48b Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

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

and holy is his name.

50 His mercy is for those who fear him

form 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 powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 

and sent the rich away empty.

-Luke 48b:53 (NRSV)

Mary’s motherly joy, obedience to God, and sheer prophetic brilliance are all on display in these few short verses. Verse 46 captures the opening lines of Mary’s joyous response to Elizabeth, who is also pregnant with John the Baptist, just as Mary is pregnant with Jesus. Although the beauty of Mary’s motherly praise is commonly appreciated, I want us to look beyond the warmth of Mary’s loving words and take a minute to admire Mary as not just the mother of Christ but also as a prophet in her own right! After reporting the tremendous work that God is doing in her life through Christ, she goes on to prophesy for our families.

Mary’s praise reveals three ways God works in the world, through our families, for the collective benefit of us all. The ‘family’ part is essential and emphasized by the pregnant Mary, who looks prayerfully at the coming birth of Christ as both a mother and as God’s obedient servant. These are inseparable roles with independent obligations, duties, and responsibilities concerning each relationship. Like us, Mary’s parental responsibilities are inseparable from her duty to God. Mary shows us that our commitments and responsibilities to God, our children, spouses, siblings, and family are interrelated.  As Mary demonstrates and explains, God has blessed us with families, even broken and imperfect ones, that we can bless the world. 

Mary reveals, most pertinently, that justice work starts at home!  Through service to our families, we praise God and see His glory by being humble (verse 51), fair (verse 52), and giving (verse 53). Mary tells us that God directs us to lead our families toward justice in all areas of life: emotional, psychological, and spiritual (verse 51), social (verse 52), and economic (verse 53). Taking Mary’s praise as serious instruction for family formation and direction is demanding but necessary to glorify God. 

To follow Mary’s lead, As parents, we should care for our children with a humble heart, meeting their mistakes and missteps with discipline, compassion, and patience, which requires us to construct a household where our children are respected, nourished, and loved, especially in times of difficulty. Although different from our parents, our obligations as children and siblings aren’t much different. As children and siblings, we must receive both our parents’ love, success, and failures with humility and care for each family member to bring them closer to God by helping prepare the family for the sort of justice work that Mary tells us about in Scripture. Mary’s praise tells us about God’s glory so that we can know it when we see it, and, most importantly, following her example to actively join in glorifying God with our entire family, all our energies, and every bit of love we have! 

God Justice, we pray for the wisdom and courage to face every challenge we face and may face in the future with humility and patience! We know that You have formed this family to express your love for each of us. And though we sometimes fail You, we are committed to You and each other! Amen!

Questions for reflection: What does justice look like in your house? What would the world look like if the world adopted your family’s definition of justice? Would the world be better or worse? If you think the world would be better, figure out three things your family could do to help the world become more just. If you believe the world would be worse, what are three things your family could do to make your home more just? 

Ministries
Children and Family Ministry