And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” – Luke 1: 46-47

At first, when Mary was approached by the angel Gabriel, she was afraid. Then, when he proceeded to explain her place in the divine drama of history as the mother of God’s son, she was perplexed. Next, after the angel convinced her that he had not come to the wrong address or had the wrong person, she humbly consented to the will of God.

What we have here in Luke 1: 46-47 is the song she began to sing as this whole ordeal begin to sink in. She sang: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Is it strange to you that she does not sing that her lips, mouth, tongue or even hands magnified the Lord? No. She insists that it is her soul that magnifies the Lord. What kind of magnification is that?

1). It is personal praise. “My…” Mary couldn’t speak for Joseph. She couldn’t speak for Elizabeth. However, with this praise, she is speaking for herself.

2). It is deep seated praise. “My soul…” This is not off of the top of her head. It comes from deep inside. It is not superficial. It is not phony. It is not a praise which imitates another person. It is rooted in and tied to her very soul.

3). It is great praise. “My soul magnifies…”  By magnifying the Lord, Mary is giving God great praise. This is not microscopic praise which cannot be seen with the naked eye or heard without a microphone. It is great praise for a great God who continually does great things.

4). It is His praise. “My soul magnifies the Lord…” The angel was pretty awesome, but she does not praise him. Joseph was a good man, but she does not praise him. Zacharias and Elizabeth were fine people, but she does not praise them. This magnification belongs solely to the Lord. He is the one who can and will do the impossible with improbable people like Mary, me and you.