9 December - Luke 1: 46-56

9th December 2018
Luke 1: 46-56

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

“And His mercy is on them that reverence Him from generation to generation.” (Verse 50)

I would like to expand on Luke 1:50 (KJV): “…on them…” That means us!  The Bible writer did not say “from generation to the next generation – that’s it”, or “for 2-3 generations”. It was open ended – His mercy will stop at no generation until Jesus comes to claim His own.  And, in His great mercy, He took on flesh and was born into this world, not from it.  Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of – He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all, but is God Incarnate.  Our Lord’s birth is an advent – the appearance of God in human form.  In His great mercy, He became flesh to make a way for us to come home, to heaven.  Redemption!

Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside.  Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God?  I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God, heaven, unless I am born again from above.  (John 3:7) “You must be born again”.  And once Christ is formed in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.  The gift of His mercy is freely given to me, and reverence for Him will flow out of me like living waters!

 

Jim and Carol J