The Texts for Sunday, January 10th, the Baptism of Jesus, 2016

First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7

 1But now thus says the Lord,

  he who created you, O Jacob,

  he who formed you, O Israel:

 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

  I have called you by name, you are mine.

 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

  and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

 when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

  and the flame shall not consume you.

 3For I am the Lord your God,

  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

 I give Egypt as your ransom,

  Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

 4Because you are precious in my sight,

  and honored, and I love you,

 I give people in return for you,

  nations in exchange for your life.

 5Do not fear, for I am with you;

  I will bring your offspring from the east,

  and from the west I will gather you;

 6I will say to the north, “Give them up,”

  and to the south, “Do not withhold;

 bring my sons from far away

  and my daughters from the end of the earth—

 7everyone who is called by my name,

  whom I created for my glory,

  whom I formed and made.”

The Word of the Lord

Psalm: Psalm 29

1 Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, 

    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; 

    worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;

the God of glory thunders; 

    the LORD is upon the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; 

    the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees; 

    the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, 

    and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire;

the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; 

    the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe 

    and strips the forests bare.

9 And in the temple of the LORD 

    all are crying, "Glory!"

10 The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; 

    the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore.

Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17

14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Lord

Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

  21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Luke 3, Baptism of Jesus, Greek Text Study

Luke 3:15-22

v15 προσδοκωντος (προσδοκαω) gen. pres. part. "were waiting expectantly" participle with the noun του λαου, "the people" both being genitive absolute, usually forms temporal clauses but a causal clause seems more likely here. The sense is that the crowd which has come out to John, is now filled with messianic expectation due to his preaching and needs instruction. 

διαλογιζομενων (διαλογιζομαι) gen. pres. part. "they were [all] discussing” εν "in [their hearts]" – they were reflecting on John’s sermons.

μηποτε "perhaps” usually points to a negative conclusion, i.e. they knew John was not the messiah but translated as expressing doubt (particularly using the optative of to-be). 

v16 λεγων (λεγω) pres. part. [John answered] saying πασιν to all - given the context, John is addressing all in the crowd being baptized. 

μεν ...... δε "on the one hand, on the other" – a comparative idiom – on the one hand I baptize on the other one is coming that is mightier than εγω "even I" (emphatic). John tacitly claims authority to forgive sin through baptism but the power of the Messiah will be greater.

βαπτιζω pres. "I baptize" - present tense = ongoing action “I continue to baptize”.

υδατι (ωρ ατος) dat. "with water" –instrumental dative (emphatic) so, "I baptize only or merely with water."

ο ισχυροτερος comp. adj. "one more powerful". μου gen. pro. "than me” an ablative of comparison who is an ικανος adj. "the insignificant one"  by comparison!

λυσαι (λυω) aor. inf. "to loose” - an epexegetic infinitive, explaining the adjective 

των υποδηματων (α ατος) gen. "[the straps] of [whose] sandals" – servant’s work.

αυτος "he" – Emphatic, so ONLY he.

πνευματι αγιω/ και πυρι "the Holy Spirit and [with] fire" - whatever that means – a singular sense is possible, eg. " a purging (cleansing) Spirit", or " holy fire of judgment", but the messiah will "immerse” in the sense of βαπτιζμο, which at root means to overwhelm with both Spirit (regeneration) and fire (tribulation). 

v17 το πτυον (ον) "[his] winnowing fork" - used to separate chaff from grain by casting into the air on a windy day; an image of judgment.

διακαθαραι (διακαθαιρω) aor. inf. "to clean out thoroughly”- an infinitive expressing purpose "in order to cleanse."

συναγαγειν (συναγω) aor. inf. "to gather" – an infinitive expressing purpose, "in order to gather."

κατακαυσει (κατακαιω) fut. "he will burn up" πυρι ασβεστω dative "with a fire that cannot be extinguished”; likely an allusion to the rubbish dump outside Jerusalem often used to visage judgment, cf. Isa.34:10, 66:24.

v18 παρακαλων (παρακαλεω) pres. part. "John was admonishing” reflecting his stern message. 

