Unexpected

Read Together
Luke 1:46-56

Light four candles and say together
Come, O King of all the nations.*

Reflection

If you were looking for a swift and efficient rescue plan, you probably wouldn't find it by looking into a baby's cradle. You'd want someone who was powerful, charismatic, convincing, cunning, and with just the right connections to make the proper moves to bring about the rescue. But from the very moment when Jesus was conceived as a human in Mary's womb to the moment when He was murdered on a cross, everything about this particular rescue plan was unconventional. How could this person help us when He Himself was a helpless baby? And How could He bring about life by dying? This plan is seemingly counterintuitive and definitely unexpected. 

Even as an adult, there was an undercurrent of confusion about the way Jesus was going about his ministry. The disciples argued over the best way to get to victory. They couldn’t believe Him when He talked about up His coming death. It wasn’t until after they see Jesus's resurrected body that they begin to understand. 

But here, years before a resurrected Jesus, we find ourselves in this moment that we are witnessing through these words on this sacred page. Here, Mary seems to get it. Mary knew. As a humble girl whose body was holding the incredibly small and incredibly fragile human body of God Himself, Mary is able to glimpse the larger cosmic plan at work. She can clearly see that what is at work in her isn’t simply about solving a specific nation's individual needs. Everything that is happening, from this young unwed mother to the way God is entering our world as a baby to how He will live and die — all of it is revolutionary. It turns all of our expectations about what we need on its head. At first glance, it all looks so insignificant (unless you know about the angels and the miracles and the God With Us part.)

Through her song, Mary tears down all of the strongholds that her people may have hoped would provide rescue. This little baby is stronger than the proud, more powerful than rulers, and He is coming to serve the needs of the poor, not the rich. Through her song and Jesus’s purpose, we can see that neither power, wealth, nor personal strength will save us. Neither politics, fame, nor confidence will meet our needs. God entered our world unexpectedly and He saved it unconventionally. He is not bound to our limited understanding of how things should work. 

Expect the unexpected with God, look for Him in the insignificant, and be willing to let Him turn things upside down.

Talk About

  • Do you feel insignificant in any part of your life?
  • What are the things you reach for to help you feel more significant? (Think in terms of these categories: power, wealth, & personal significance.)
  • How can you break down these strongholds and let Jesus into these places instead?

Pray Together
O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.*
Amen. 

Put it in Action
Praise God for your current circumstances! 

To Go Deeper, Read
Hannah’s prayer of gratitude for the son she prayed for in 1 Samuel 2:1-11. Consider the parallels between Hannah’s song and Mary’s. 

* During the final days of Advent, we will pray seven ancient prayers based on biblical prophesies about Jesus called the O Antiphons. Each prayer begins by addressing Jesus with one of the titles used for Him in Scripture.

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