When I spoke on Mary’s song – the Magnificat – as part of our Advent series here at Trinity CRC, I noted that her song is steeped in the Old Testament: It echoes of Hannah’s song and reads like a psalm.
One of the resources that helped me appreciate the theology in this text was the Groundwork discussion on Mary’s song a few weeks ago led by Dave Bast and Scott Hoezee. This quote didn’t make it into my message, but I still like it:
The Son of God is growing within Mary and it’s as though she “is bursting with theology and she sings these incredible things about God the Mighty One,
— God the Holy One,
— His mercy extending [from generation to generation].
She’s a compendium in this song, like a theological encyclopedia of all the great characteristics of God.
It’s though she’s bursting with God-ness
— and just can’t hold it in.”
I love this picture of being so filled with the goodness of God that you’re about to burst!
And here’s one more thing that Dave and Scott said in light of the fact that this song comes from young, pregnant, unwed Mary:
“If you had a teenage daughter who sat in the living room one day and sang about economic and social upheaval and revolutions, you’d say, ‘Where’re you getting that from?’ You don’t expect that on the lips of a young girl. But here Mary is saying God is up to such an incredibly new thing in history here that all what we consider the normal ways of the world are going to be turned right upside down.”
…Actually, in coming to earth as a human, God isn’t really turning things upside down. He’s restoring them back to right-side-up! It’s what I’m keeping my eyes open for this Advent.
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4th Point 