#DailyDevotion Why My Soul Magnifies The Lord
Luk 1:46-49 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, (47) and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (48) for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; (49) for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name
After the Holy Spirit speaks through Elizabeth, he begins to evoke praise through Mary. He speaks as he previously had spoken through Hannah. 1Sa 2:1 “And Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.”’ Hannah had been barren and had been derided by her husband’s other wife but now she rejoices for the Lord had opened up her womb. She gave birth to a prophet, Samuel.
Now we do not know the ‘humble estate’ of Mary, but we will take the Holy Spirit’s word on it. Her soul also magnifies the Lord. For as a virgin she was just as well barren. But the Holy Spirit conceived in her a child who would not only be a prophet, but would be the prophet spoken of by Moses. He would be David’s son and David’s Lord. He would be the promised seed through whom all nations will be blessed.
So Mary magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God her Savior. Mary too is a child of Adam, born in his image and likeness, a fallen creature in need of salvation. Now the Lord has made her the vessel of salvation. She is the one who carries the promised seed who would crush the head of the devil. She carries her Savior, the Lord in her womb. For this reason, as she believed what the Lord had told her, we indeed call her blessed, for who could be more blessed that she who carried the creator of the world in her womb who would redeem the world through the shedding of his blood.
The Lord has done a great thing for Mary that she should be honored as the Mother of God. Not that Jesus would derive his divinity from Mary but that the Divine would derive his humanity from her seed. By taking his humanity from Mary he takes us all humanity into the Godhead, sharing with us his divine nature namely, eternal life, righteousness, holiness and knowledge.
Gracious God and Father, you evoked praise from the Virgin Mary for what you have accomplished through her and we call her blessed. May we now also always praise you for the salvation you have wrought through her namely the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.