Bad Ripples
In the 1930’s Agatha Christie published what would become one of her most famous novels. It was titled, Murder on the Orient Express. This novel was adapted to film multiple times. It became a film once again this year.
Yes–I’m about to reveal some of the details of this year’s film. But–the book’s been out since the 1930’s! I’ve given you almost 90 years to read the book. So I feel somewhat justified in revealing these details.
In the book Agatha Christie introduces us to twelve people. At first introduction, they seem to be twelve strangers–completely disconnected except for the fact that they are on the same train. These twelve people are distinct from one another in gender, race, income, and education.
Yet, as the narrative unfolds, we are allowed to trace their timelines backward. And, like ripples in a pond, we find that these twelve lives share one common splash point.
Years earlier a young woman named Daisy was kidnapped and killed by cruel man named Cassetti. The abuse of this one young woman by this selfish man became like a boulder thrown into a lake. It sent waves that rippled across the lake. Life after life after life was torn by this one event. Her aunt. Her governess. Her chauffeur. Her nurse. Twelve lives shattered. Agatha Christie’s book explores the negative ripples that flow outward into the world when just one woman is mistreated by just one man.
Good Ripples
Just prior to the birth of Jesus, Jesus’ mother Mary sings a song called “Magnificat.” It’s called Magnificat after the first word in Latin which is found in the first line. Mary’s song is about the positive ripples that flow outward into the world when just one woman is treated well by God:
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:46-55 ESV)
Mary begins by talking about the state of her soul and her spirit. She says that her soul magnifies the Lord and her spirit rejoices in God. Soul and spirit refer to Mary’s innermost being. This is not superficial joy. This is bone deep joy.
Why is Mary so fulfilled? Mary rejoices because God has “looked upon” her humble estate.
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
The phrase “looked upon” means “to pay special attention to.” Elsewhere, the author James uses this phrase in a negatively way (Jas. 2:3). James writes of Christians who “look upon” wealthy people and invite them to take the best seats in church while they make the poor people stand in the back. In a positive sense, God looked upon Mary. And because of this special attention by God, Mary’s very soul, her very spirit, is filled with joy and praise.
But what exactly does Mary mean when she says that she is of “humble estate” and that God’s special attention of her is therefore so meaningful?
This phrase “humble estate” may refer to many things.
First, Mary’s estate is humble because she is young. It’s almost certain that Mary was in her teens when she became pregnant with Jesus. Simply for this reason she was lowly or humble. How amazing it was to her that God would pay special attention to someone as young as she.
Second, Mary’s estate is humble simply because she is a woman. Mary lived in a Jewish society, and larger Greco-Roman society, in which the male view of women like Mary was generally negative. The place for women was generally understood to be limited to the domestic roles of wife and mother. Women were considered by male writers to be responsible for most sin.
- Josephus, a first-century A.D. Jewish historian, states that the Law holds women to be inferior in all matters and that therefore women should be submissive.
- Philo, a first century A.D. Jewish philosopher, referred to women and female traits as weaknesses.
- Sirach, a work from about 180 B.C. states “better is the wickedness of a man than a woman who does good.”
- According to the rabbinic Tosefta, which may reflect first-century A.D. tradition, a Jewish man prayed three benedictions each day, including one in which he thanked God that he was not made a woman.[1]
A first century letter from a husband to his pregnant wife shows his tender love for his wife and hoped for son in contrast to his disregard for his possible daughter:[2]
“I ask and beg of you to take good care of our baby son…If you are delivered of a child [before I come home] if it is a boy, keep it; if a girl, discard it. You have sent me word, ‘don’t forget you.’ How can I forget you? Do not worry.”
This is the kind world Mary lived in. One where male children were desired. One where female children were discarded.
But God “looked on” this woman. God paid special attention to Mary. Mary’s culture treated her as a nobody. God treated her as a somebody. The culture exploited women but God exalted this woman. The culture abused women but God appointed this woman. He looked on her. He paid special attention to her.
And everyone in every generation would see this. They would call her blessed. Just look at how God treated that woman! people would say!
This, in large part, is why Mary’s soul and spirit are rejoicing. God, the one who matters most, has looked on her when her own culture has looked down on her.
And God’s treatment of this one woman will have ripple effects across the world. Just as in Agatha Christie’s story, the one mistreatment of a young woman rippled across multiple lives, so God’s right treatment of this one young woman will ripple across the world:
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (Luke 1:46-55 ESV)
Here’s what’s going to happen within the culture and around the world because one woman was cherished and honored by God:
- people in power will be knocked off their thrones.
- Those with empty bellies will find a seat at a nourishing table.
