Did you know, that at this moment, it is TIME LEFT until Christmas? I know that because I looked at one of the many online countdown clocks that tell you exactly how long it is until Christmas. And after the countdown clock ends, do you know what it does? It starts again. Counting down until next year. Because in our collective consciousness there’s this idea that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. That’s a lot of pressure to put on one day. And there are a lot of ways that it can go wrong. What if the meal you’re cooking for tomorrow doesn’t taste right? What if the kids don’t like the gifts they open? What if you get in an argument with one of your relatives? What if you aren’t able to spend tonight and tomorrow with everyone you were hoping to. We say Merry Christmas with this anticipation that tonight and tomorrow, will be merry and bright. Happy and full of joy.
In her song, the magnificat, Mary says that her soul magnifies the LORD and her spirit rejoices in God her savior. Are you in a place where your soul magnifies the LORD? As you enter into Christmas tomorrow, is your spirit rejoicing? I earnestly hope that it is. But in case it isn’t, my hope is, as we look a little closer at Mary’s song, we see that no matter how our festivities play out, God is doing something much bigger than one day. Much bigger than one time of the year. That as we look at what God has done, and what he’s doing, and what He will do, we’re able to rejoice in our spirit, and magnify the LORD. We will see the big picture, and understand a little better our role in it.
The Magnificat, this song that Mary sings in Luke’s gospel account, is one that is steeped in the past. In what God has already done. Throughout the song she references stories and promises from the Old Testament. Sometimes she does it blatantly, like when she name drops Abraham, but other times it’s more subtle. In fact, almost every line of the magnificat can be traced back to a reference in the Old Testament. Because Mary sees the big picture. Do you see the big picture?
God has, since the beginning of the world, been redeeming a people unto himself. He has been in the business of restoration and re-creation. He has promised that he would bless a family, that would bless the world, and that Creation itself would be renewed so that it could return to a restored relationship with Him. God has been creating a community who would not fall victim to to curse of sin and death, but would live forever with Him. That’s the big picture God is creating. And that is the big picture Mary recognizes in her song with these references.
But probably the most obvious reference to the past is the prayer itself. This song is clearly patterned after another mother’s song from the Old Testament. It shares many characteristics with the song that Hannah sings afters she has her baby, Samuel. A baby she prayed for for years and finally received. It’s found in 1 Samuel chapter 2.
Hannah’s song has a lot of things in common with Mary’s song. She begins by saying ‘“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high.” And she highlights great reversals stating, “...he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.” Reading that it’s obvious that Mary’s song is variations on a theme. God is the great deliverer, helping those in need, bringing miraculous life.
But there’s a big difference between Mary and Hannah. Hannah was a married, barren woman. And she is not alone in the story of the Old Testament. There are a number of married, barren, women who cry out to God and receive miraculous children. But Mary was not a barren married woman. Mary was betrothed, but Mary was a virgin. Mary did not spend years praying and weeping and asking for a child. So why is Mary’s song patterned in that tradition? Because Mary recognizes her role in the big story. Mary, as an individual, was not a barren woman waiting for a child. But Mary isn’t just singing for herself. In this song Mary is embodying her people, the children of God, the people of Israel. They have been barren, longing for the child who would fulfill the covenant promise and break the curse of sin and death. They have been waiting for generations. And in this song Mary recognises that her pregnancy is the fulfillment of all of this expectation, not for herself and for her family, but for her people. For the world.
But what exactly is her role in this big story? We know the big picture. We’re here at church to recognize it. We know that this baby, born in a manger, will grow up to perform miracles and preach about the kingdom of God. He will heal the sick and raise the dead and cast out demons. He will die on a cross, taking on all of our sins so that we can be in right relationship with God. He will be buried in a tomb and after three days rise again from the dead. We know that he will ascend to the right hand of God the Father almighty, and that He will return to judge the living and the dead. But Mary, what role does Mary have in all of that?
Because think about it. All of those things, those amazing things that Jesus is going to do, does Mary really factor into that at all? She doesn’t become a disciple. She doesn’t play a big part in the rest of the gospels. In fact, really one of her last roles in the story is at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry when they are at a wedding of a family friend and the party runs out of wine. Mary asks Jesus to solve the problem, and that’s his first public miracle. And after that, Mary kind of fades away from the narrative. So what WAS Mary’s role? She gave birth to the Christ child. She was his mom. I can tell you first hand as the mom of a toddler and a preschooler, the life of a mom is not glamorous and exciting. It’s a lot of picking up messes and laundry. As the mom of the Messiah, Mary wasn’t entitled to a lot of “Cool Kingdom Work.” Mary wasn’t by Jesus’ side when he walked on water. She wasn’t patting his shoulder as he fed the five thousand. She did watch him die. Mary’s role in the big story wasn’t one of authority and fame and power. But she rejoices in it. Because she sees how her role, as menial and painful and quotidienne as it is, is part of the bigger story. She’s not the one who is going to die on the cross, but she is the one who will place the Son of God in a manger. And that role is absolutely pivotal. Someone needed to be the mother of Jesus. And Mary rejoices in the role that she will be privileged to play.
