Luke 1:46-55--What Mary And Jesus Show Us About True Blessing

Two things jumped out at me from this reading (Luke 1:46-55)

First, both Mary and Jesus identify humility as a precondition to true blessing. The blessings Mary describes come to those who are “humble,” those who “fear” God, who regard themselves as His “servant,” and who are “hungry” apart from God. Luke 1:48, 50, 52. They are not available to those who are proud, who seek to control others for their own benefit, or view themselves as sufficient apart from God. Luke 1:51, 52, 53.

Jesus says the same things in his beatitudes. He tells us that the truly blessed are those who “poor,” “poor in spirit,” and “meek.”  Luke 6:20 ; Matthew 5:3; 5. The underlying Greek words (hyperlinked above) refer to folks who share the same attributes/attitudes Mary identified.  And like Mary, Jesus tells us that those blessing do not flow to those who are self-satisfied. Luke 6:24-26.

Second, prayer is an essential part of developing such humility. This is important because that level of surrender does not come naturally. Once again, Mary and Jesus provide parallel insights, this time from their examples.

Initially on this point, it is important to note that both Mary and Jesus exemplified that humility. Mary’s humility is shown by her surrendering her own life plans to do God’s will; her enduring the great difficulties involved in carrying out His will during Jesus’ gestation, birth, and early life; her continuing involvement in His ministry; standing by Him during His agony on the cross; and faithfulness after His ascension. Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-50;  Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:13-23; John 2:1-5; 19:25; Acts 1:14.  Jesus likewise conformed His every action to the Father’s will and ultimately “emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant[.]” Philippians 2:7; John 4:34; 5:19; 6:38; 8:28. 

So how did they do that? After all, both were fully human and hence had the natural inclination to follow their own desires rather than God’s. How did they overcome that? 

Prayer seemed to be key. 

Luke’s Gospel tells us that Mary conversed with God (albeit through His angel) about how she was to accomplish what He was asking of her, a form of prayer. Luke 1:34-38. It also relays that she “treasured” and “pondered” what God was doing around her, which seemed to be a sort of prayer. Luke 2:19; 51. 

Jesus provides an even clearer example. Luke reports that Jesus prayed in connection with key events in His ministry, and those reports likely capture only a small portion of Jesus’ prayer life. Luke 3:21-22; 5:16; Luke 6:12-15; 9:18-21; 11:1-4.  Jesus emphasized the importance of prayer to His disciples. Mark 14:38; Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8; 22:40.  And perhaps most relevant here, He exemplified a prayerful response to powerful temptations to deviate from the Father’s will. Matthew 26:36-44; Mark 14:32-39; Luke 22:39-44.  

Prayer

Holy Spirit, draw us to Jesus and His example of humble submission to the Father’s will. Draw us into prayer on a regular basis and especially when we are tempted to go our own way. We ask this in the name of Him who perfectly did the Father’s will, Jesus the Christ. 

 

Additional Resources

Additional scriptures considering humility are collected at Wisdom Principles: God Loves Humility and Hates Pride.  

Another meditation on today’s reading is found at What We Can Learn From Jesus' Nativity: The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-53) .

Other meditations on other aspects of Jesus’ nativity are collected at What We Can Learn from Jesus' Nativity: The Annunciation through Simeon & Anna .

Luke 1:26-38--Mary’s Grit & God’s Compassion

Two things have always struck me about this passage. One is Mary’s courage. Not only did Mary show tremendous faith in taking on the awesome task God asked of her, she handled the very stressful encounter described here with remarkable composure. The other is God’s grace in helping her through this.  Several things stand out:

 

1.  Mary is very brave. Other accounts of Gabriel’s appearances indicate that he is a terrifying creature who incites strong, sometimes debilitating, reactions.  Daniel 8:15-18, 27  and Luke 1:11-12 While Mary is “greatly troubled,” v. 29, she keeps her composure far better than the other, more mature, folks Gabriel appeared to. Maybe that’s why God chose her to be Jesus’ mother; she was going to have to go through some very tough stuff.

