24) He has brought down rulers from their thrones
Tuesday 21 December
Luke 1:39-56
‘He has performed mighty deeds with His arm’
Luke 1:51
Mary’s Song of Praise reminds us of another song, the prayer of Hanna after she brought her son, young Samuel, to the tabernacle to serve the LORD there. Mary, like Hanna, thanks and praises God for the miracle of the birth of her child.
However, there is another similarity: Both women sing about the intervention of God in the ways things are. God lifts poor people out of their misery and puts an end to the violence of people with money and power. What is striking is that Mary speaks in the past tense. This is the language of the prophets: being so certain of God’s word and God’s promises that one speaks about it as if it has all already happened.
The coming of the Messiah means that what is not right will be put right. Jesus Himself speaks in this context of the renewal of the world (Matthew 19:28). Arrogant people who are so sure of themselves will lose control of their lives, mighty men will lose their power, the poor will become rich and the rich will be left with nothing. Of course, the first readers and receivers of this Gospel will have thought of the tyranny and exploitation of Rome. That is what Luke wants to show us. The Roman Empire will come to an end and the Kingdom of Christ is the future.
If we look around us, we may think of many other injustices in this world. We do not know when the Lord Jesus will come, but what we do know, is that His coming will turn the world upside down. Everything will be changed and renewed, not only the creation and the people, but also the world society with its unjust relationships. In God’s Kingdom, there will be no more poverty, no more people who did not succeed in life.
Prayer:
Lord God, help us to be good witnesses for You, not only by our words, but also by our deeds. May we establish signs of Your Kingdom to come in our surroundings.
