“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He Who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:46-50
Devotional Thought For The Day
All the stuffy, dreary, hypocritical, self-righteous, pietistical nonsense about “saints” and the virgin Mary have almost ruined our potential to truly know them and appreciate what they were really like. The typical veneration of Mary as a blessed saint completely ruins her as a true and genuine saint that we can identify with, admire, and emulate. She “magnified” the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God our Savior. She had no sense of self-importance but identified herself as a humble servant who lived by God’s mercy alone. Her example does not call or encourage us to “magnify” her, but rather to magnify God. She does not even hint that she can “save” us; rather she needed a Savior, and rejoiced that God was her Savior. She was not some super-pious person calling people to live some form of exalted life; she rejoiced in God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness. She did not earn “blessedness” from God; she acknowledged her passivity in all matters, and that all true believers would recognize how God had graciously blessed her.
Those who puff up Mary and make her into something she was not have an agenda – they would like to be viewed similarly, and their behavior is calculated to achieve what they falsely think she achieved. They think that by venerating and worshiping her, she will then influence Jesus to bless and exalt them. Why would she do this, if she even had any power or prerogative to advise and influence God to do her will, when those who thus beg her ignore her faith in God, her reverence for God, her trust in God to save her by extending abundant mercy upon her – a humble servant, but one fraught will all of the same kinds of sin that are common to mankind? How is it that she would “bless” those who refuse to receive from God what made her “blessed,” His gracious forgiveness, mercy, and pure love? It is astonishing, the twisting and perversion that sinful human minds concoct and become enslaved in. Lord, have mercy!
Those of us who are “protestants” need to revisit this whole matter of the “saints,” looking carefully at who and what they actually were – as described by Scripture, and if possible, drum out of our heads all of the ridiculous nonsense solemnly preached by those idolators who “magnify” the saints rather than emulating them. These people were ultimately humble, repentant, realistic and honest people who recognized that all blessings come from God, by His gracious and merciful love. They didn’t tout themselves, or speak of their ability to do anything for God; rather they exulted in what God had done for them, His saving, His mercy, His grace, and His perfect love – all provided and fulfilled for us in Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. In all of this we should be like the saints – in fact, it is precisely this humble faith and trust in Jesus, in the cleansing power of His blood, that makes people holy and saintly. Saints are not exalted by people but rather are blessed by God to live humbly and unpretentiously in genuine knowledge of God’s great love and salvation.
Those living humbly in repentance, faith, and love will enjoy getting to know Mary – she is a humble believer, grateful for God’s mercy and grace, just as we are. Those exalting her virtually to the level of God will not even get to meet her. They do not have the same God that Mary has; they distort and reject the Son she bore and despise the sacrifice He made that tore her heart. How is it that she would have any empathy or identity with such people? On the other hand, how pleased she must be with all who truly adore her Son, who join her in magnifying God our Savior, and who live humbly by His gracious mercy! This is how we honor the saints and live as saints – blessed by the grace of God. May He so bless us through all our days and forever!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to truly honor Your mother and all the saints by walking humbly in repentance and confession of our sins, rejoicing in Your mercy and salvation, and giving You all praise, honor, and glory. May we be blessed just as they were – by Your grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. May we also be blessed to know and believe Your love for us, even as they were. Amen.