A Reflection on Mary's Worship Song

Last Sunday, Rev Samuel Sia came to preach on "Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat" Luke 1:46-55.  He also shared the background of the story, especially Mary's visit to Elizabeth. He ended with "Does your heart have a space for Jesus?". If you have the joy of Christ, then you will be joyful always. You must prepare your heart to receive Jesus during Christmas to have meaningful, joyful eternal life with Jesus.

The most important thing that I learned from Mary in the past has been Luke 1:38 ...be it unto me according to thy word. That was tremendous faith and obedience in action. She had to go through much persecution and hardship for a virgin birth. She had to bear the great burden of raising Jesus even though bearing the Savior of the World was a great honor. But Mary did not taste the very honor that people all through history had given her. Instead, she had to bear the pains of seeing her Son being nailed to the cross! By faith, she received the honor. This is reflected in her song of praise.

Mary's Christmas Message
Mary's song is also her Christmas Message for us. If you never heard her preach, here it is. Below are some points that I learned:

1.  About Worship
1. Mary worshiped God with her mind & heart - her soul and spirit.
2. She expressed with her mouth - Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. Holy is His name v49.
3. She expressed with her heart - she rejoiced. It is a song of gladness.
   She shows us how to worship in spirit and in truth with true gladness. She gave good reasons for the joy and praise. It builds our faith.
2. She gave the reasons for the worship and joy:
1. About Me: 
1. God is my Savior v47 - God saved me.
2. God chose me, a lowly handmaiden.
   God can also choose you. It is not about your position and ability. It is about your heart. Are you willing to follow the path that God has created you for? Will you let God be your God? Will you trust God enough to yield to Him? Humility is not low self-esteem. It is accepting our unique calling from God and following it with our life. Not condemning ourselves and not envying others. Take pride in the calling of God. (Note: The calling of God is not only about full-time ministry. See Secular vs Spiritual Jobs)
3. All generations shall call me blessed. That is great for Mary. We thank her for her obedience despite the hardship. Leaving a legacy requires obedience, hard work, and discipline with joy in the midst.
4. God had done to me great things. Greatness is defined by God and not by the worldly standard. Sometimes they are the same, e.g. making David King. Sometimes they are not, e.g. Paul, John, and Jim Elliot as martyrs for God! For most of us, we just follow our calling by God. We are rewarded by the talents given to us to fulfill our calling. We just need to be faithful to what we are called. But one thing is for sure, God promotes us through life, step by step.
2. About ALL: From me, Mary extends to others...
1. God gives mercy to those who fear him and this is applicable throughout all generations. The Greek translated mercy may be better translated as compassion or kindness. Notice that is a qualification - those that fear Him. God's kindness is to be received and can be rejected by the proud as reflected in the subsequent verses. In our case, this kindness is Jesus as Savior. Those who don't fear God could not care less about God or His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. God shows His strength by overriding man's might and pride. What is great in man's eyes is nothing, even dung, in God's view. We must value what God values and not the man-made system.
1. bring down the proud and mighty(in men own evaluation)
2. bring up the lowly 
3. send the rich empty-handed away
4. fill the hungry with good things
3. God keeps His promise to Abraham, Jacob(Israel)
1. Jesus, Abraham's seed to save the world was promised and delivered then. 
2. (Gal 3:29) And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
3. The believers are spiritual seeds of Abraham and enjoy the promises God made to Abraham.

The Offer: Salvation through Jesus Christ
The very reason for Mary's Song of Praise and Joy is the delivery of God's promise - "Jesus, Son of God, as our Savior". Will you receive this Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, to be your own personal Savior and Lord and enter into the true Joy of the Lord in this Christmas time?

If you have already done so, have you discovered your calling? Will you accept and walk in it with joy and grace from Jesus? Our Jesus who saves us with His grace will also give us the grace to live out His calling on our lives to His glory which we also share.

Lim Liat (c) 2010-12-22

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14 Dec 2024

Using ChatGPT to give a short prayer for the post is as follows:

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the example of Mary’s faith, humility, and joyful worship. Help us to prepare our hearts this Christmas to receive Jesus fully, just as she did. Teach us to trust Your plans, embrace our unique calling, and walk in obedience and joy. May our lives reflect Your mercy and greatness, bringing glory to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

It is a good summary and application. 

I asked Doubao (A China Generative AI like ChatGPT) "What does Mary's Song of praise teach us?"
Its response was great too and I reproduced here.

"The "Magnificat" (Mary's Song of Praise) in the Bible (Luke 1:46 - 55) teaches several important lessons:

1. The power of God's favor and the significance of humility

Mary, a young and seemingly ordinary woman, is chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. In her song, she acknowledges God's great favor upon her.

• This shows that God often works through those who may be considered lowly in the eyes of the world.

• Mary's humility is evident as she recognizes that it is God's grace that has exalted her. For example, she says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant."

• This teaches us to be humble and to recognize that God can use anyone, regardless of their social status or worldly position, for his divine purposes.

2. God's faithfulness to his promises and justice

• Mary speaks of God's mercy "from generation to generation." This emphasizes the continuity of God's love and care for his people over time.
• She also mentions how God scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts, brings down the mighty from their thrones, and exalts those of humble estate. This shows God's commitment to justice. It tells us that God is a just God who will ultimately right the wrongs and that he has a plan to reverse the unjust power structures of the world. For instance, in history, there have been many times when oppressive regimes have fallen, and the oppressed have found liberation, which can be seen as a manifestation of God's justice as described in Mary's song.

3. The importance of spiritual rejoicing and praise

• Mary's song is a powerful expression of praise and worship. Her spirit rejoices in God her Savior. This teaches us the significance of having a heart full of praise and gratitude towards God. In the face of the great and miraculous events that were about to unfold through the birth of Jesus, Mary's first response is to praise God.

• It encourages us to have a similar attitude, to focus on the goodness and power of God, and to express our love and adoration for him through our words and actions, no matter the circumstances we face.