Mary sings about the promise of what happens when God occupies the earth as its true king. When God is king, all human power structures get overturned — the proud are replaced by the humble, the hungry are filled and the wealthy go hungry.If you pay attention to the verbs in her song, they are all in the past tense. Mary sings as though these things have already happened. Such is the confidence of faith! The child whom she carries is God’s own Messiah, and this Messiah is actually God come in the flesh: the king who comes and announces in his words and actions that the kingdom has arrived.
To put it another way, we might say that Mary’s song is the outline for everything that God’s Son will do when he grows to manhood.
- He will scatter the proud and self-righteous by exposing their true selves.
- He will challenge powerful kings like Herod and Caesar, by demonstrating the power of love.
- He will advocate for justice, mercy and peace.
- He will sit with the poor, hungry, sinners and outcasts, filling them with hope.
- He will denounce the wealthy who oppress the poor.
- He will expect his followers to deny themselves, pick up a cross and follow him.
