Reversal

⁵¹     God’s arm has accomplished mighty deeds.
        The proud in mind and heart,
        God has sent away in disarray.
⁵²     The rulers from their high positions of power,
        God has brought down low.
    And those who were humble and lowly,
        God has elevated with dignity.
⁵³     The hungry—God has filled with fine food.
        The rich—God has dismissed with nothing in their hands.

Luke 1:51-53 (The Voice Bible)

It’s hard to imagine the kind of reversal called by Mary the mother of Jesus. Her prophetic utterance a blue print for a salvation that brings about change to the social order of things. This salvation turns the status quo upside down and calls all who hear to work together against the way things are.

This is an uncomfortable gospel!

In some ways it faces us with the question: Do we really want salvation?

It is much easier to say yes if salvation means to “accept Jesus,” “allow Jesus into our hearts,” or “going to church.” Intellectual ascent, emotional response, or societal duty are easy and really do not change anything. It does not require anything from us and often our Christianity seems to underscore our already made up minds, positions, and opinions. Often unquestioningly supporting our place in the social order as providence.

This season what are we to do with a savior that according to scripture calls the mighty to fall, the rich to walk away empty, the stranger to be welcomed, the poor lifted, the hungry fed, the first to be last, the uncleaned touched, the enemy loved?

This week we meet Mary once again. We meet a young unmarried peasant woman who is bearing an illegitimate child. A woman who says yes in spite of her own life being on the line. A woman who sees the cosmic effects of her yes to God!

We too have an opportunity this season to experience the reversal that salvation brings. A reversal that initiates the peace that we and the world so desperately need. A reversal that makes us participants in God’s work of redemption for the life of the world. Our own hearts transformed, our own lives changed, our own perspectives altered, our brokenness made whole, our alienation from our true selves, each other, and all of creation healed.

So friends are we ready for salvation? Are we ready for the redemption that Christ promises? Are we ready to allow our life, our families, our community, our world to be reversed? Are we ready to be last, hungry, blind, take risks, be servants to the least of these? Are we ready to join the risky, dangerous, and revolutionary work of the one of peace?