"That's just the way it is/some things will never change/that's just the way it is/but don't you believe them." Remember that song by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from the 80s?
Well, maybe he got that from Luke's gospel, specifically from Mary's Magnificat that is our gospel lectionary reading for this Sunday. This wondrous song that Mary sings describes a world turned upside down from the one she lived in--and ours too.
So check it out: The messiah is to be born of a poor peasant girl and we find her and her cousin Elizabeth out in the hill country gettinig filled with the Spirit with babes leaping in wombs and singing songs about how the world is going to change when this mighty one is born. You know how might makes right and how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? We might think that's just the way it is but don't you believe it, according to Mary anyway. She sings, "God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty."
What if many things we assume to be true about the world are not true? What if reality as we know it is not as concrete as we've been told it is? What is Mary trying to tell us? O to see the world through the eyes of Mary!
This passage reminds me of the commentators' observation that Luke's nativity story gives an introduction to contining themes in his Gospel--his emphasis on women, the marginalized, and the Holy Spirit.
ReplyDeleteLuke 1:39-55
ReplyDelete39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Micah 5:2-5a
2But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. 3Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. 4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5and he shall be the one of peace.
Hebrews 10:5-10
5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).” 8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.