizing how God exalts them. This highlights the point that the most unlikely individuals can achieve great things, emphasizing the significance of humility in God's plans for us.

Now, consider this thought: What if nobody paid any attention to you, or you were told you would never amount to much? Criticized and discouraged, it is important to be cautious in accepting all the criticism directed at you. To illustrate, here are some comments made by teachers, coaches, and critics about some famous individuals when they were young:

Socrates: "An immoral corrupter of the youth."

Beethoven: "Hopeless as a composer."

Fred Astaire: "Can't act, can’t sing, going bald, but dance a little."

Walt Disney: "Lacks ideas."

Louis Pasteur: Was 15th out of 22 in his chemistry class.

Winston Churchill: Failed his 6th grade exam at school (The old 11 plus).

The TV series MAS*H: Rejected 21 times.

Michael Jordan: Cut from his high school basketball team.

Henry Ford: Never thought to put reverse in the first car he made.

These examples illustrate that often, the most unlikely individuals can go on to achieve great things. God takes pleasure in using the most unlikely people, a point beautifully encapsulated in Mary's selflessness as she acknowledges God's greatness, not only in her life but also in the lives of others, particularly Israel.

These examples come from the world but lets for a moment consider the history of God's interactions with the patriarchs, such as Abraham, Moses, and others. To put it mildly, they were quite an interesting and, by worldly standards, a dodgy bunch. Yet, God displayed His mercy and faithfulness to them. 

It's safe to say they were undeserving and indeed unlikely candidates for God's extraordinary grace. It's because of His mercy that God chose to employ such undeserving people. In simpler terms, what I'd like to convey today is that God prefers to use unlikely individuals. Israel, as a nation, also undoubtedly falls into this category, and it serves as a remarkable illustration.

To illustrate this point, I'd like to share a hypothetical scenario with you. If you were to imagine you are part of a search committee responsible for selecting a new leader for your 1st century Christian church. The primary takeaway from this illustration is that God tends to work with the most unlikely individuals. With that in mind, here's the fictional report of the search committee after conducting numerous interviews and reference checks:

"We regret to inform you that we have not been able to identify a suitable candidate for our church. Although we had numerous recommendations, we conducted interviews and checked at least three references for each. Here is a confidential report on some of the candidates:

Adam: A good man but has issues with his wife. One reference mentioned his penchant for walking naked in the woods.

Noah: A boat builder of many years years’ experience but had no converts during his lifetime and was prone to unrealistic building projects.

Abraham: Exhibited some behavioural issues in relation to his wife and the sanctity of marriage.

Joseph: Known for big dreams but he also had a stint in prison.

Moses: A modest man but a poor communicator with stuttering issues, and a tendency to act rashly, also a possible murder charge levelled against him.

David: Initially a promising leader, but has voyeuristic tendencies, even had an affair with a neighbour’s wife.

Solomon: A great preacher, but the church wouldn't accept for his numerous wives.

Elijah: Prone to depression and collapses under pressure.

Elisha: Reportedly lived with a single widow woman, not his wife, during his previous ministry.

Hosea: A loving pastor, but our congregation might struggle with his wife's previous occupation.

Jeremiah: Emotionally unstable and an alarmist who was constantly negative and lamented things. 

Isaiah: Seen as eccentric for claiming to have seen angels and having language difficulties.

Jonah: Refused God's call to ministry until he felt was compelled following a traumatic encounter with a large fish. 

Haggai: A famous mason and carpenter with some training but has issues with wealthy people.

What about the New Testament.

John: Claims to be a Baptist but doesn't dress well, and lives outdoors for months at a time with a very weird diet..

Peter: A blue-collar worker with a fiery temper, known for confrontations, including a dispute with Paul in Antioch. He is a strong, dynamic leader but lacks tact, particularly with younger ministers.

Timothy: Too young.

Jesus: Among the most popular figures of his time, yet managed to offend an entire congregation, causing it to dwindle down to twelve members. His tendency was to keep moving on.

This illustration humorously underlines the idea that God often chooses and uses individuals whom the world might deem unlikely or even unsuitable for significant purposes in His grand design.

In summary, Mary's praise in this passage is centered around God's saving, blessing, and utilization of individuals from humble origins, or as I've chosen to phrase it, unlikely individuals. 

While Mary was indeed blessed and chosen by God to accomplish the remarkable task of bringing the Messiah into the world, it's important not to exalt her beyond measure. She was blessed, no doubt, but she, with great humility, recognized herself as a mere mortal.

Her attitude underscored the principle that God should be magnified. In opposition to the notion that she should be regarded as sinless or the queen of heaven, she would dismiss such absurd notions. Her response to such ideas would undoubtedly be one of humility, acknowledging herself as a humble and unworthy servant. Instead, she would exalt God, acknowledging that she did not merit such a position, and neither did those whom God chose. In essence, Mary recognized her lowliness and firmly believed in God, and it was His grace that had exalted her.

There is not even a hint in this passage suggests that she saw herself as superior to others. Instead, she acknowledged her lowly state and perceived God's mercy and strength in choosing to use unlikely individuals for His divine purpose. Amen."

Mary blessed the Lord instead of claiming any credit Mary magnified the Lord for his grace verse 48, his power, his holiness verse 49, his mercy verse 50, his provision, verse 53, his faithfulness verse 54.

Mary praised God for blessing her a humble young woman, thanking God for fulfilling his promise to Abraham through her. 

Right here the message from the word says God saves, he blesses he uses the most unlikely people and Mary is the prime case, and that's what she said about herself.

It’s no secret what God what has done he's done for Mary he has done for others, and he will do for you.

With arms wide open he'll pardon you when he's done that, he will use you for his purposes. And our response should be the same as Mary’s response and praise God for what he has done. 

He has been mindful of our humble situation in the word. He has done great things for us; he has extended His mercy to us. He has performed mighty deeds in our lives, he has lifted us up, He has given us good things He has  remembered us in His mercy just as he always promised.