ευηγγελιζετο (ευαγγελιζω) imperf. "preached the good news" - usually a technical term referring to gospel preaching, so "evangelizing", but here, because the content is nothing like later gospel messaging, more likely in the sense of just communicating, i.e. "he spoke his piece to the people".

v19 ελεγχομενος (ελεγχω) pres. pas. part. "when John rebuked" Herod because he had relations with Herodias his brother's ex-wife.  Herodias was initially married to Herod, (son of Herod the Great and Mariamne) but then divorced (?) him and married his younger brother (or not – either would have been cause for scandal) Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great and his second wife, Malthake.

v20 προσεθηκεν (προστιθημι) aor. "Herod added" – an idiom meaining; on top of everything else – so Herod's biggest crime was to attempt silence God’s prophet and hence God. Herod plays the role of an OT king.  Luke now ends his historical aside and returns to the narrative.

v21 εγενετο (γινομαι) aor. it came to pass.

εν τω βαπτισθηναι (βαπτιζω) aor. pas. inf. "when [all] were being baptized" - the articular infinitive forms a temporal clause. Note the sequence with the action that follows: "Jesus was baptized", "was praying", the "heaven opened".

απαντα τον λαον "all the people" - "all" obviously does not mean everyone, but does serve to indicate the success of John's ministry. While Mark indicates that only Jesus witnessed what followed, Matthew tells us at least John saw it but Luke leaves us guessing. It is unlikely that the crowd witnesses what follows, but then there remains the obvious question, if no one saw it, who is Luke (and Mark and Matthew) sourcing?

βαπτισθεντος (βαπτιζω) gen. aor. part. "[Jesus] was baptized" - Jesus' willingness to submit to John's baptism has been an ongoing issue in New Testament commentaries. Neither Mark nor Luke see a need to apologize for his willingness to be baptized by John (Matthew includes an aside addressing the issue i.e. that the baptism was done to ‘fulfil all righteousness” - whatever that means) nor do they see any need to explain the paradox of the one who baptizes with the Spirit being baptized by the one who baptizes “merely” with water. Jesus' baptism rather, followed as it is by the temptation in the wilderness, reflects an Exodus typology. Jesus, as Israel responds to the divine call to the wilderness (where Israel's sonship was also restored), then passes through the water into the wilderness. The Exodus motif is redemptive and although unstated in the gospel accounts probably central. So, Jesus, as faithful Israel, does what Israel must do, step out in faith to play the part of the repentant sinner, and as faithful Israel is declared God’s beloved. As Barth puts it, in his baptism Jesus becomes "the great Sinner who repents." 

προσευχομενου (προσευχομαι) gen. pres. part. "was praying" – a genitive absolute participle in the present tense, indicates that Jesus' prayer continues as the heavens open.

τον ουρανον (ος) "heaven" - possibly Luke means "the sky parted", or “God's domain”.

ανεωχθηναι (ανοιγω) aor. pas. inf. "was opened" - infinitive serves as the subject of the verb εγενετο "it came to be" an apocalyptic revelation motif, cf. Ezk.1:1

v22 καταβηναι (καταβαινω) aor. inf. "descended" – also an infinitive functioning as the subject of the verb εγενετο. The Holy Spirit is not usually described as "coming down" but once again the Exodus typology is possibly at work, "the Holy Spirit came down from the Lord and led them", Isa.63:14, LXX.

σωματικω ειδει dat. "in bodily form" – these words indicate approximation rather than incarnation. The words are not in Mark so Luke is probably stressing the fact that the Holy Spirit takes "the appearance of a dove" i.e. "dove-like." 

περιστεραν (α) "a dove" actually pigeon but that doesn't quite have the same ring! The "dove" doesn't represent the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit, Luke describes this incident as a theophany, like the burning bush. In this vision, Jesus sees the Holy Spirit as dove-like, it comes to Jesus, the representative Israel, sets him apart, equips him for service, and sets him on the journey. Like the baptism itself, the descent of the Spirit is part of the inauguration of the messianic mission. 

