This text today is called Mary’s Song or the Magnificat. It is entitled this because of the word appearing in the first statement Mary makes, My soul MAGNIFIES the Lord! And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. So, there is a close connection between magnifying the Lord and our experience of joy.
I really like the word “magnify” and how it corresponds to the title of this passage. This was also thought to be an early hymn of the church. A song of praise, if you will!
Now when we normally think about magnification it usually involves some type of lens to enlarge an object in our vision. Many of us use “reading glasses” that magnify the words we are trying to read. Sometimes we use binoculars to magnify our view at ballgames or our nature trials. Deer rifles have scopes to magnify the viewing area of a target. (Show picture of a rifle with scope) Nearly all ladies have makeup mirrors that have two sides. One side which gives regular or normal view and the other side that gives an enlarged or magnified view. (Show picture of a make up mirror). So, in all these examples magnification is the process of making something larger or bigger through a lens.
But when we apply this spiritually as Mary, what would it mean for our soul to magnify God? It should be noted that other translations read, “glorifies” or “exalts”. So, it would mean that the Lord is exalted or enlarged in our lives. By the way, when Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord” most believe that this was inclusive or Mary’s total life: body, mind and spirit. Her whole person was involved in magnifying God.
Now I want you to think about what you are magnifying in your life right now. And if we are honest, it might be any number of things. Our cars, our homes, our bank accounts, our retirement plans. In this regard, we can magnify material possessions or things that satisfy our own desires alone. But if you look at this passage, it seems like God is turning the world upside down or right side up! Those who are magnifying wealth or material possession are sent away empty…those who are powerful and prideful are brought down and made low. Mary, who was a “nobody”, was going to be the mother of the Messiah. The Lord was magnified in choosing the weak and vulnerable to accomplish His purpose. It was not human wisdom or ingenuity, it was not human power or ability, it was not the up and coming, but it was those who were humble and willing that God chose to bring about His salvation to the world. And in this action, the Lord was being magnified! And Mary was rejoicing!
Now I want us to think about this from another important angle. In the 10 commandments the first two Commandments deal with idolatry. The first commandment is that we do not have any other gods before Him. The second one is that we should not make any graven images or make idols. We cannot create God by our own design. As my grandmother used to say, “Anything you place above God is an idol.” Anything we “magnify” in our lives more than God becomes an idol.
But there is another interesting and important thing. As human beings, we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We are the primary image bearers of God in the universe. We cannot create images and worship them as God. In the OT they had Asherah poles and worshiped Baal, the storm god. But of everything in the creation, you and I have the unique ability to reflect what God is like in our world. We have within us the ability to mirror the very image of God in the world. No other part of creation can do this. Like Mary, our soul is made to magnify the Lord. And when that happens, God is enlarged for others to see. The consequence of this is that God is enlarged or magnified in such a manner that people can see God more clearly.
There is an old story of a young boy visiting another church with his friend. He came back home and his mother asked him about church and his SS class. He said, “Mom I think I had Jesus’ grandmother for my teacher”. His mother responded, “What do you mean son?” Her son replied, “All she did was hold up pictures and brag on Jesus”. That teacher was magnifying Christ to all her students in such a way that was unmistakable.
We “image” and “magnify” God by our thoughts, words and actions. This was what Mary was doing in this passage. Her entire life was involved in magnifying God.
As the old gospel song puts it, “Take a look at your life, the life you are living. You’re the only bible some people read”. The only image of God some people will ever seen will be that which is magnified in your own life…and this is exactly what Mary was doing!
Let’s look at it from another angle of someone close to Jesus. John the Baptist was referred to as the forerunner of Christ. He was preparing the way for Jesus. And this is what we are doing in this Advent season. But John said something very insightful, powerful and simple: “Jesus must increase and I must decrease” John 3:30. But just before he said this John stated that his joy had been fulfilled. John’s message was preparatory and therefore would decrease. Jesus’ message would be magnified as the Word of God and Voice of God much greater than John. So as Jesus is magnified and became more and more…John became less and less. For Christ to become more magnified, we must become less and less.
But here is connection between magnifying Christ and joy.
The more I magnify Christ, the more joy I will receive. The more I magnify other things the less lasting and fulfilling joy I will receive.
So the real questions is: Who or what is most magnified in your life?
Let’s look at this connection of joy from another angle in the Christmas story.
The angelic announcement came to the shepherds right after Mary’s song. And what was the announcement? Do not be afraid…I bring you good news of GREAT JOY which shall be to all people. (Luke 3:10) So the first Christmas message is still the Christmas message: Don’t be afraid…Good News…Good News…Of Great Joy!
