This Sunday, we will be looking at Luke 1:46-56.

It’s called the Magnificat or Mary’s song,

but make no mistake, Mary’s song is a rebel song.

At first, we may not see it, because it starts with Mary proclaiming that her soul magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God. She goes on to acknowledge how God has looked on her with favor, echoing Gabriel’s words to her.

But then it takes a turn that in our day we may not notice, but at the time of Christ would have been revolutionary.

God doesn’t just look with favor on her, but rather on her lowliness.

God, according to Mary, notices her – her social standing and her struggle –and, even more than that, takes her side.

All generations will call her blessed because God has done great things for her.

Not only her, but all who are like Mary

– poor, lowly, or marginalized -

and who trust God for their redemption.

And what it is that God is doing for Mary and all the marginalized of the world?

• Scattering the proud,

• bringing down the powerful,

• lifting the lowly,

• giving those who are hungry plenty to eat and

  those who trust in their riches are sent away with nothing.

Mary’s song is a song about love and justice for all.

It is, as I said, a rebel song.

This is is nothing new in the Bible. Throughout the Old Testament, prophets proclaimed the same message: that God cares for all people but has a particular interest in the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable.

What are we to do with these words, these words of hope and threat, promise, and judgment?

That’s what we will look into this Sunday as we reflect on these revolutionary words sung by Mary.

Join us this Sunday as we dig deeper into what this means for us.