Bonhoeffer on the greatness of Mary’s advent song.
“This song of Mary’s is the oldest Advent hymn. It is the most passionate, most vehement, one might almost say, most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. It is not the gentle, sweet, dreamy Mary that we so often see portrayed in pictures, but the passionate, powerful, proud, enthusiastic Mary, who speaks here. None of the sweet, sugary, or childish tones that we find so often in our song of bringing down rulers from their thrones and humbling the lords of this world, of God’s power and of the powerlessness of men. These are the tones of the prophetic women of the Old Testament: Deborah, Judith, Miriam, coming alive in the mouth of Mary.”
“Mary, filled with the Spirit and prepared. Mary, the obedient handmaid, humbly accepting what is to happen to her, what the Spirit asks of her, to do with her as the Spirit will, speaks now by the Spirit of the coming of God into the world, of the Advent of Jesus Christ. She knows better than anyone what it means to wait for Christ. He is nearer to her than to anyone else. She awaits him as his mother. She knows about the mystery of his coming, of the Spirit who came to her, of the Almighty God who works his wonders. . . .”
p. 97f
I am intrigued by the simple line “she knows about the mystery of his coming . . .” Yes, she did. For nine months, she, almost alone, (Joseph and Anna excepting) knew the Savior was coming. And coming not just to Israel, but to her in a way that was unique, truly unique—she alone would be the “mother of God.” The mystery is great but the reality of living for 9 months with the Son of God, the Messiah, the prophesied One, the long expected son of David, the Savior on the nation and all the peoples of the earth, residing within the confines of a woman’s womb, or her womb—wow!
Mary “treasured and pondered these things” (Luke 2:19, 51) in her heart. Truly.
May we do what Mary did this Christmas.
May we treasure (highly value) these truths.
May we ponder (think hard) about these truths.
And may all our pondering and treasuring produce deep wonder and joy
at the announcement of the birth of the Savior.
He will topple the giants of power, be they governments or tyrants.
He will exalt the powerless and set the captives free.
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