READING: Joshua 10-12, Luke 1:39-56
“And Mary said: ‘My soul exalts the Lord . . . ”
Luke 1:46
The story of Jesus’ birth is filled with humility. Mary, the mother of Jesus, saw herself as God’s bondslave – the one whose “humble state” (Luke 1:48) the Lord regarded. She was only the wife of a carpenter, and her social status was lowly. Few would have thought she would be the mother of the Messiah. Nevertheless (and, actually, because of her humility), God used her to bear Christ.
Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, was likewise humbled when her baby leapt in the womb when Mary visited while carrying the Christ child. She was overwhelmed by the fact that the Messiah’s mother had visited her: “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?” (Luke 1:53). The birth of Elizabeth’s son had also been powerful and dramatic, but she still knew that the One Mary was carrying was unlike any other. That she could stand in the presence of the Messiah’s mother was humbling indeed for Elizabeth.
When Mary honored God in the Magnificat (her hymn of praise), her words then resounded with God’s condemnation of the proud and exaltation of the humble: “He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble” (Luke 1:51-52). Those who fear Him and trust Him to meet their needs are those He honors – not the proud and the rich who see no need for Him. It is the servant that God so readily rewards; indeed, Jesus Himself would come to serve even as He sought to seek and save the lost (Matt. 20:28, Luke 19:10).
To be frank, I cannot do today’s reading without recognizing my own tendency to be arrogant. The fact that God came to the world to save sinners should humble me. The truth that He saved me personally should humble me even more. I pray that my words would be the spoken words of Mary, “My soul exalts the Lord” (Luke 1:46), rather than my unspoken words too often in my heart, “My soul exalts me.”
ACTION STEPS:
- Read Mary’s hymn of praise again, and meditate on its words.
- Ask God to make you humble.
PRAYER: “Father, I’m a proud person. Forgive me. Change me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Joshua 13-15, Luke 1:57-80