After finding out she would have a baby, the virgin Mary traveled to see her relative Elizabeth. Upon meeting, and without even hearing Mary's story, Elizabeth expressed her excitement that the mother of her promised Messiah had come to visit her. She blessed Mary.
I have always loved this verse. It's a reminder to trust God even when His promise seems impossible. When you do, you'll be blessed. I have also always loved Mary's song of praise to God. What I didn't realize though, was that this song, commonly known as the Magnificat, immediately follows Elizabeth's statement of blessing to Mary.
Elizabeth recognized blessings in Mary's life. Mary recognized whom they came from. And both women gave God the credit.
It makes me wonder what I would have done in Mary's place. And I don't mean when the angel told her that she would conceive. I can already guarantee you I wouldn't have believed like she did. Nor would I have wanted to accept; I'm not fond of going against what is expected of me or even the appearance of going against it. I mean once she was already pregnant and hearing what Elizabeth had to say.
I don't know that I would have praised God. I might have complained about what people back in Nazareth were saying about me. I might have confided my fears that my fiancé would leave me. I might - and probably would - have become pretty proud. I would have bragged that God chose me to raise the one He'd been promising for years. I would have explained all the things I had done that led to Him choosing me. I would have applauded myself for accepting His blessing without questioning Him.
Once again, I'm challenged by Mary's response. Not just her faith and obedience, but her humility.
How often do we take credit for what God gives us? We talk about how hard we worked for a promotion. We brag about that new car we just bought and paid off. We brag about our ability to play sports, write, or sing well. How often do we let those who don't know God praise us for those things?
Mary was not only blessed with being the mother of the Branch of Jesse. She was also blessed to have someone in her life who helped her acknowledge who that blessing came from. Because of that, we have one of the most well known and most loved songs of praise in the New Testament.
"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." - Luke 1:46b-49
Join the conversation:
- How do you respond to God's blessings in your life?
- When someone points out a blessing, do you give God the glory?
- Which person in your life helps you recognize God's blessings and helps you praise Him for them?
Read Luke 1 for a more complete context of this story.
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