Intro
More than 2,000 years ago, the angel Gabriel spoke the Word of God into the
Virgin Mary’s ear. The Holy Spirit working through the Word breathed the
Christ-Child into her womb. Once pregnant, Mary knew that others would
scandalize her. She even knew she could possibly be stoned to death. Yet, she
agreed to be the Lord’s handmaiden!
Soon after, Mary left Nazareth to visit with her relatives, Elizabeth and
Zechariah. Elizabeth was also pregnant, about six months, with John the
Baptizer. On hearing Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth responded with the cry of
faith: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb”
(Luke 1:42). Mary then chanted a song, a song we call the Magnificat, and she
became the first hymn writer in the New Testament Church. All these centuries
later, we still join her; we, too, sing Mary’s Song!
Main Body
As Mary anticipated with joy the birth of her Son, the Firstborn, the Savior of
the world, so do we also anticipate with joy celebrating our Savior’s birth.
As mothers eagerly await the end of their pregnancy, so the Church eagerly
awaits celebrating the Feast of Christmas. Since the 6th century, the Church
has kept the repentance-focused season of Advent as a way to help prepare for
the Feast of Christmas.
Advent is a time to preparation. No matter what’s going on in your life, even
if you are alone and of the “lowliest estate,” as Mary sang, you will be
“lifted up.” Indeed, you will be “filled with good things,” as she sang.
But why do we continue to sing Mary’s Song in the Church? Why? Because it
isn’t only Mary’s Song; it’s also our song. It’s the Church’s song--the entire
Church’s song. It bends back to the expectations and needs of the Old
Testament Church. It bends back and grabs hold of God’s Promise of salvation
to His people through Abraham’s Seed.
But the Magnificat also stretches forward to us, to all generations born after
the coming of the Savior. It stretches forward to all who need God’s mercy and
forgiveness. To sing Mary’s Song is to sing with Mary and with the generations
of God’s people down through the centuries who fear the Lord and receive His
mercy. To sing Mary’s Song is to sing one of the most-profound hymns ever
written, an Advent and Christmas hymn all rolled into one.
To sing Mary’s Song also teaches us how to sing as God’s Church. The
Magnificat teaches us how to praise and glorify the Lord as we should. For
praising God does not come naturally to us. That’s right: praising God does
not come naturally to us, contrary to what we might think. Because of our
sinful nature, we naturally get it wrong. And so God even has to teach us that
we may learn how to praise Him, like He also has to teach us to pray.
Luther gave these words on learning to praise God:
Learn to praise [God], and despairing of yourself, say, “Lord Jesus, you have
taken upon yourself what is mine and have given to me what is yours. You have
taken upon yourself what you were not and have given to me what I was not.” . .
. Meditate on this love of His and you will see sweet consolation. For why
was it necessary for Him to die if one can obtain a good conscience by our
works and afflictions? Accordingly you will find peace only in Him and only
when you despair of yourself and your own good work. (LW 48, pg. 12-13)
Learning to praise God means learning to exalt Him for all the good He has
done, is doing, and will do for you and your salvation. It’s learning to
praise God for His glorious generosity (Ephesians 1:6). That’s what Mary’s
Song teaches us.
As weird as it seems, much of what we call “praise music” today doesn’t even
praise God! In truth, it’s often the opposite: such songs routinely focus
on--not on what God does--but the work and emotions of the worshiper. That’s
not praising God.
To learn how to praise God, let’s hear how Mary, the Mother of our Lord, the
one who carried God in her womb, let’s hear how she does it. For Mary’s Song
points to the Lord and His gifts. That’s praising God!
And so with Mary we sing, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior.” Mary “teaches us to love and praise God for Himself alone,
and in the right order, and not selfishly to seek anything at His hands. This
is done when one praises God because He is good.” (LW 21, pg. 309) And so we
praise God because He is by nature good, and we praise and thank Him for His
good gifts.
But what happens when life doesn’t seem so good? What happens when you feel
that God is withholding His good gifts from you, when you have prayed and
prayed and prayed, and your desperate plea goes unfulfilled? Do you still love
God and praise His goodness? Or do you curse God, bargain with Him, or even
try to blackmail Him, because He’s not the pet on a leash you want?
Mary praised God when others thought she was but a cheap tramp, an unwed,
pregnant teenager. Mary shows us what it means to be Church, even when your
circumstances are down and out. She loved and praised God’s goodness just as
much when she didn’t feel it as when she did. Oh, what we can learn from this
woman who is blessed above all other women.
With Mary we sing, “For he has looked on the humble estate of His servant.”
Like Mary, we aren’t boasting about our humility, but merely confessing the
truth. With Mary, we praise the unexpected goodness of the Lord. It isn’t our
worthiness or even our unworthiness that we delight in. No, we delight in the
Lord’s unexpected, undeserved divine mercy.
With Mary we sing, “From now on all generations will call me blessed, for He
has done great things to me, and holy is His name.” Again, the blessing points
to what God has done. The Holy One, Jesus Christ, has taken up residence in
her womb.
But God didn’t stop there: At the womb of the baptismal font, the Lord has done
great things for us. In Holy Baptism, we were born anew, born from above, and
the Holy One took up residence in us, cleansing us from all sins and granting
us eternal life. We then become like Mary, for we become bearers of God just
like she was--but of course for us, in a different way.
The same Holy Spirit, who worked the miracle of the incarnation in the Virgin’s
womb, works the miracle of faith in our hearts. That’s the only reason we
believe in and confess that Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the Savior of
the world. Mary rejoiced because she bore the Holy One within her--a miracle!
We rejoice because we bear the Holy One within us--no less a miracle!
With Mary we sing, “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble
estate; he has filled the hungry with good things.” The fall of mighty kings
and kingdoms isn’t only for the ancient world. We still see the fall of
powerful politicians and evil dictators in our lives today. Jesus tells us,
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles
himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
Every time we sing the Magnificat at Evening Prayer, every time we join in the
Divine Service on Sunday morning, God also comes to humble us. It isn’t
enjoyable to be toppled from our self-exalting thoughts and actions. Our
sinful nature will always be more attracted to what doesn’t humble us, even in
worship.
That’s why worship, songs, and sermons that are upbeat, entertaining, and fun
are more popular. But God wants to feeds you with real food and slay the
sinful Adam in each of us. That’s why true Christian worship, hymns, and
preaching are serious--and even sometimes uncomfortable.
In worship, we discover ourselves standing in the presence of God. That’s
humbling. God looks into our souls. That’s humbling. God’s holiness exposes
our sinful exaltation of self and our selfish wants over His will and the needs
of others. That’s humbling.
Conclusion
When Christmas Day finally arrives, many will find it disappointing. Many may
simply be relieved, tired of the crass commercialism and money-making barrage
that started in October. The superficial nature of our civic-holiday customs
leave us empty.
But you, as one whom God has brought into His holy Bride, the Church, you know
what’s real, what’s at stake concerning Christ’s incarnation. What’s at stake
is life and death, sin and judgment, forgiveness, rebirth, life, and salvation.
That’s serious!
And that’s why you are here today. Here, Christ comes with forgiveness and
healing. Through the Song of Mary, the Magnificat, great things have been done
for you. You are filled with good things. You are a receiver of the Lord’s
great mercy. And so you also sing with Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Amen.
--
Rich Futrell, Pastor
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO
Where we are to receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the
Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of
Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh
and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body,
soul, and spirit.
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