φωνην (η) "a voice" - again a theophany. In apocalyptic literature, God is described as speaking, usually for the purpose of instruction, here for a commissioning.

συ "you" - Emphatic - Jesus is being singled out, over John.

ο υιος μου "[are] my Son" - designation, "the son of mine", used as a title for messiah, in the Old Testament also of a king, nation, even angels ("sons of God" in Job). The term "beloved Son" may incorporate the idea of Jesus' unique relationship but here more likely identifies Israel as God's chosen ones represented by the messianic king. This first part of this quote is from the coronation liturgy found in Psalm 2:7.

ο αγαπητος adj. "the one I love" - carries the sense of a particular, or uniquely set-apart association, so "my one and only son dearly loved", even "my only son" but at root again expresses the unique relationship the messiah has with God.

ευδοκησα (ευδοκεω) aor. "I have come to delight” "well pleased" is borrowed from Isaiah 42:1 but many scholars follow an alternate reading which just quotes from Psalm 2:7, "You are my son, today I have begotten you." Isaiah 42:1 from the “ordination liturgy” of the suffering Servant.

Doing the Bidding of Heaven

“You are my Son (Ps 2:7), the Beloved (Gen 22,2, 12, 16); with you I am well pleased (Is 42:1).” The Sentence from heaven, says Dennis Hamm, invokes a coronation psalm, the story of the binding of Isaac, and the song suffering servant. It is a preview of Calvary. 

The Baptism of Jesus is a yearly trip into explaining why he who knew no sin nevertheless needed to undergo baptism. The evangelists realize how odd it is that he comes to John. Matthew has John attempt to prevent Jesus from Baptism arguing that he, John, ought to experience baptism from Jesus but the latter answers: “Let it be for now to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matt 3:14ff) But, in Matthew there is no attempt on John’s part to mitigate the “brood of vipers” talk. 

In Luke, which we read today, John is more patient with the crowd. Commoner, tax collector, and soldier alike are given pastoral counsel as they come to be baptized. John also makes no attempt to dissuade Jesus from Baptism. There is a different atmosphere on the shores of Jordan in Luke’s telling. Somehow, reconciliation is happening here. Israel, as it should be, is re-envisioned here. 

In the Gospel of Luke we find a number of stories where reconciliation or the simple act of being a neighbor to others are held up as an ideal. Dives is sent to hell from not being a neighbor with Lazarus. The good Samaritan is “good” because he is a neighbor. The Shepherd celebrates because he has returned, reconciled, the lost sheep to the flock. The waiting Father is as much a picture of reconciliation as the older brother is a picture of one who refuses it and is somehow in peril for it. A man is told that his brother is more important than the inheritance he is arguing with the same brother about. Banquet halls are filled with flotsam and jetsam. 

Other examples probably will come to the mind. Yet, wherever the people gather, there the Christ seems to gather with them. Somehow just taking on human form is not enough. Human living in all its splendor and squaller is embraced as a neighbor as well. Here on the banks of Jordan, a struggle between a confused and separated life and a reconciled one is in progress with John describing the building blocks of the latter. But that reconciled life is not a “new” life. It is Israel as God had dreamed it to be; it is an “old” life. Israel redeemed as Zechariah, Elisabeth, Simeon, and Anna had anxiously and tirelessly prayed for. Messiah is at Jordan to join the battle for those prayers for redemption.  It should be no surprise that he is praying while the Spirit descends upon him. Their prayers become his mission.

What indeed had those, who had come to John, gone out into the wilderness to see? (Lk 7:24-26) If you go into the wilderness to see the prophet (7:26) you will return having done one of two things: You accepted his message or you rejected it. Either way, you still have to answer the question: “Why did I travel all that distance and why did I spend all that time?” Pilgrimages, no matter how long or short the road, are journeys of the heart. They are the result of nagging questions deep down and often those questions are not even articulated. Zacchaeus (lk 19) climbs a tree in his neighborhood. It none the less is a pilgrimage. He was seeking something. Maybe he was seeking the same thing the faithful ones in chapter 1 were seeking. 

