Luke 1: 46 56 Mary’s Song Of Praise

Target year level: Year Five

Scripture text

Introduction

The Gospel is the first of a two-part work, Luke-Acts. Luke-Acts is sometimes thought of as a novel in two parts. The Gospel gives an account of the life and mission of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the rapid expansion of the early church. The two books were probably written in the latter decades of the first century.

Even though the works are anonymous, authorship is traditionally attributed to Luke. Today, many scholars accept that the author was an inhabitant of Antioch in Syria and a companion of Paul. Luke was writing for Greek speaking, Gentile(non-Jewish) Christians. Luke’s interpretation of events is influenced by his desire to show how Christianity is compatible with citizenship in the Roman Empire, that is, how one can believe in Jesus and, at the same time, be loyal to (if not worship) the emperor.

The author paints a portrait of Jesus who is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel. The promises are fulfilled in unexpected ways, in that they include everyone: Jews and gentiles, men and women, tax collectors and outcasts.

Luke draws Jesus as hospitable and caring for the poor and the marginalised. Mary and a number of women disciples play an important part in the gospel.

For further information, see the Teacher Background information, Who wrote the Gospels and when? and the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Introduction to Luke.

World behind the text

Luke lived in Antioch in Syria (now Turkey) which was an important centre in the Roman Empire. Also, Antioch was one of the earliest centres of Christianity and it was there that the followers of Christ were first called Christians. The city had a pluralistic society and the Christians who lived there were both Jews and gentiles. There were tensions between the two groups, who disagreed about how to be faithful followers of Jesus: the Jews believed it essential to follow traditional devotions and practices, including circumcision, Sabbath observance as well as dietary and purity regulations; the gentiles, on the other hand, saw no need for these old ways.

The destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans was a major blow to the confidence of both groups. This catastrophe shook their faith in the God of Israel, who made so many promises to the chosen people and whose Kingdom was proclaimed by Jesus. So, it was important for Luke to write about Jesus in a way that showed that he was the fulfilment of God’s promises.

In the infancy narrative, Luke is consciously making connections between the history of Israel, especially the prophets, and the birth of Jesus. His aim is to show that Jesus follows in the long line of Israel’s prophets and that he is the fulfilment of God’s promises. However, because Luke’s audience was the gentile group, his vision of God’s promises encompassed a wider group than the traditional ‘chosen people.’ God’s kingdom was for all.

World of the text

This text is part of the Infancy narrative. Mary’s prayer here, which we call the Magnificat, is a hymn of praise which echoes the song of Hannah (1 Sam 2:1-11). Many scholars think that the Magnificat was composed by the earliest Christians for use in worship and that Luke used the hymn as a way of poetically expressing a theological idea. Mary is saying that her soul proclaims the greatness of God. God’s greatness is demonstrated as faithfulness and mercy especially towards the downtrodden. This image reflects Luke’s admiration for the early Christian communities, in which all goods where shared in common and no one went hungry (Acts 2:44-45).

World in front of the text

There is no pride or vanity in Mary’s prayer because the focus is all on God. It is the prayer of a woman who knows her own limitations and who is in awe of a loving, all-powerful and liberating God. Today, Mary’s vision of a just God - for whom nothing is impossible – can help us to live out our Christian vocation in an often unjust, secular society.