The Song of the Humble

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1: 46 – 55)

Mary, the mother of Jesus, composed these words while staying with her relative, Elizabeth. She had only just received the mind-numbing news that she was pregnant without any physical contact with a man. A baby will be born to you, someone great, a king, the son of the Most High, said the angel who had visited her, one who has been supernaturally placed in your womb.

Upon Mary’s arrival, Elizabeth prophesied, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! (Luke 1: 42). The mother-to-be must have felt so overwhelmed that all she could think to do was break out into spontaneous worship.

The song Mary sang, tells us a lot about God - she clearly wants all praise to go to him. But her words tell us important things about her too.

Mary is humble, in the sense that she knows she is blessed among women, but she is also aware that she doesn’t deserve it. When she refers to “humble state of his servant” she is describing what some might call her “lowly state” – in other words, she is not from a wealthy or influential family.

Second, even though Mary had no choice but to face the enormity of what lay ahead, there is no sense of complaining in her song. “the Mighty One has done great things for me” she sings, giving praise and declaring the holiness of his name.

And finally, Mary’s worship reminds her soul that she is a just a part of God’s much bigger plans. It’s not all about her. God’s mercy extends to all generations, no ruler can stay in power if they are against him. He is the Lord of Israel, faithful to their father Abraham and all descendants after him. The Lord lifts the humble and scatters the proud.

This is humility at its best. Mary doesn’t deny the importance of her calling. She knows all generations will call her blessed. But she knows she hasn’t earned it, has done nothing to deserve it and so she places herself as a simple servant within God’s great power and purposes.