- Those who only seem to care about their wallets will find themselves alone.
- Mercy will be in full supply.
Because Mary is favored, a son will be born to her. And her son will radically alter the world. The entire world is being redeemed because God revered this woman.
Bad Ripples
What a timely word! Consider Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2017. Previous winners of the award have been U.S. Presidents, world leaders, Pope’s, scientists, artists and celebrities. The magazine chose this year to spotlight those they call “The Silence Breakers.”[3] They highlighted the group, mostly women, who have been victims of sexual assault. The group includes
- actress Ashley Judd,
- a migrant strawberry picker from Mexico named Isabel,
- a former Uber engineer named Susan,
- a lobbyist named Adama,
- a hotel housekeeper named Juana,
- musician Taylor Swift,
- and others.
Each shared stories of being assaulted, or abused usually by men and usually by those in power. Each risked retaliation, losing employment or other consequences by coming forward. But by breaking their silence, they helped launch a revolution known as “Me Too” which has swept through 85 countries.
What a shocking statement about our culture this magazine cover makes! Here we are nearly 2000 years removed from Mary’s culture, and still women like Mary are fighting to be treated with decency.
But the good news of the Magnificat still rings true. God still looks upon women like Mary. Some may coldly pay women no attention. Others may cruelly pay women the wrong attention. But the good news of the Magnificat is that there is a God who always pays women the right attention.
God’s Son became the fullest revelation of God’s right attention to those like Mary.
- Jesus healed a number of women. This included Peter’s mother-in-law, the daughter of Jairus, the woman with the issue of blood, and the crippled woman whom he called “daughter of Abraham.”
- Jesus accepted and forgave women believed to be guilty of sins. This included a sinful woman who washed his feet, a woman brought to him and accused of a sexual crime, and the Samaritan woman. In fact, the longest conversation recorded between Jesus and another person was not a conversation between Jesus and a man. It was this conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
- Jesus used women as positive examples in his teaching. This included the persistent widow and the story of the widow’s mite.
- Jesus had many women among his first disciples. This included Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna.
- Women were last at the cross and first at the empty tomb, and the first to see and proclaim the risen Christ. The risen Christ, at the most important juncture for the Christian movement, trusted and commissioned women to proclaim to men the basic tenet of the Christian faith—He is not dead but is alive!
And many of Jesus’ followers took this to heart. Historian Rodney Stark shares that a study was done of Christian burials in the catacombs under Rome.[4] The inscriptions of 3,700 bodies were examined. They found that Christian women were nearly as likely as Christian men to have their lives commemorated with lengthy inscriptions. Compared to the way women were buried by non Christians this was unusual. Non Christian woman would rarely be given lengthy inscriptions. But for Christians this was true not only for women adults, but for female children. Christians lamented the loss of a daughter as much as that of a son, which was especially unusual compared to the culture. At least early on, the church became the place where women were highly valued, highly treated, and highly favored.
Dorothy Sayers was the first woman to receive a degree from Oxford. She became a devoted follower of Jesus. She once explained why in these words:[5]
“Perhaps it is no wonder that the women were first at the Cradle and last at the Cross. They had never known a man like this Man – there never has been such another. A prophet and teacher who never nagged at them, never flattered or coaxed or patronised; who never made arch jokes about them, never treated them either as “The women, God help us!” or “The ladies, God bless them!”; who rebuked without querulousness and praised without condescension; who took their questions and arguments seriously; who never mapped out their sphere for them, never urged them to be feminine or jeered at them for being female; who had no axe to grind and no uneasy male dignity to defend; who took them as he found them and was completely unself-conscious. There is no act, no sermon, no parable in the whole Gospel that borrows its pungency from female perversity; nobody could possibly guess from the words and deeds of Jesus that there was anything “funny” about woman’s nature.” [Dorothy Sayers]
This is what Mary found in God. This is why she sings her Magnificat. This is what women found in Jesus. And it led to a joy deeper than we can imagine.
But in the end, the Magnificat isn’t just about women. It’s about all who find themselves discouraged or despised, forlorn or forgotten, passed over or left out. It’s about a God who has sent a son to be a king over kingdom for all those without a kingdom. A God who has come to create a place for those without a place. A God who gives special attention to those to whom the world gives no attention or the wrong kind of attention. And when we experience that, we will all join Mary in singing: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
[1] “Women I: Gospels,” D. M. Scholer, The IVP Dictionary of the New Testament
[2] John Ortberg, Who is This Man?, 47.
[3] http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/
[4] Rodney Stark, The Triumph of Christianity (HarperOne, 2012), pp. 124-125
[5] Dorothy L. Sayers, Are Women Human? Astute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society
