Luke 1:46-55

Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”

Mark 10:24-25 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. God's mercy extends to the humble forever, from generation to generation. Who are the humble? Those who are dependent on God and his Word. Those who have placed their trust completely in the "LIVING WORD, Jesus Christ. The humble display God's likeness: they are very generous, quick to forgive, gracious to the abrupt. Jesus asked the rich young man to sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. (Mark 10:21) He asked the rich man to humble himself by giving everything he had to the poor, to be dependent on God, to believe God had a better life for him. Mary said, He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. The rich young man went away sad, for he had great wealth. He could not humble himself because he depended on his wealth to make it through life. His riches were his identity, his proof of accomplishment. How could he give away his identity, his status in the world?

What are we depending on in life? James 4:6 says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. In the same chapter, James also writes, You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Otherwise, proudly relying on the good things of the world (money, accomplishments and material things) is hatred towards God. Relying on the world for your sustenance, for your security, for your peace of mind is spiritual prostitution. You have given your life over to the "prince of the air," the devil. You have become his friend and the world's friend by the way you think and the things you do. However, Mary says in the above passage, the Lord will be merciful to his humble servants forever. He will be merciful to those who rely on Him.

God's arms have been extended to us. Are our arms lifted up to him as a little child's arms when he or she is anticipating being carried? Are we willing to live in our Father's arms, to feel his strength, to know the closeness of his gentle voice in our ears? Or will we go away sad, knowing our lives are inundated with self, knowing we can't let go of this world? Will our fate be that we just can't let go and trust the Lord! I know this is hard. Life IN CHRIST is not always easy, even for the supposedly humble. For all of us, it is difficult not to take back this life and to worry, to wonder how we are going to make it. I am sure the rich young ruler said to himself, "How can I live that life? If I do what Jesus asks me to do, I'll lose my life, I'll lose my dreams." We must believe that Jesus will fulfill his dreams for our lives, his purposes. If our dreams are in his will, for his glory, He will fulfill them. As God told Jeremiah, He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us.

We read in James 4:10, Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. When Jesus was calling the rich young man to himself, He wasn't calling him to an unfulfilled life. He wasn't calling him to a life of drudgery. He was calling him to the best life possible, one that ends with, "Enter into my rest, my good and faithful servant." Today He calls all of us to that life, where his mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Does all this mean that we have to be poor, without material things, and totally reckless in our lives? No, but it does mean that we have to be dependent, dependent on his direction and his call, for we are not our own. We intrinsically belong to the band of the disciples, the faith followers. Jesus led them down the next road; He told them where they would go. The disciples were totally dependent on his words, his directions. We are also dependent on his words. His words come to us within the context of the Bible, and they stir our hearts through the whispering of the Holy Spirit. He is always saying to us: "Follow me, don't be a friend of this world." Today He says, "PUT DOWN YOUR FEARS AND FOLLOW ME, FOR I WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH LIFE MY BELOVED."