Today’s reading is Luke 1: 39-66.

In our reading today, we see a couple of things happen in our reading.  First, we see Mary visit Elizabeth, and in Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist leaps at the presence of Jesus.  Next, we see Mary’s beautiful song of praise to God, what is often called the Magnificat.  In this song we see her praise God for He has lifted up the humble, He has brought grace to the needful and restores the life that the world has tried to take away.  Then the reading ends with the birth of John the Baptist.

I just love seeing the people that God uses in these readings.  He uses the young (Mary).  He uses the old (Elizabeth and Zechariah).  He uses the unborn (John).  He uses all of creation for this great purpose – to give praise to His son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  That is what each person in this text today does – they praise Jesus.

That is our purpose today. That is our goal today.  That is the reason we are here.  To point to Jesus.  Luke is telling us how all things, all people, all of creation, finds its grand purpose in pointing to Jesus Christ.  If you and I aren’t doing that very thing today, then we aren’t living into our purpose.

I think attention must be paid as well to the Magnificat.  What a beautiful song of praise.  I think the overwhelming truth of this song is that it is God who does it.  God lifts up the humble.  God brings down the proud.  God shows His tender mercy (I love that phrase).  And God gives light to those in midst of darkness.

Today, if you are in darkness, God will give you light.  He has already given us the Light in His son.  Today, He will give you the light you need for this moment.  And in that light, we will find life.

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