Week 2, Day 5: The Power and Glory of the Manger

⁴⁶And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Luke 1:46-55

Today's passage, called the Magnificat or The Canticle of Mary occurs at a place in Luke's gospel where Mary is visiting her cousin Elizabeth (pregnant with John the Baptist). Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith, to which Mary responds with this canticle. The canticle gives a clear picture of what is to come with the birth of Jesus; a dramatic reversal of order. The powerful are made lowly and the lowly are lifted up. The hungry are fed and the rich are sent away empty.

Bonhoeffer's statement clarifies things further: "Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger; whoever remains lowly and lets God along be high; whoever looks at the child in the manger and sees the glory of God precisely in his lowliness."

Think about what this all means for you. On one level, it means we have to let go of a few things; pride, power, honor. On another level, is that so bad?

Do not despise yourselves, men: the Son of God took on the form of a man. Do not despise yourselves, women: the Son of God was born of a woman. And who could despair of themselves when the Son of God wanted to be so humble for us?
St. Augustine of Hippo