 

2. We should not be surprised that God selected someone as brave as Mary to be Jesus’ mother. His word consistently stresses that we need fortitude to accomplish all that He calls us to. Scriptures reflecting that are collected here.  Those scriptures, and this passage, illustrate that the path to God’s greatest blessings/works is often scary. 

 

3. God therefore helps us deal with the doubts that might undermine fortitude, doubts that naturally arise, when He calls us to challenging tasks. We see an example of that here in God providing the sign/proof about Elizabeth’s unlikely pregnancy. Luke 1:36-37. It follows a pattern we see regarding His calls:

a. God sometimes provides initial signs to build faith as the person He calls starts on the big, daunting, task God calls him to. We see that in the call of Gideon (Judges 6:11-40) and Moses (Exodus 3:7-4:17).

b. God likely does that because He knows our weakness/fears, Psalm 103:13-14, and gives us the help we need to overcome them. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

 

4. The nature of the sign God gives via Elizabeth’s pregnancy is also worth noting. It was meant as a proof of the promises He just made, but it could not immediately have had that effect because it relied on a fact Mary could not immediately verify. Its full ratifying effect could only occur later, when the existence of that fact is confirmed.  We see that pattern elsewhere in scripture; God points to a future occurrence as proof of His present declaration. See e.g.Exodus 3:11-12 and John 2:18-22. What do we make of that?

a. God recognizes and accommodates the flagging nature of our faith. He realizes that the trust that immediately results from an encounter with Him will subside over time. He also knows that the work He gives us to do will outlast that initial trust. He therefore gives us something to recall in the future to revive trust. 

b. It is reassuring because it illustrates that our initial lack of comprehension does not preclude our eventual effectiveness. Mary probably didn’t understand what God was talking about when He brought up Elizabeth’s pregnancy, but that did not stop her from fulfilling the mission God gave her. We see the same dynamic in the Disciples’ initial incomprehension of Jesus’ statements about his upcoming death and resurrection. They didn’t get it when those statements were made, See Mark 9:31-31 and Luke 24:1-8, but that didn’t stop them from ultimately getting done what God called them to. A similar dynamic is discussed at “Fear does not equal Failure and Doubt does not equal Disqualification.”

 

Prayer

Father, help us to recall Mary’s courage when you call us to difficult things or put us in unsettling situations. Please extend the same sort of graces to us that you did to Mary when we are unsettled. We ask this in the name of Mary’s Son, Jesus. 

 

This reflection was excerpted from What We Can Learn From Jesus' Nativity: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38).   The complete version of that reflection and other meditations related to Jesus’ birth are collected at What We Can Learn from Jesus' Nativity: The Annunciation through Simeon & Anna.  

Lectionary 139: A Layman’s Take

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

What these passages tell us not to do

Commentary/observations

Hyperlinks to additional resources

 

IS 5:1-7                                                                                             

Let me now sing of my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes.

Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?

Now, I will let you know what I mean to do with my vineyard: take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it.

The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished plant; he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!

PS 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20

R. (Is 5:7a) The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
A vine from Egypt you transplanted; you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Why have you broken down its walls, so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste, and the beasts of the field feed upon it?

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. O LORD, God of hosts, restore us; if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R. The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

PHIL 4:6-9

Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.

 CF. JN 15:16

I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain.

MT 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: 

"Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.  Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.  But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again, he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way.  Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." 

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

1.         God wants us to bear fruit for Him. See also John 15:8.

2.        God goes to great lengths to give us what we need to bear that fruit. We see that, in extreme, in today’s gospel.

3.        The type of fruit God looks for is righteous conduct towards God and our fellow man. See generally, Wisdom Principles--True Piety;  Wisdom Principles--Caring For the Weak and Vulnerable. Actions driven by pride, anger, and focus on material wealth are weeds. See generally, Wisdom Principles--Dealing With Anger;  Wisdom Principles--God Loves Humility and Hates Pride; Wisdom Principles--Rely on God, Not Material Wealth.

5.        At some point God withdraws His grace if we do not bear the fruit He is looking for. See also John 15:6.

4.        Today’s psalm and second reading illustrate how we should respond to our rebellion/sin against God: come to Him confessing our sin and seeking His mercy. God is eager to forgive us if we truly repent. See Wisdom Principles--God Loves Us and Calls Us to Himself