My soul glorifies the Lord

Luke 1:39-56

Key Verse 1:46 

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord.”

Mary is greatly honored in Catholic church. Now among 4 gospels only Luke gospel gives us a detailed account about Mary. Today we would listen to Mary’s song which has been used as a praise Psalm for many years in church. Today we will see what is special about Mary. Most of all, we want to see how the Lord helped Mary to glorify him and rejoice in him. 

Part I. Blessed is she who has believed. (v.39-45)

Look at verses 39 and 40.

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 

The Lord helped Mary to have fellowship with strong believers like Elizabeth. The Lord did it so by mentioning Elizabeth’s name in his message through the angel. So the Lord helped Mary to glorify him in her soul by helping her to have fellowship with the strong believer Elizabeth.

What happens when Mary entered Zechariah’s home?

Look at verses 41-45.

⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary was like the carrier of the Holy Spirit. Even her greeting worked as a spiritual instrument to inspire the baby in Elizabeth’s womb with the Holy Spirit and Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit. Filled with the Holy Spirit she exclaimed, ““Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

How could Elizabeth to know that Mary will have a child? How could she know that Mary have believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her?” They are all none other than the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

When Mary heard what Elizabeth said she must have been greatly encouraged and inspired. Indeed now she got two witnesses about God’s promises. One is the angel and another Elizabeth. Mary had two witnesses to confirm the word of God’s promises to her. 

What if Mary went to a woman of doubt at that time and asked her, “What do you think about the angel’s message for me?” The doubting woman might have said, “It must be hallucination. I have also experienced the same thing. Forget about it!”

But thankfully Mary hurried to Elizabeth who was experiencing great miracle of God.

The bible says we can see know the tree by its fruit. We can also know what kind of people we are by seeing what kind of people we associate. By looking at our friends we can know who we are. If we are surrounded by complaining people we are complaining people. If not, we will be. If we associate with doubting people we will become doubting people if not now. A couple of times I tried to read complaining people’s writing and I had to stop reading it because I felt my faith was draining out. My faith was draining out instead of being increased. But the bible says the work of God is the work of faith. 

 HYPERLINK "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy+1:4&version=NIV" 1 Timothy 1:4

or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.

So I had to stop reading it to protect my faith in order to do the work of God.

Indeed it is true that we need to have fellowship with strong men and women of faith in order to glorify God and rejoice in him especially at critical times. If we have fellowship with spiritually rebellious people we may be influenced by them and we may lose our faith and we may experience spiritual shipwreck. 

Apostle Paul explained the same truth.

 HYPERLINK "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+2:22&version=NIV" 2 Timothy 2:22

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

By saying so, Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to grow in faith together with genuine believers.

It is true to have fellowship with strong believers who are experiencing God’s great work is God’s way of helping us to live a life to glorify him.

Part II. The  Mighty One has done great things for me (v.46-56)

The another way of God’s help for Mary is through what he has done for Mary and others. 

In Mary’s case her soul glorifies God and enjoy him because of what the Lord has done for her and others. 

Verses 46-49. 

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸ for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

Mary was in humble status. She was not a daughter of a prominent family. She was not a princess. She was just one of country girls. But God has done great things for her. 

Mary was in humble status. Once we were also all in humble status, not knowing God and not knowing the purpose of life, and we lived like dust of the ground. Most of all we were slaves. We were really in a humble status. 

But Christ, through his blood, has done great things for us, the spiritual resurrection of our spirit and blessed us to live a life for Christ and even seated us with Christ in heaven. Indeed the Mighty One has done great things for us. 

Ephesians 2:1-6 describes it.

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

Now based on her own experience of God’s grace, she knows the Lord’s mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. Verse 50.

⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation.

God’s mercy is for those who fear him. This truth is beyond all of our time. It is from generation to generation. It means it is eternal truth. God’s grace is for everyone as if rain comes down from heaven to the good and the evil. But those who fear God can enjoy it. Those who are rebellious cannot enjoy it. Even if they experience God’s grace they would not know it or accept it. 

Mary could glorify God and rejoice in him because of what the Lord has done for other people.

Verses 51-54. 

⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,

    remembering to be merciful

55  To Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

These verses show God’s power to uphold justice according to their inmost thoughts. To human eyes man cannot see what is in the inmost thoughts of men. So we cannot uphold justice. But the Lord knows it. The Holy Spirit revealed to Mary that the Lord is working for the humble, the hungry, but the Lord opposes those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has scattered them. He has also brought down rulers from their thrones if they abuse their power and authority. The Lord has also sent the rich away empty if the rich were proud in their thoughts and abuse their wealth.

In man’s eyes human history seems to go by rulers and rich people and powerful people. But the Lord revealed to Mary that indeed the sovereign Lord is the one who is leading human history and he is the one who exalts and humbles.

The Lord has lifted up the humble and has filled the hungry with good things. Most of all, the Lord is merciful to his servant Israel according to his promise. 

The Lord has helped the Israelites not because they were worthy but because of his promises to Mary’s ancestors. God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:3a ‘I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” According to his promise the Lord stood on the side of Abraham even when Abraham lied to Abimelech in Genesis.

God helps us to glorify him by what he has done for us and others. God does it by revealing he is the one who runs human history and he has power over all things. In man’s eyes we don’t see it. So we fear men and fear many things. But God has power to control all things according to his promise.

So to see what God has done in our lives is very important if we want to live a life to glorify him and rejoice in him.

One person told me a story. There are two people, A and B. A had a hard time to forgive B because B insulted A. After much struggle A went to B and asked B’s forgiveness. So B is fine. But the problem is A. Even after A asked B’s forgiveness A could not have a peace of mind. The reason is because B is worse than A and A had to ask B’s forgiveness.  A could not stop thinking, “B is worse than I. How come should I apologize B?” So A was troubled. A could not have peace in his heart. So A went to the Lord in prayer in the morning and complained to God saying, “Lord, it is not fair. B is worse than I. And how come should I ask B’s forgiveness and I am still in trouble although B is fine now?” In the afternoon the Lord answered A, “Do you want B’s apology or all the blessings that I gave you and your children and your family? Which one do you want?” At that moment A realized the insult of B was nothing compared all the blessings given by the Lord for A and A’s children and his family. So A exclaimed, “Of course, the blessings, Lord! I want all the blessings that you have given me and my children. No question about it.” With that revelation all of A’s sense of injustice and complaining and bitterness was completely gone. Indeed compared to all the blessings from the Lord for A and A’s children the insult of B was nothing! A could say, “I can take millions of such insult as long as I can keep the blessings given to me and my children.” After that revelation A was filled the Holy Spirit and great thanks and peace.

We focus on what we do not have and keep asking God more. Mary could have seen the negative side of the Lord’s blessings and complained, saying ‘why should I give up my marriage dream, my sweet dream to live happily with Joseph?” “Why should I go through such shame and humiliation to appear as an adulterous women before my father and my relatives and my town’s people?” But the Holy Spirit opened her eyes to see how much she was blessed and what the Lord has done for her and her people and how the Lord would establish justice by opposing proud people.

Indeed what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others is a secret for us to live a life to glorify God and rejoice in him. 

Those who fear him are those who are not proud. Those who fear God cannot be proud. The work of Christ is opposing the proud and exalt the humble. The rulers and the rich all refer to those who are proud in their inmost hearts. They think they became rulers and became rich by their own power. But the Lord will demonstrate he is the ruler and he has power and authority over all rulers and rich people.

The example of Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 4:28-32.

²⁸ All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

³¹ Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. ³² You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

Only God can establish such justice. No man can do it because God is the almighty God. 

When the Holy Spirit works on Mary she could see that the Lord is the one who establishes justice. The Lord is the one who opposes the proud and exalt the humble.

Who is humble? We can see the example of the humble from Jesus.

Philippians 2:1-11 shows what it means to be humble.

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

⁷ rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

Christ humbled himself and obeyed God to the point of death in order to obey the will of God. That is what it means to be humble. To be humble is more than just being polite or kind and gentle toward others. It is to obey God’s will despite cost and loss. It is to take one’s cross and follow Jesus who is truly human man.

Surely what the Lord has done for us is what helps us to live a life to glorify God and rejoice in him.

Praise God. 

Look at verse 56.

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth until Elizabeth became about 9 months old in her pregnancy and then returned home.

Today we thought about how we can live a life to glorify God and rejoice in him. The answer is what God has done for us and others. God helps us to live for his glory through what he has done for us and others. 

One word: My soul glorifies the Lord.