It can be easy to forget the big picture when all of the little things start to come to the forefront. This summer our family moved from Massachusetts to Colorado. I grew up there, and this was the first time I had made a move this big. We were excited for the actual move, because we were planning to pack up our minivan and drive across the country visiting friends and family along the way. It was a great idea, and it was a lot of fun, but preparing for it was like packing for two moves. We had to pack everything we would need for the days of driving, as well as what we would need immediately once we got out here, and also all of our belongings in a big pod that would meet us at a later date. And it was easy while trying to coordinate all of those different parts of the move to lose sight of the big picture and get stressed out. It was months of my life. But now that we’re here, and we’re settled in, I don’t think about all those boxes. But I am thankful that we packed everything we did. It’s remembering the big picture that makes the small stuff doable, and it’s the small stuff that makes the big picture possible. There are so many things that we put pressure on this time of year, and so many ways we can be disappointed. But Christmas eve, Christmas day, in the big picture these are small things. But seeing the big picture makes it meaningful, and each day, not just Christmas day, adds a piece to the puzzle of the big picture itself.
Mary seems to have understood that. She seems to recognize the significance of her role. She says herself, “All generations will call me blessed.” And at this point in the narrative, that has already happened, her cousin Elizabeth has called her blessed. And a very angel from God has said that she is highly favored. And in fact, during the course of Jesus’ life it seems that people recognized the role that Mary played. But the result might not be what we expected. In Luke 11 Jesus is teaching, and someone from the crowd shouts out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” And do you know how Jesus responds? “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Mary wasn’t wrong. Generations have called her blessed, and she was for the role that she played. But her own son, the Christ himself, qualified that blessing. He said that those who are blessed are the ones who hear the word of God and obey it. Who is Jesus talking about? He’s talking about us! This is where our part of the story comes in. Mary saw the big picture, she understood what God was doing, and she appreciated the role she had in bringing it about. We’re part of the story too. Do you see the big picture of what God is doing? Do you see how you fit in to the story? Do you understand the role you have to play? Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
God has been writing this story from the beginning of time. Mary’s son, Jesus, is the king who will rule on that forever throne. He is the promised seed of Abraham to bless the world. He is the man who crushed the head of Satan on the cross. This Kingdom he rules is not like the ones we’re familiar with. Mary points out, in this kingdom God will bring down those in power but raise up the humble. God will feed the hungry but send the rich away empty. This kingdom is an upside down kingdom.
That idea, of God bringing down the rich and raising up the poor, that’s a theme in the ministry of Christ especially as it’s told in Luke’s gospel account. And for some that is reason enough to rejoice. If you count yourself among the poor, the hungry, the needy, the humble, rejoice! Our God is changing things. Our King will raise you up.
Those of us in this room who are more on the powerful and rich side than the humble and hungry side have to take note of that. While it might not seem like a reason for rejoicing, that we who are comfortable in this life God will bring us humility. But it’s part of this big picture. As Pastor Brandon pointed out last Sunday, the gospel doesn’t allow us to hold on to our privilege and wealth and position. But it does invite us to be part of the lifting up. And as we are generous in our giving, to our church, to ministries and charities and those who have less, we can know that we are playing our role in the story. We are pursuing the kingdom as we help and raise up those in need around us. We are pursuing the kingdom as we give of our time, talents and treasure. We are playing our role. And if in reflection of your own life this year you don’t feel like you have been pursuing that, then let me encourage you don’t lose faith, it’s not too late! The countdown clock for you to give hasn’t run out. The story doesn’t end with Christmas. God’s kingdom is coming, and you have a role to play. And when we play our role, we rejoice!
Because one day, these promises will be completely fulfilled. We know that Jesus was born as a baby, and He will return in glory. That little boy who came from a poor family will one day display all of the power and majesty of the Most High. We put all this pressure on Christmas because we’re celebrating one particular moment in the story. But we can look at the big picture and realize how much more there is to celebrate. God’s work did not end on Christmas morning. God’s work started at the beginning and continues on into the end. Tonight is one night. Tomorrow is one day. And maybe you will have a wonderful time of celebration. I hope so. As we celebrate with family and friends we get a picture of what that eternal celebration will look like when Jesus comes back. And if tonight and tomorrow bring disappointments, which, they might, let’s remember that we have so much more to rejoice about. We don’t need to start another countdown clock to Christmas to wait in anticipation of that most wonderful time of the year. We get to be part of the story right now as we live in light of the Kingdom, and we know that on another day, that none of us have a countdown clock for, that Kingdom will be here in full. We can live in His Kingdom today, and tomorrow, and the day after, looking forward to that day great day. And we can rejoice.
Monica Romig gave this Christmas Eve 2022 homily on Luke 1:46-56, the Magnificat, Mary's song, at Christ Community Church in Denver, Colorado.
To watch the message on YouTube, click here.
