IV.
Today I included both Mary’s song of praise and Hannah’s prayer in the post.

Pay attention to the world described in the words of both women.

V.
Luke 1:46-55 (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
      and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
      Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
      and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
      from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
      he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
      and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
      and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
      in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
      to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NRSVue)

Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
       my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies
       because I rejoice in your victory.

There is no Holy One like the Lord,
       no one besides you;
       there is no Rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly;
       let not arrogance come from your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
       and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
       but the feeble gird on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
       but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
       but she who has many children is forlorn.
The Lord kills and brings to life;
       he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
       he brings low; he also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
       he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
       and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
       and on them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
       but the wicked will perish in darkness,
       for not by might does one prevail.
The Lord! His adversaries will be shattered;
       the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
       he will give strength to his king
       and exalt the power of his anointed.”

VI.
This week I came across a reference to these two Scriptures by a professor of Hebrew Scripture in which he mentions the “reversal” these passages speak to.

“Ethan Jones, associate professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, pointed to the similarities between Mary’s Song (Luke 1:46-55) and Hannah’s Song (1 Samuel 2) to say that God has set the world “in reverse.”

“[Mary’s song] really sets the agenda for the gospel of Luke as a whole,” Jones said. “It’s this reversal theme of the enemies have been overturned, the poor are lifted up, the needy are lifted up, the powerful are put down.”

In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah praises God for the reversal of her affliction of being childless even as she keeps her promise to give her son Samuel back to God by leaving him with Eli the priest to raise. As Hannah praises God saying, “The bows of the warriors are broken” (verse 4), Mary sings, “He has toppled the mighty” (verse 52).

(https://www.nobts.edu/news/articles/2022/christmasgreatreversal.html)

VII.
What about you?

Is Professor Jones onto something here?

Do these prayers and praises address something of a counter-cultural element in the Scripture?

Do the words of these two women suggest “reversals” you think are needed in the world you live in?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}