The Protest Singer (Day 22: Roots & Shoots)

• The Ornament: The Lily / The Crown
• The Scripture: Luke 1:46–55

Timeline Check: The Iron Boot

Where we were: We ended the Old Testament with the prophets warning the people about empires like Assyria and Babylon.

The Gap: We just fast-forwarded roughly 400 years. This period is often called “The Intertestamental Period” or “The 400 Years of Silence.”

Where we are now: The silence is broken, but the oppression hasn’t stopped. The map has changed colors again. The Assyrians are gone. The Babylonians are gone. Now, Rome owns the world.

The Vibe: Israel is an occupied state. They have a puppet king (Herod) who answers to Caesar. The people are taxed heavily and treated as second-class citizens in their own land. They are desperate for a Revolution.

The Bridge: The Remix

Guide: Pete Enns (The Bible for Normal People, Ep. 289)

Before we look forward to Jesus, we have to look back to the Old Testament.

In Episode 289, Pete Enns explains that the Gospel writers weren’t trying to “predict” the future; they were looking backward to find patterns.

Mary’s song (The Magnificat) is a perfect example. It isn’t an original composition; it is a “remix” of Hannah’s Song from 1 Samuel 2.

This tells us something crucial about Mary: She wasn’t just a passive vessel; she was a theologian. She knew her history. She knew that the God of Israel was a God who “breaks the bows of the mighty,” and she stepped intentionally into that ancient stream of resistance.

The Surface Reading

We usually picture Mary as the “Silent Night” version: quiet, passive, and dressed in pastel blue. We see her as the ultimate example of submission—the girl who simply lowered her eyes and said, “Let it be.”

A Closer Look

Guide: Pete & Jared (The Bible for Normal People, Ep. 262)

But if we look at the historical context, the pastel Mary disappears.

Pete and Jared point out that the language Luke uses for Jesus—”Savior,” “Lord,” and “Peace on Earth”—were already taken. They were the official titles of Caesar Augustus.

Roman inscriptions from that era even called Caesar’s birthday the beginning of the “Good News” (Euangelion) for the world.

When Mary sings about “casting down the mighty from their thrones,” she isn’t just singing a lullaby; she is singing treason.

She is engaging in a war of titles. She is declaring that the Pax Romana (Peace by Force) is over, and the Pax Christi (Peace by Justice) has begun.

The Critique of Power

Guide: The Bible for Normal People (Ep. 230)

Why does Luke focus so much on Mary’s song?

In Episode 230, the hosts highlight the difference between the Gospels. Matthew gives us the Magi (rich insiders with gold). But Luke gives us the shepherds (homeless outcasts with nothing).

Mary’s song is the “Overture” to Luke’s Gospel. It explains why the shepherds get the invite.

Mary outlines the “Great Reversal” before Jesus is even born:

• “He has scattered the proud…”
• “He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”

Jesus didn’t invent his social justice theology in a vacuum; he learned it from his mother.

He spent 30 years listening to her sing about a God who bypasses the palace to empower the peasant.

The Grammar of Hope

There is one final detail in the text that we often miss, and it lies in the grammar.

If you look closely at the lyrics, Mary sings almost entirely in the past tense.

• “He has brought down the powerful…”
• “He has filled the hungry…”

But wait—when Mary sings this, Herod is still on the throne. Caesar is still taxing them. The hungry are still hungry. The baby hasn’t even been born yet.

Scholars call this the “prophetic perfect” tense.

Mary is so confident in God’s character that she speaks of the future victory as if it has already happened. She doesn’t wait for the revolution to be over to start celebrating. She celebrates the moment God arrives.

The Question

We love the baby Jesus, but are we ready for the revolutionary Mary? We often want a Christianity that comforts us and protects our status. But Mary’s song suggests that the arrival of God acts as a disruptor to the status quo.

If you sang Mary’s song today—honestly—what “thrones” in your own life (your ego, your wealth, your need for control) would need to be toppled?