Baptism joins a pilgrimage. We all seek, knowingly or not, the redemption that in the end is only offered by the God of Abraham. That redemption, say the canticles in Luke, is certain because God remembers his promises of mercy. (Magnificat) It is certain in the places where God’s anointed has come to enact it. Our Baptisms are such a place for certain. Like Zach, our pilgrimages are short ones. They need to go no further than our own baptisms, our own souls. Yet will and do we actually seek redemption and reconciliation? 

In a strange Augustinian sense, we will find peace with God for certain when we look, but we have to look to find it. Most of us ain’t looking and that is the problem. Like the rich fool we are happy to think: “Soul, you got it good; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” (Lk 12:19) 

Epiphany says: “Go and discover what the Lord is doing. Go and discover what your baptism means. Be on pilgrimage. Messiah is already on the road ahead of you in it.”

The whole matter of the Holy Spirt has to be looked at as well. In our story here, the Spirit comes at Jesus’ baptism and the Spirit comes only to Jesus. Later in Acts the Spirit is strangely tied to the laying on of hands by the Apostles even if the baptism had been in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 8:9-22) Here it comes in physical form, like a dove. Then the Spirt comes but is evident in word and action of the new believer. 

Somewhere in between all that, there has been a Crucifixion, a Resurrection, an Ascension, and most notably, a Pentecost Morning when the Spirt came to rest on the occupants of the Upper Room in the shape of a tongue of fire. This tongue of fire is what Jesus asked the disciples to wait for: The power from on high. (Lk 24:49) All of Acts flows from the event after that.

In Luke’s telling of the story, Jesus is then somehow invested with the Holy Spirt and begins his ministry. The Apostles are invested with the Spirt and begin theirs. It would seem that this investiture is necessary if one was to do the bidding of Heaven. 

The Texts for Sunday, December 20th, the 4th Sunday in Advent, 2015

First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

 2But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,

  who are one of the little clans of Judah,

 from you shall come forth for me

  one who is to rule in Israel,

 whose origin is from of old,

  from ancient days.

 3Therefore he shall give them up until the time

  when she who is in labor has brought forth;

 then the rest of his kindred shall return

  to the people of Israel.

 4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,

  in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

 And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great

  to the ends of the earth;

 5aand he shall be the one of peace.

The Word of the Lord

 Psalm 80:1-7

 1Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;

  shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

 2In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,

  stir up your strength and come to help us. 

 3Restore us, O God;

  let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.

 4O Lord| God of hosts,

  how long will your anger fume when your people pray?

 5You have fed them with the bread of tears;

  you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

 6You have made us the derision of our neighbors,

  and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

 7Restore us, O God of hosts;

  let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved. 

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 

 “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,

  but a body you have prepared for me;

 6in burnt offerings and sin offerings

  you have taken no pleasure.

 7Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’

  (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”

8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The Word of the Lord

Gospel: Luke 1:39-45 [46-55]

39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 

  46And Mary said, 

 “My soul magnifies the Lord,

  47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

 48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

  and holy is his name.

 50His mercy is for those who fear him

  from generation to generation.

 51He has shown strength with his arm;

  he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

  and lifted up the lowly;

 53he has filled the hungry with good things,

  and sent the rich away empty.

 54He has helped his servant Israel,

  in remembrance of his mercy,

 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

  to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Luke 1:39-55 Greek Studies

Greek Study Luke 1:39-56

v39 Luke recounts this story with an eye toward the Old Testament, which is, of itself a bit unusual as Luke’s audience is obviously Gentile, and so likely not well versed in OT theology.  Is this perhaps part of the “borrowed” material that Luke received?  The three months may allude to Numbers 10:35, but the story of Hannah more likely runs in the background (2 Sam.6 ff).  Of course, the baby leaping in the womb may allude to Rebekah's experience of Gen.25:22 as the same Gk. word is used in the LXX translation.

αναστασα (ανιστημι) aor. part. "got ready" (having arisen). This word is often used to express the commencement of an ongoing action.

μετα σπουδησ + gen. "with haste” Adverbial use expressing manner, so "eagerly".

