The Eighth Day of Christmas

The eighth day of Christmas remembers Jesus' mother Mary.

Song: What Child Is This?

Scripture: Luke 1:26-56

Devotion:

Today's song is a fairly familiar one, yet this version of What Child Is This? is different from what I remember singing before, because the chorus changes after each verse. I like how it connects the manger and the cross together, the way He came into the world with the reason He came. While the song references Mary, Jesus still is the central person.

In today's Scripture, the angel visits Mary, Mary visits Elizabeth, and we have Mary's Magnificat. We will focus on Mary's song. She starts by glorifying God and rejoicing in her Savior. God remembered her humble state. She will be called blessed because God has done great things for her. He is holy, merciful, and performs mighty deeds. He scatters those who are proud, brings down rulers, and lifts up the humble. He fills the hungry with good things but sends the rich away empty. He helps His people and is merciful to them.

Mary's Magnificat is quite revolutionary. It focuses on God and His power, rather than Mary and her gifts. It acknowledges what God has done to the powerful and the powerless. God's kingdom upsets man's kingdoms. He lifts up the humble, but brings down the proud and the rulers. He gives good things (food, I hope) to the hungry, but sends the rich away empty. 

Our human tendency is to identify with the heroes in the stories we read. We "kindly" let our enemies or those we dislike take the place of the villains in the stories. So when we read that God lifts up the humble, we apply that to us, but when we read that God brings down the proud, that obviously applies to those with whom we disagree. We read about God's care for the poor and apply that to ourselves, but when we read about the condemnation of the rich, we apply that to those wealthier than us. The challenge is to consider the ways we have been proud or rich, and apply this passage to ourselves accordingly.

Unfortunately, the Church in the United States has a skewed perspective when it comes to wealth, power, and blessings. We look at those with more money and bigger houses and say we are poor, when in reality, if you can afford all of your needs and a few wants, you are wealthy. Christians seek power to protect OUR interests in our country and world, instead of seeking to protect the poor and the vulnerable. We act like we believe that to be blessed means we won't suffer or be in need, when persecution and suffering have been faithful companions of Christians through the ages. 

Christians should be less concerned with defending our rights and more concerned about protecting the oppressed. We should be quick to speak out against injustices aimed at those on the margins of society (the poor, the homeless, the stranger, and minorities) and we should be quick to overlook insults and slights directed at us.

 

Challenge: 

Consider what injustices have been highlighted this year: excessive force used by the police against minorities, higher rates of health problems in poor communities, and higher rates of the virus (and death from it) in minority communities. Intercede for those facing oppression. Pray that God brings healthy, wholesome food to the hungry. Pray for communities suffering from the virus. Pray for reforms in our police and justice system, so they can live up to their ideals towards every person. Research justice organizations working towards these reforms and see how you can partner with them.