Find a church or online ministry


Mary as Prophet Upends Status Quo


3 December 2024

By Steve Veazey, President-Prophet

In her book, Mary, the Reluctant Prophet, Alyce McKenzie proposes that when the Angel Gabrielle visited Mary, all the stages of prophetic calling as seen in the history of Israel’s prophets can be identified. The stages: calling, description of task, objection or questioning by the one called, reassurance, and finally, acceptance of the call.

When Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God,” the calling process had begun (Luke 1:30 NRSVue). Then the angel spoke of the task God was calling Mary to fulfill: “…you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus” (Luke 1:31 NRSVue).

Mary questioned her call by saying, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34 NRSVue). The angel responded with reassurance that “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the son of God. …For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35, 37 NRSVue). Then Mary accepted her call: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 NRSVue).

After receiving additional assurance from Elizabeth that all that was happening was of divine origin (Luke 1:39–45), Mary launched into a powerful song of praise and prophetic vision called the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55). The Magnificat reveals a God who is turning the world upside down through the incarnation of the Word and by reversing human systems of inequality and oppression.

In 1988, in a sermon titled Mary’s Song, William Willimon told how

…several years back the government of South Africa banned the lighting of candles and the singing of Christmas carols in Soweto. When asked by the press why these restrictions were made, the government replied, 'You know how emotional Black women are. Christmas carols have an emotional effect on them.' Willimon added, 'If you let a poor Jewish woman like Mary or a Black mother in Soweto sing you never know where it might lead!'

The Magnificat is a powerful prophetic speech that upends the status quo. God has called a humble servant girl to bear the divine child rather than a woman of high position. God has scattered the proud rather than sustaining them in their haughtiness, God has brought down princes and kings from their thrones and lifted the lowly. God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. All of this is evidence of God’s mercy and faithfulness to God’s covenant with Israel.

Mary was a prophetic deliverer. Not only did she deliver the Word of God incarnate, she sang into being the deliverance of all those entrapped by unjust socioeconomic and political conditions. Mary drew from the past and reached into the future to proclaim, as put by Walter Brueggemann, an “alternative world” that directly confronts “presumed, taken-for-granted worlds.” Mary’s hopeful prophetic eye, in the words of Gail A. Ricciuti “…reveals a vibrant now in which God’s realm is complete and dwelling among us.”

So, what do we do with the Magnificat this Advent? Most church Christmas pageants omit it to rush to the quiet, nonthreatening manger scene. Experiencing Mary’s song as prophetic speech can be quite disturbing if we take it seriously. It can raise questions that may turn our lives upside down, too!

…It challenges me to consider my values and goals. Am I striving for the wrong things in life? How much of my life is devoted to seeking security, reputation, and power? How often do I hold on to my material blessings rather than sharing them with the poor and hungry?

Advent Reflection: the Magnificat,
published by The High Calling

This Advent, let us be thankful for Mary’s prophetic ministry that disrupts things as they are and presents a vision of God’s mighty acts. And, if you have a mind to, honestly examine the world in which we live today and belt out your own Magnificat! You might even be offered a role in the Christmas pageant!

Previous Page

Learn more about Community of Christ. Subscribe