Ιουδα (ας ου) gen. "[to a town in the hill country] of Judea" The destination is unknown. Some suggest reference is to an actual town but the text was corrupted.

  
v41 ηκουσεν (ακουω) aor. + acc. "she/he heard [Mary's greeting]" 

εσκιρτησεν (σκιρταω) aor. "leaped" - nothing unusual in a baby moving, it’s the timing that is considered miraculous (another OT view, most miracles in the OT - especially those connected to the Exodus, were miracles of timing not content, i.e. while they were unusual, they could be explained away naturally (which explains Pharaoh hardened heart – he was both stubborn and pragmatic!)

επλησθη (πιμπλημι) aor. pas πνευματος αγιου gen. "was filled with the Holy Spirit" the aorist verb indicates immediate action; typical of Luke/Acts, a person filled with the Spirit proclaims and preaches, this once again reflects OT theology, the Judges were “filled by the spirit” in much this same way.  

v42 κραυγη μεγαλη dat. "in a loud voice [she cried out] often portrayed as a hymn, more likely an enthusiastic (and loud) response – she ululates.  

ευλογημενη  perf. pas. part. "blessed" may express a wish but more likely a fact. 

της κοιλιας (α) gen. "[the one you] will bear" an ablative of source (a rather unusual grammatical construct, even for Luke).

  
v43 τοθεν "why" - interrogative particle introduces a question or expresses surprise.

ου κυριου (ος) gen. "[my] Lord" genitive is adjectival, relational, while μου,"of me", is possessive, "my Lord" or of subordination, "Lord over me." Expressing respect, not status.

προς εμε "to me?" - emphatic by position.

  
v44 ιδου behold. Idiom, "I tell you ως "as soon as" - temporal conjunction.

του ασπασμου (ος) gen. "[the sound] of [your] greeting" - Mary's voice stirs the fetus, not the greeting itself.

εν αγαλλιασει (ις εως) "for joy" - exultation – not that this emotion is attributed to the fetus, not than the mother. 

v45 μακαρια adj. "blessed" – happy, favored, fortunate.

η πιστευσασα aor. part. "she who has believed" - participle serves as a substantive, refers to Mary's response as an example of faith for taking God at His word.

τοις λαλαλημενοις perf. pas. part. "has said [to her]/[his] promises [to her]" to the things having been spoken - participle serves as a dative of reference; "with respect to the things that have been spoken…” 

τελειωσις (ις εως) "[will be] accomplished" as in the execution of a plan, completion as in nothing need be added.

v46 The Magnificat, v46-55. This Song of Mary is in the form of a hymn and is directed to God for his kindness toward her with particular reference to sh’er sh’uv “remnant Israel”. 

μεγαλυνει η ψυχη μου "my soul glorifies" – a technical term expressing an act of praise that emerges from deep within one’s being. Following Hebrew parallelism, the thought is repeated in v47. 

  
v47 ηγαλλιασεν (αγαλλιαω) aor. "rejoices" - unlike "glorifies" in v46 which uses the present tense, the verb here is aorist and therefore ingressive - the emphasis falls on the beginning of the action; "my spirit has begun to delight".

v48 επεβλεψεν (επιβλεπω) aor. "he has been mindful" – a phrase used as a loving preference toward another, so another way of saying that God has favored Mary.

την ταπεινωσιν (ις εως) "humiliation, lowliness, afflicted state likely referring to Mary's low social position - she is favored in spite of her social position and her difficult social circumstances.. 

της δουλης (ος) gen. "[his] servant" - bondmaid - further underlining Mary's lowliness. 

μακαριουσιν (μακαριζω) fut. "will call me blessed" - because of the "great things" God is about to do through her (which at this point are all proleptic!)

  
v49 μεγαλα ο δυνατος "the Mighty One" – literally "the one who enacts great power".

αγιον το ονομα αυτου "holy is his name" – the set-apart God – another OT allusion to the second commandment.

v50 Here an allusion to Psalm 103:17. το ελεος (ος) "mercy" – reflects the Old Testament idea of God's covenant loyalty, his hesed or “everlasting love”.

