Magnified

December 13

Read Luke 1:46b-55

Pray: Almighty God— give me the courage I need to praise you like Mary. Amen.

Hear:

I never heard the story of Mary growing up, not really. There was a good amount of concern that we might accidentally start praying to Mary (GASP!). I don’t pray to Mary, but I do see a great hero of the Bible in her. A teenager, Mary was not expecting a visit from Gabriel. She was told that she would bear the Messiah and she responds with courage and she responds with gratitude.

She knew that cultural shaming was coming. No one was going to believe her story that what she carried was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The shame and disgrace we currently put on teenage mothers was amplified by that time and culture. She could have been put to death.

But Mary, in her wisdom, immediately sees the immense value of what was ahead for the people of God. Not only was God coming in human form, God was coming to earth in the womb of the neglected gender, amongst the neglected people, in the neglected (poor) part of the country. And so Mary sees, clear as day, there is more (how?!) than just this baby coming to earth through this miracle. The mighty will be knocked down. The poor will rejoice. And God will reign.

All of this happens because of the courage of a teenager. May we all have the courage of teenagers as we see the things that must be made right around us.

Respond:

What mighty thing is God doing around me? How can I be a part of that work?

Meditation:

God, make me a part of your work.