GOD EXALTS THE HUMBLE!
Greetings Foothills Church Family
“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. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and his name is holy. His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; he has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he spoke to our ancestors.” [Luke 1:46-55]
The aforementioned passage are the words of Mary’s praise after visiting her sister Elizabeth and hearing that God blessed Elizabeth with a pregnancy, even in her older years. Seeing God’s promise to Elizabeth become a reality strengthened Mary’s faith that God’s promise to her of giving birth to the baby Jesus would also be fulfilled.
Mary’s words of praise highlight God’s favor towards the humble. Mary, like the rest of Israel, longed for the Messiah to come and rescue them from the oppressive grip of Roman rule. It’s likely she and the rest of Israel anticipated a warrior or king to arrive on the scene as the Messiah. Imagine her surprise when Gabriel drops the bombshell on her that the Messiah would come as a fragile infant, and she would be his mother!
God is continually reminding us that in his plan, outsiders become insiders. The Messiah would come as a baby. His mother, an obscure and unassuming but devoted young woman. Though the religious leaders were aware of the Messianic prophecies pointing to the time when the Messiah would come, they were absent from his birth. Instead, God revealed the time and place to lowly shepherds out in the fields. Magi from the east brought gifts to baby Jesus, which means foreigners played a central role in the story.
Christmas is a reminder to us that humility is the gateway to basking in the presence of a loving Savior.
“Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence.” [1 Corinthians 1:26-29]
This holiday season, remember that God is for you, God is with you, and God loves you!
Pastor Chris