τοις φοβουμενοις (φοβεω) dat. pres. pas. part. "to those who fear" -  a dative of advantage - "fear" here does not mean fright  but rather those who acknowledge God's position and authority, so ‘reverence”.

εις γενεας και γενεας "from generation to generation" – idiom; God’s fidelity is forever; i.e. historically timeless. 

  

v51 εποιησεν (ποιεω) aor. "he has performed" - gnomic, expressing a universal truth.  

βραχιονι (ων ονος) "[his] arm" – an anthropomorphism to state that he "performs mighty deeds" as would be expected of any king.

διεσκορπισεν (διασκορπιζω) aor. "scattered" - refers to the scattering of Israel's enemies (over and against the ingathering of Israel – sh’uv).

υπερηφανους adj. "those who are proud" - presumptuous.

διανοια (α) dat. "in [their inmost] thoughts" – a dative of reference; - so “deep seated thoughts, an ingrained arrogance?

  
v52 καθειλεν (καθαιρεω) aor. "he has brought down" - verb expresses vigorous action.

υψωσεν (υψοω) aor. "has lifted up" - "Exalted" the ταπεινους (ος) "humble" - those of low estate; once again remnant Israel is the subject.

v53 πεινωντας (πειναω) pres. part. "the hungry" - αναρτηρουσ (the participle) serves as a substantive. Is this an actual or spiritual reversal? Probably we have a typical Jewish motif of national reversal realized in the blessings of the Promised Land, which Jesus reinterprets in eschatological terms (cf. Danker).

πλουτουντας (πλουτεω) pres. part. "the rich" – lit. the ones who are already full. 

κενους acc. adj. "empty" - accusative complement of "rich."

v54 αντελαβετο (αντιλαμβανω) aor. "he has helped" - in the sense of to lay hold of to assist or support. 

μνησθηναι (μιμνησκομαι) aor. pas. inf. "remembering" – the infinitive is verbal, forming a result clause, - i.e. the divine action is motivated by the divine love.

ελεους (ος) gen. "to be merciful" - genitive of direct object after the infinitive; the content of the divine action.

v55 τω Αβρααμ dat. "to Abraham" – a dative of indirect object. The Lord remembers his remnant, He remembers Abraham, He remembers his servant Israel, and we share in that merciful remembering through Christ (do this in remembrance of me…).

εις τον αιωνα "forever" – a temporal phrase for common to Matthew than to Luke.

  
v56 ως "about" – idiom; "approximately three month” indicating Mary stayed until the birth of John, although Luke doesn't confirm this.

  

Be not afraid, you have found favor with God.

“She is full of grace, proclaimed to be entirely without sin—something exceedingly great. For God’s grace fills her with everything good and makes her devoid of all evil.” – Martin Luther’s Little Prayer Book, 1522

The Gospel of Luke has a sequel: Acts of the Apostles. Some say that the title: Acts of the Holy Spirit is more appropriate a title and they might well be right. The first book also might deserve its own title: Acts of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Indeed, was one to search for the term “Holy Spirit” in an electronic concordance one would discover that it only appears in the Gospel (13) times. In Acts it is attested 42 times, not counting the occurrences of Luke using the shorthand “Spirit.” In the Gospel, very few are filled with or speak in the Holy Spirit. The unimpressively short list is: John (1:15), Mary (1:35, 46-53- implied), Elizabeth (1:41), Zechariah (1:67), Simeon (2:25-26, Anna by extension and narrative), and, naturally, Jesus (3:22, 4:1, 10:21). The remaining occurrences of “Holy Spirit” are in Jesus’ teaching. 

I noted on Advent 2 that the beginning of Luke is filled with canticles that people, filled with the Holy Spirit, and angels just sort of break into spontaneously. There and here, the canticles set the stage for what will come next. The canticles sung also harken back to the holy word of God in all their verses, not only in message but also in actual word. For example: Mary’s Song, the Magnificat is an echo of the following: Gen. 17:19; 1 Sam. 2:7– 8; Ps. 138:6; 71:19; 126:2– 3; 111:9; 103:17; 98:1; 118:15; Isa. 41:8; Hab. 3:18.

