12.11

 Fills the Broken Vessel  (God & Marsha)

Luke 1:46-56

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name;
50 indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
    and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

In the Bible, there are four accounts of Mary speaking. The second of these was after greeting her cousin, Elizabeth, and the baby that would become John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. This caused Elizabeth to shower Mary with praise and to show humility that the Mother of her Lord should come to be before her.

Almost as though Elizabeth’s exaltation of her made Mary realize that, rather than being shamed by her own pregnancy, she would be honored for all time for bearing this child, she sang out beautiful words of praise to God. (Luke 1:46-55)

Her song brings to us the perfect intersection of the humble servant with God’s power. Mary rejoices that, despite her lowly status, God has chosen to do great things for her and through her. She emphasizes that God’s mercy extends to those who fear him, and he fills the hungry with good things.

Like Mary, we, too, are blessed that God calls on us and chooses us to carry and to share the power and message of the Holy Spirit – in His greatness and our weakness, he meets us. As has been said of God’s intersection with Mary, “He fills the broken vessel with a Holy treasure,” certainly the same can be said for us.

—Marsha Brennessel