Thoughts for the Day

Luke 1:46-55  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, just as he promised our ancestors.”

The Magnificat is a beautiful song of praise, and, as we read it early in the story building up to Christ’s miraculous birth, it’s easy simply to enjoy its familiarity, to join Mary in rejoicing in God’s goodness, mercy and might and join with “all the generations” who will call Mary “blessed”, although that last bit will likely vary according to our denomination,  and I do wonder whether many of us at all do so in a way that Mary would have expected or wanted!  Yet it isn’t all comfortable reading, certainly not for the proud, the rulers and the rich!  But that’s OK, that’s not us … is it?  I don’t envisage myself among the rich described as sent away empty, but I’m certainly not physically hungry.  I don’t like to think of myself among those proud in their inmost thoughts whom He will scatter, but I’m not sure whether I warrant being described as humble.  In my imagining, I lie somewhere in a wide, comfortable, grey area in between.  But scripture has a way of casting images in black and white.  With no option to sit on the fence between rich and poor, proud and humble, on which side would I land?  Fortunately for us all, “His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation”, a message that Jesus will subsequently explain and expand on … and indeed make possible … through his ministry, death and resurrection still years away at this point.