Mary and Zechariah’s songs are songs of fulfillment, not of a radical new thing, no they are about an old promise, a promise all the way back to Abraham, all the way back the Spirit pondering over the deep, that is now coming to be filled. 

The Spirit also speaks blessings today: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Lk 1:42) “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45) The first made it into Christian spirituality through the. Dominicans and the Rosary prayers the latter did not far that well, regrettably. But, the council of Trent (1566) wrote about the first sentence: 

"we render to God the highest praise and return Him most gracious thanks, because He has bestowed all His heavenly gifts on the most holy Virgin ... the Church of God has wisely added prayers and an invocation addressed to the most holy Mother of God ... we should earnestly implore her help and assistance; for that she possesses exalted merits with God, and that she is most desirous to assist us by her prayers, no one can doubt without impiety and wickedness."

Protestants might ought to remember that Luther thought highly of the Hail Mary, though the second portion of it, imploring Mary to pray for us, was not added until 1555 and would probably bother old Martin.

Yet, Elizabeth’s second blessing might interest us. We might think about it this way: Mary ventured out for a three day trip to the Judean hill country. Did she go by herself? A single young woman traveling by herself would certainly have been foolish if not madness in her days, unacceptable even. Where there no protectors with her? Was no one found to vouch for her safety on the road? She is pregnant already, by traveling alone would she not seal the case on the opinion that her pregnancy was merely loose living?

Luke, regrettably, is silent about how the trip was arranged or guarded. Maybe it was indeed and unchaperoned trip. Was Mary’s commitment to the cause so large that not only did she agree to bear the Son of the Most High into the world but so large that she had such trust in the message of Gabriel and truly believed that the Lord was with her on her journey and remained with her on the journey and was her escort and protector on that journey? 

“Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” Elizabeth sees Mary’s presence as proof that Mary believes all that the angel has said to her. She heard and acted fearless as a result, trusting that God would protect her because she, Mary, was carrying his Word to the world. 

In many a pageant and movie we have made her a somewhat frightened girl. In popular song we have doubted her understanding. Yes, Kenny Rogers, Clay Aiken, Mary did know that her baby boy was the Great I am and that he would save her ”sons and daughter,” but more about them later. It is not by accident that she will soon sing of Abraham and his children. The faith she displays as the result of the visit of Gabriel is alike that of Abram when the word of the Lord came to him and demanded that he depart Ur and become a nomad. Total commitment to the promise is rendered. Yes, I know about Abraham’s follies. They follow a beginning that is total faith.

Hans Urs von Balthesar and Arthur Carl Piepkorn both have published articles with such a monumental title as: Mary, Archetype of the Church. I must admit, since reading them, I have never been able to read any reference to Mary without automatically thinking about the Church. It is good for the church to sing Mary’s song. She has traditionally done so daily since the 8th century, and probably longer but Bede reports it as common practice then. 

More important, the Mother of Faith needs to remember that blessing that the Mother of the last Prophet blessed the Mother of the Lord, saying: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 

Church, Mother of Faith: Do you believe what the Lord has spoken about you? That even the gates of Hades will be no mach for you? That the Lord is with you? That the Holy Spirit will sing from within you? 

Yes, blessed is your proclamation for it is what you bear to the world. But will you, like the mother of the Lord be brave and venture undaunted by the turbulence of life and misfortunes of fate, into a world that is full of both marvels but also peril and insult, and assault on, not only your proclamation, but you? One might leave the answer of whether it is possible to live that way until the feast of Stephen, but few of us celebrate it as it is December 26th and seldom observed as such. 

The Mother of our Lord ventured out on the journey, apparently protected by nothing more than the presence of the Lord, promised by the Angel: The Lord is with you. The Sons and Daughters — here you go Clay Aiken — of her in the faith, the sons and daughter of the Mother of Faith, ought to consider carefully what is promised and act in good courage always as they wait for the coming of the Holy One of God. 

Be not afraid, you have found favor with God.