Mercy and Deeds

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

MERCY AND DEEDS

Luke 1:46-55

46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

NIV

As we continue to work our way through the words of Mary and as we have already dealt with glorifies and rejoices, we will move to when she says his mercy extends to those who fear him. Although the Greek word translated fear can mean in awe of,  or revere, it also means and it’s first meaning is frightened, or to be put in flight by terrifying. The point is that he is God and we are simply his creation. We truly need to see our relationship as it is. We cannot get too comfortable with God. Although Jesus told his disciples that he no longer called them servants but that he called them friends, we cannot take that word for granted. What does it mean to be a friend of God? What does it mean to be a friend? First we should see the first person who was called a friend of God, which is Abraham. What did he do? He left his home, all that he knew and went to a place he did not know. He believed God. If we examine all the life of Abraham then we could understand want it means to be a friend of God. In addition, according to Jesus, it means to lay down his life for his friend. So then if we are friends of God, we should be laying down our life for him. Instead it seems we get too comfortable with God, thinking him as a friend. But Mary says here as inspired by the Spirit, that he extends his mercy to those who fear him, and he will do mighty deeds with his arm, but he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. The truth in that is he does his mighty deeds for those who fear him, who revere him, who understand he is God, but he does nothing but scatter those who get too prideful in their thinking, who think more of themselves then they should, who look to human achievement or perhaps those who get too comfortable with God, thinking he is just a friend to talk to, and he is their friend but they really are not his friend, for there are not willing to lay down their lives for him. If we realize our relationship with God, fearing him, revering him, understanding who he truly is, laying down our life for him, which is setting apart our own desires, our own wants following his commands, then we will see his mighty hand at work in our lives, and we will see his mercy at work in our lives.