Magnificat
The alternate Gospel reading for Advent 4 in the one-year lectionary is Luke 1:39–56. What a beautiful text as we journey toward Christmas. Mary heads to her cousin’s house to bring her the good news, John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, and the presence of Jesus fills Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit. What a stunning series of events. And then, we get to one of the most beautiful songs in all of Scripture, and one of the most beautiful songs we sing to this day in the church:
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”Luke 1:46–55
Line by line, the hearer of the words of the blessed virgin receives nothing but Gospel, nothing but Jesus. Look at all the things He has done and who it is for: for those who fear Him, or put another way, for those who have been touched by His Word.
One of my friends, who is a professor at Wheaton College, wrote this about Mary’s song:
Her soul is not making God great, of course, for God already is, and yet it is her soul, now expressed through her song, that proclaims and lifts up the greatness of God for Elizabeth to consider. This is the basic work of evangelism and discipleship. Pulling back the veil to focus the attention of the hearer on the greatness of God, a greatness that was already present but a divine majesty about which the hearer was at least partially unaware.
Dr. Amy Peeler
I had never considered the fact that Elizabeth was a hearer at that moment. I don’t know that I actually had ever put thought into the situation itself, but rather just marveled at the beauty of the words proclaimed in the song. But yet, here is Elizabeth, having just been filled with the Holy Spirit in the presence of her Savior in Mary’s womb, hearing from Mary, being evangelized by Mary of the goodness of God.
And through the ages, Mary has evangelized to us as well. When we sing the Magnificat in Vespers or Evening Prayer, we still hear the echoes of the blessed virgin, 2000 years later, magnifying the greatness of our Lord, telling us the good news of Jesus. And so, we do well to follow Mary’s example, to let our souls magnify the Lord. Being people walking the way of Jesus, we extol and proclaim His greatness, His might, His holy name, and His mercy as we remember His birth and until He comes again.
Merry Christmas, brothers and sisters in Christ!
Lutherans Helping Lutherans
Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) has served as the financial extension of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) since 1978, offering funding and resources in support of the church. Our investors make it possible for us to provide customized loans and support services to new and growing ministries as well as loans for Rostered Church Workers who dedicate their lives to sharing the Gospel.
The choice is up to you. LCEF offers a variety of term notes from 1 to 5 years.
At the end of the term, the funds remain yours to re-invest or redeem. Interest is compounded quarterly (March, June, September, and December).
CALL 800-843-5233 OR VISIT LCEF.ORG/TERM-NOTE.1
Meeting new friends, colleagues, and partners in ministry
As we move forward following our District Convention in March 2022, one of our focuses is on being present – because we are “stronger together.” We desire to have intentional conversations between laity, workers, and neighbors.
From President Allan R. Buss: “One holy work we have is to encourage each other in the Gospel as together we rely on the Word, look to Jesus always, and witness the great and saving acts of God among us.”
Read more here: https://nidnews.org/meeting-new-friends-colleagues-and-partners-in-ministry/
LCEF is a nonprofit religious organization; therefore, LCEF investments are not FDIC-insured bank deposit accounts. This is not an offer to sell investments, nor a solicitation to buy. LCEF will offer and sell its securities only in states where authorized. The offer is made solely by LCEF’s Offering Circular. Investors should carefully read the Offering Circular, which more fully describes associated risks. Rates as of December 2022. Balance restrictions apply. Rates subject to change. Visit lcef.org for details.