Advent: Can Heaven Kiss Earth?

Luke 1:46-56 (NLT)
Mary responded,

"Oh, how I praise the Lord.

 How I rejoice in God my Savior!

 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and now generation after generation
will call me blessed.

 For he, the Mighty One, is holy,
and he has done great things for me.

 His mercy goes on from generation to generation,
to all who fear him.

 His mighty arm does tremendous things!
How he scatters the proud and haughty ones!

 He has taken princes from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.

 He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.

And how he has helped his servant Israel!
He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful.

 For he promised our ancestors—Abraham and his children—
to be merciful to them forever."

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home. 

I learned something new today. Mary's name in Hebrew means "their rebellion!"  Wow!  That just blows me away.  To think that Jesus was born to a mom whose name represented the rebellious fall of mankind.  I will say it again, God is so smart!  (That is one of my favorite sayings about God)

In this glorious song of praise, with Mary's very breath, she rejoiced in and magnified the Lord, her Savior, the One who owned her very soul!   The word Savior comes from the Greek root word, sozo.  In other words, Mary was prophesying that her Son would sozo her: He was not just saving her from her sin, but healing her, delivering her, rescuing her!

 (Sozo is a word that has been adopted by those in the Christian healing ministry to describe the many ways Jesus heals us.  We have taken Sozo training at our healing center in San Antonio.  Sozo is one of the ministry outreaches of the Bethel school founded by Bill Johnson. It is worth looking into.) 

Mary then goes on to prophesy the healing of the nations, of Israel, that God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham through her!  What really stood out to me is how Jesus is the true equalizer of mankind.  In Him, the poor and humble are lifted up, and the rich who are found to be proud and selfish are brought down. This is not an indictment of being rich, but on being arrogantly rich, and not having concern and mercy for those who are poor.    

Today, in the United States, we are a nation divided.  There is schism between rich and poor, Christian and non-Christian, between people of different races.  There is truly only one solution.  That we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we can do that, then Heaven would come to Earth and kiss!  

Personally, this passage inspires me to worship God with all my heart!  I want to have a heart of praise like Mary did.  Rejoice with me someone!! Hallelujah! 

Pray with me:  Father, thank You for coming to us in Your Son, Jesus.  For humbling Yourself to be born of a woman named "their rebellion."  Thank You for Mary and for her showing us how to truly exult Your name!  I rejoice in You!! In Jesus name, amen.