Luke 1:51-55

He has showed strength with his arm,

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.

He has put down princes from their thrones,

And has exalted those of low degree.

The hungry he has filled with good things;

And the rich he has sent empty away.

He has given help to Israel his servant,

That he might remember mercy,

(As he spoke to our fathers),

Toward Abraham and his seed for ever.

And how has God’s mercy been shown to all generations? The answer is, in what He has done for them in the past. He has revealed the mighty strength of His arm (Psalms 136:12), He has scattered the proud and arrogant in the face of their high thoughts (Isaiah 29:20-21), He has removed princes from their thrones (1 Samuel 15:28). And in contrast He has exalted those of low degree (including herself), He has filled the hungry with good things, while turning away the rich. All verbs are in the aorist. She has read all these things in the Scriptures. God acts on behalf of those who call upon Him from their humble state and position.

Note that Mary is here talking of those who are godly. It is these who are primarily described in her Scriptures as being watched over in this way. She is not to be seen as a philanthropist with a world vision. What she has caught onto is that God is not One Who favours the rich and arrogant. He acts on behalf of those who are ‘poor’ and humble like she is. And He has given help to ‘Israel His servant’, which she looks on from the point of view of a teenage village girl.

Note with regard to the hungry and the rich the reversed situation. Ordinarily on earth it is the rich who are filled with good things, and it is the hungry who are turned away. But God turns such things on their heads. For the rich tend also to be the unbelieving and disobedient (Psalms 39:6; Psalms 49:6; Psalms 52:7; Psalms 73:12 etc.), and the poor those who respond to God and do His will. This is certainly the emphasis of the Psalms where the poor are regularly seen as synonymous with the godly (Psalms 9:18; Psalms 14:6; Psalms 34:6; Psalms 69:29; Psalms 72:13; Psalms 74:19; Psalms 74:21; Psalms 86:1; Psalms 107:41; Psalms 109:31; Psalms 140:12).

Her world view is one based on her knowledge of the Scriptures, and her own experience of God’s goodness to her. She knows little of the wider political world. But she knows that in the end God brings about what is good, and she knows of many Bible stories which prove it. And she therefore knows that these are the things that Messiah will do. Once He is in control all selfishness and evil will be done away. In the words of Psalms 37:11, the meek will inherit the earth.

We should note also in this her recognition of what type of Messiah is coming, not One Who will exalt the powerful but One Who will go to the meek and lowly. Not One Who will invite the rich to His table, but One Who will go to the poor and the maimed and the blind (Isaiah 29:18-19; Isaiah 35:5-6; Isaiah 61:1-2). He will be the Messiah of the people, the One Who does not break the bruised reed or extinguish the dimly burning wick (Isaiah 42:3).

‘He has given help to Israel His servant, that He might remember mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, toward Abraham and his seed for ever.’ Finally her thought turns from centring on God’s gracious and stern activity to His great promises of the past. She remembers how in the past He has helped His servant Israel, and she seeks that He will remember His mercy, promised to ‘our fathers’, to Abraham and his seed for ever. God had promised blessing to Abraham for his seed. Now God was fulfilling that blessing in the One who was coming, the One Who would be the Help of Israel.