Don't worship Mary!
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| Polski: Koronacja Najświętszej Marii Panny (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Mary is the equivalent of the Hebrew “Miriam,” and the name means “bitter.” Mary’s young life may well have been filled with bitter hardships. Her hometown was a forlorn community in a poor district of Galilee, so good things probably were pretty scarce. She had a sister (John 19:25) and a close older relative named Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:36), who might have been an aunt or a cousin. At the time the angel Gabriel appeared to her she was probably still a teenager. Girls in that culture were betrothed while they were as young as thirteen years of age. Mary was betrothed to Joseph, about whom we only know that he was a carpenter (Mark 6:3) and a righteous man (Matt. 1:19). She was a virgin (Luke 1:27).
After briefly questioning Gabriel as to how she might conceive and bear a son as a virgin, Mary responded, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). There’s no evidence that Mary ever brooded over the effects her pregnancy would have on her reputation. She instantly, humbly, and joyfully submitted to God’s will without further doubt or question.
Elizabeth’s immediate response to Mary’s voice gave Mary independent confirmation of what the angel had told her. Mary also felt free in Elizabeth’s presence to voice her innermost praise to the Lord—an important confirmation of her own understanding about the child in her womb.
Mary’s song of praise is filled with joy, messianic hope, scriptural language, and references to the Abrahamic covenant.
Mary praised the Lord chiefly for His power, mercy, and holiness. She freely confessed God as the One who had done great things for her, and not vice versa. The song is all about God’s greatness, His glory, the strength of His arm, and His faithfulness across the generations.
