12222021 – Advent IV, Luke 1. 39-45
A young girl. A girl is under the age of 12 ½. A woman is 12 ½ and older.
From a small, tiny, insignificant town. In an enemy occupied territory.
With a “humble spirit” and “a faith without borders”…SHE travels on her own, like a soldier on a military exorcise…She goes BOLDLY, with CONFIDENCE…knowing full well, she will be fine…she will be cared for…she will be watched over…she will be supported every step of the way…in her journey…
What was she 12 or 13? Nothing but a kid herself…
WHO – breaks out into “a song of praise,” (which incidentally happens to be the ORIGINAL, the VERY FIRST Christmas CAROL)…a proto-type, if you will, right after her cousin Elizabeth says to her, “Why am I so honored, that THE MOTHER of MY LORD should visit me? When I heard YOUR greeting, the baby in my womb moved, tumbled, kicked, did the GOOSE STEP, and went for a field goal. You are blessed because YOU believed that the Lord WOULD DO EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID!”
The word “Magnificat” is a Latin word meaning “to PRAISE, to glorify, to exalt, to enlarge, or to amplify.” This is good stuff (I tell you!)
For God took notice of his “lowly servant girl,” that’s why her spirit rejoiced…that’s why she broke into song…
BECAUSE – The Lord, her God, the Almighty One, the creator of Heaven and Earth has taken notice of “her…”
Little-ol-me!
The New International Version words it this way…” He has been MINDFUL of the humble state of his servant.”
AND – that word ‘MINDFUL’ immediately takes us back to those words that a psalmist of old spoke some 1,000 years earlier…
“When I consider YOUR HEAVENS, the WORK of your fingers, the MOON, and the STARS, which you have set in place, what is MANKIND that you are “MINDFUL” of them, human beings that you CARE for them?”
I am blown away. Far, far, away.
GOD – when I consider “HOW GREAT THOU ART”… AND THEN – consider the fact that YOU are MINDFUL of me, I am blown away… R U kidding me, GOD? How is any of this – even possible? Am I being pranked? Is that it? Where’s the hidden camera?
And HOW does ELIZABETH ALREADY know anything? I’ve said absolutely nothing to her…and I am barely showing…hardly a bump at all.
And what about her baby? What’s with the indoor-uteri calisthenics?
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? Is any of this for real???
Is all of this a dream? A Vision? A nightmare?
– the original Christmas Song… Sings the story of God who SEES, who CARES, who NOTICES, who PAYS ATTENTION… AND WHO – is CONCERNED about us.
AND…DO YOU – know what?
I AM CONVINCED – that this is exactly what God wants to say to a couple of people HERE in this place, and at home, watching on their I-PHONE, COMPUTER, TABLET, LAPTOP or who will watch this later, when they get a chance (who like Mary, may have felt like maybe, just maybe, God had FORGOTTEN her or THEM)…
He hasn’t. He never will.
He CARES, he NOTICES, He is PAYING ATTENTION… He is CONCERNED about YOU and about EVERYTHING that you HAVE gone through, and ARE going through…presently
He is right THERE. He is WITH you. Each and every step of the way.
It is NOT a journey ALONE, but rather a journey TOGETHER.
This God who sees and who cares…ALSO – acts!
MARY – says NOT only ‘is HE’ mighty, not only ‘can HE’ do GREAT and TREMENDOUS things… ‘but HE’ – already has done great things for Mary and for His people!
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. – says Psalm 145
The Good News of this first Christmas carol is that…not only is God GREAT… but he is also GOOD! God constantly uses his greatness for the good of others…
MARY SAYS – He ‘has done’ great things for me! WHAT – great things? I MEAN – think about it, NOT A GREAT DEAL has really changed in her life at this point…She is still from a small insignificant town…She is still dirt poor, she is still engaged, she thinks! And her country is still being occupied.
To Mary there was nothing GREATER than God her Savior, taking NOTICE of her, walking with her, protecting her, guiding her, loving her, and caring about her.
And so, she sang, she sang like a second grade Sunday School Class student in her very first concert. Boldly, Confidently, because God was with her. And God would be with her ALL OF HER DAYS. And so, she sang…And it was magnificent. Amen.