And Mary said, “My soul magnifies and exalts the Lord, Luke 1:46 Amplified Bible

I’d never really stopped and thought much about this verse before. Then it came up in a sermon. This line grabbed my attention hard.

First, Gabriel went to an old priest named Zechariah. Zach and his wife Elizabeth were childless and described as ‘well along in years.’ They’d likely given up all hope of a family years ago. The the angel showed up and changed everything when he explained there was a baby on the way, and that they were to call him John (the Baptist).

Zach and Liz are described as righteous, but when faced with a proclamation from an angel, Zach, the righteous priest, asks for proof, so that he can be sure. The answer he gets, is to be silenced because he doesn’t believe Gabe. Oof.

Meanwhile in another town…

Over in Nazareth, Gabriel visits Mary and tells her she’s going to birth the son of God. The teenager asks about the mechanics, and then offers herself as God’s servant. Then she visits her cousin Liz, also pregnant, a little further along. When Mary arrived, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt. Mary’s response is in verse 46, above. She magnifies, exalts, or praises the Lord. In many translations, whichever is used there, its other meanings include magnify.

Our response…

Mary’s reaction blows me away. In all the chaos of what was happening to her body, no doubt her personal life, and let’s face it, her spiritual life, Mary magnifies the Lord. I suspect I’d be on the sofa with a package of cookies or a pint of ice cream and a box of tissues. With all Mary had going on, you’d understand her focusing on herself. Not Mary. And that’s probably why God chose her, to be Jesus’ mum. As we stare a new year in the face, can you resolve to magnify the Lord instead of yourself? What’s one way you could do that?