Advent Day 10

"'He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.'"

    ~Luke 1:51-53

As Mary's song continues in verse 51, she shares God's hand throughout history in a series of reversals.

He has brought down the proud and mighty, those the world lifts up, those who believe they can rely on themselves for greatness, and lifted up the poor. 

The proud can never serve God because only the humble know their need for a Savior. Of course, we can be poor and proud just as we can be rich and humble, but God's showing us once again that He does not dismiss those society looks down on but exalts them. We can easily pursue good or bad outcomes as the means of raising ourselves up, but ultimately, we are looking for strength and validation in the eyes of the world. When, however, we surrender our pride no matter our circumstances--when we keep God present, letting Him wash over our hearts, and giving Him every faulty inclination of our hearts for His transformative power--we are reminding our hearts that God is the only source of judgement that matters. That eternity is not ordered like the world. That God reverses the order made natural by a corrupted people and offers life through His power and strength. 

We can only have eyes to see the greatness of God when we see the poverty of our own spirits. And it's only on this level that we can genuinely want others to be lifted up. That we release the urge to protect our own privilege. That we can pursue the freedom God gives.

God cares nothing for worldly status--though in His hands, He will breathe life into any circumstance--but our hearts so easily fall into striving. And striving will always leave us dissatisfied either by moving the finish line every time we get close, making us ceaselessly tired and anxious, or in cultivating arrogance in our success by making us believe that we deserve what we get. And that extends to our relationship with God. We either reject Him because we don't need Him (He cannot give us what our striving can), or we believe we deserve salvation on our own merit and God is merely the source of delivering it (whether or not we're able to earn it from Him). 

The message of salvation isn't for the proud but only for those who are humbled. A "humble estate" is a theme throughout the story of Christmas. John was destined for greatness but not as the world saw it. Mary was an unmarried, teenaged, Nazarene woman. She did not give birth in a guest room but in the space leftover. And Jesus was born, surrounded by animals, and laid in a manger. Lowly shepherds are given the first invitation to witness His birth.

The message of the gospel is one for the humble, it's one that brings the proud low, but it's one where God Himself was willing to become low so that He might raise us up.