Luke 1:46–56 ‘He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.’ (v52)
In June 2023, two tragedies occurred at sea. Five people died in Titan, a submersible designed to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
Millions of dollars were spent trying to rescue them. Meanwhile, 650 people, mainly women and children, drowned in an overcrowded boat that sank in Greek waters.
Those deaths were initially covered with barely a footnote in the media. Why such a difference? Those in the Titan were rich; those in the bigger boat were poor.
Both incidents were tragic, but our world consistently values some lives more than others. God, however, doesn’t.
When Mary bursts into prophetic song at Elizabeth’s house, she recognises that God choosing her to bear Jesus was honouring not just her, but poor and forgotten people everywhere.
The coming Messiah would reverse the world’s priorities: with God, the hungry, humble, and poor are welcomed, but the proud, powerful, and rich are sent away (vv51–53).
Jesus would have no patience for society’s artificial hierarchies. In order to make the world a fairer place, some people have to decrease in power while others are raised up.
If we feel invisible and unimportant in society, if we have to shout louder to get heard or fight for our basic rights; if we struggle each day to make ends meet and our energy is taken up with worrying about money, this is good news.
Both Jesus’ first coming and Jesus’ second coming are levelling events, where each person is seen for their true worth.
If, however, we are richer and more powerful, we should consider what we can do to surrender our power and help raise others up.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord Jesus, thank You that Your coming was good news for the poor. Give us eyes to value people truly, as You do, and may we work for justice in this world. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
If you’re more vulnerable: remind yourself of how God sees you. Let that empower you for the next battle. If you’re more powerful: use your voice and resources for others.
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 9:7–18; Isa. 3:14–26; Luke 14:7–14; Jas 2:1–9