Our struggle is we hear news all the time. Only problem is…it’s all bad news! They had a program a few years ago, called, Good News. The program was sharing stories of charitable giving and acts of kindness extending to others in the community. But it didn’t last very long. It didn’t have good ratings and they deleted it. One person told me some years ago when the newspaper was the primary way to get news, “Good news does not sell newspapers!” But again, we are flooded with bad news. We hear it in the morning. We listen at noon. We hear it before we go to bed at night. Thanks to CNN and CSPAN and FOX you can hear it all day and all night. It never goes off the air! So, our lives are saturated with bad news! I must consider that this might explain why so many people are depressed and overwhelmed because we only hear bad news continually.
I like what theologian Karl Barth said, “We should hold the newspaper in one hand but we should hold the bible with the other hand.” (Karl Barth)
The bad news can inform but the good news can transform. The bad news will expire but the good news will inspire you. The bad news will bring sorrow. Good news will bring joy. The bads news will bring you down. The good news will lift you up! Let me be quick to say
this is not creating a naive understanding. It is not ignoring issues or avoiding painful situations. But it is a matter of magnifying the good news above the bad news! It is facing our circumstances with the right perspective, holding the bad news in light of the greater good news!
If you look at Mary’s life and circumstances, she was in a real dilemma in trying to explain her pregnancy by the Holy Spirit and giving birth to the Messiah. More on this in a moment. But she was totally focused on the good news…and this brought great joy…this caused her spirit to rejoice!
So here is another principle: The more I magnify the good news versus the bad news the greater joy I will experience. So, a key question is:
Are you magnifying the good news or the bad news?
One more angle I want to include in this connection with magnification and joy, especially as it relates to Mary. Jesus said in John’s gospel,
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that MY JOY may be in you, and that YOUR JOY may be complete. John 15:10
Some translations read, “your joy will be FULL”. That Greek word for this is plerothe. One meaning is to CRAM full. Our life is to be crammed full of joy.
Paralleling this is the word the angel used to speak to the shepherds bringing Good news of GREAT joy! The word is MEGA…meaning we will have GREAT joy! Not just a little trickle but OVERFLOWING with joy. So, joy is crammed full and overflowing in us!
Now I realize that in our human condition we are at different places in different seasons mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Yes, we may grieve, we may get angry, we may experience frustration and we may find ourselves in dire straits sometimes. But down deep inside we still can sing. There is still a supernatural song of joy in us. Psalmists put it like this… Weeping may endure through the night, but joy comes in the morning! (Ps 30:5)
God will give joy in the midst of loss or misfortune or unwanted changes that may create heartbreak. Into the darkness has come great light. Light is overcoming darkness here. Joy is overcoming sorrow. There is beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and a spirit of praise for a spirit of despair. This is GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY for all people.
More personally, Mary faced some difficult circumstances here. She faced possible alienation from her family. At his point she may not have known what her fiancée Joseph might do. She would likely face public ridicule. And would anyone believe that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and giving birth to the Christ Child? The whole town would want to be her away privately for those mentally unstable! And she wondered how all this would unfold. Yet despite all the unanswered questions and difficult circumstances…and here is a key point…
Mary was obedient to God’s word for her. Here is what she said… “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38
Mary was obedient to God’s instruction for her. She is a great example of what Jesus said in John 15, If you keep my commands the consequence is you will have complete joy. Mary was obedient to God first and then she was able to sing…My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices… The rejoicing part did not come until after the obedience part. So, here is another great connection with magnification and joy.
The more I magnify obedience to God’s instruction the greater joy I will receive.
As the old gospel song puts it…Trust and Obey for there’s no other way to be happy/joyful in Jesus… We have to say as Mary…Lord, I am your willing servant! I will follow Your direction whatever the circumstances.
If you lack joy, there may be some good reasons. You may be encountering losses and disappointments. You may be experiencing a Blue Christmas. But above this, I hope you never lose the eternal joy that Christ has come to bring us. And this is the GOOD NEWS of GREAT Joy the message of Christ’s coming gives all of us.
If we are honest, sometimes we allow other things to be magnified more than the Lord. We allow the bad news to override the good news. Sometimes we follow our own desires more than we follow God’s directions. David said in Psalm 51, Search my heart O God and if I could transpose for this season… and see if there is an “Old Grinch” in me” and “Old Ebenezer Scrooge” in me, a wrong spirit within me. A joyless spirit within me. Maybe your heart needs to grow 3 sizes?
Yes… Joy to the world the Lord is come!! Let earth receive her King… let every heart prepare Him room. Will you open your heart to prepare Christ room to bring His eternal joy in your life? The greater question today is, “What is being magnified in your soul?”