A description of the course that explains what you will learn and how it will help you grow closer to Jesus
4 lessons
4 lessons
4 lessons
God's favor is upon the lowly
One bestseller is called, "You, Happier." By applying its principles, it guarantees a 30% increase in happiness in just thirty days.
I'm grateful for all the scientific insights we can utilize to improve our well-being. But what good news do we have for the poor, the illiterate, the oppressed, and the hungry? Or when we've lost a loved one, endured abuse, struggled to find work, or been diagnosed with a terminal illness, does God have joy for us?
Mary's "Magnificat," her song of praise to God for the joy of being the Messiah's mother, is striking and unusual.
First, it shows Mary's intimate familiarity with Hannah's song of praise in 1 Samuel. In this story, God miraculously provides Hannah, a barren woman who was roughly displaced by her husband marrying another woman, with a son, Samuel. In a patriarchal society, it's shocking that Hannah's song is how the author of 1 Samuel lays out the standards for evaluating the future kings of Israel.
By intentionally building her Magnificat upon Hannah's song, Mary positions herself as a central interpreter for Jesus' life. And God approves! Her message opens the Gospel of Luke, and so we all see Jesus through the eyes of his God-fearing mother.
Mary's Magnificat starts with joyful praise at this unexpected development. Who else but God would look with favor upon her humble condition? No rich, powerful men took notice of this poor, rural, peasant girl. Giving birth in a family home crowded with displaced people and noisy animals, she had to place her newborn in a manger.
But Mary knows that God sees her, values her, and loves her. She recognizes that God scatters the proud and exalts the lowly. The grand promises made to Abraham and his descendants? They find their fulfillment in Mary giving birth to the Messiah.
Are you in a lowly place this Advent? God's favor is upon you. May we respond as Mary did, with Advent joy!
Luke 1:46-48
And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant.
Read Mary's Magnificat out loud—not in a somber, pious manner, but with wholehearted enthusiasm—as your own prayer to God (Luke 1:46-55). What themes from this song encourage your heart?
How does God choosing to bless the humble bring you joy?
How could you humbly show favor to someone who is struggling this Advent season?
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