John 2:1-11

This passage occurs in the RCL Epiphany Season, Year C, most recently January 2025
 
This Bible passage continues to speak anew!

2013 Summary:  The numbers tell the story here.  This is Jesus FIRST miracle that happens on the THIRD day, in which he transforms SIX vessels of imperfect cleansing into celebration.  In fact, the word FIRST here means foundation, because this miracle foreshadows all the other miracles of Jesus; they are all miracles of transformation, including the resurrection on the third day.  Lastly, on a very Lutheran note, the transformation includes humans who are put to use for the service of others.

2019 Summary:   This passage is all about the mission of the church:  Jesus ministry takes place outside of the traditional boundaries and buildings.  It will involve the obedient participation of servants, who will become agents of transformation in this world, leading to a joyous party of abundance.

2022 Offering:  Even in times of scarcity (when experts tell us there is one more reason to fret), Jesus still calls a party.

Key words:
τριτη ("third", 2.1).  The phrase third day occurs in John's Gospel a few times.  All seem to be about the resurrection

- Jesus proclamation that the temple will be raised on the third day (2:19-20), also a reference to the resurrection on the third day.  

 - Jesus visits his disciples three times after the resurrection, including the three times (explicitly mentioned) he asks Peter if Peter loves Jesus.

So what to make of "three in this story?"  It seems a foreshadowing of resurrection, as Jesus begins to reveal his glory.  Interestingly, it could be read "on the third day there was a wedding" rather than "on the third day of the wedding."

εξ ("six", 2:6)  Six in the bible signifies something as incomplete.  It is not coincidental that John connects six with Jewish cleansing rituals.

αρχη ("first" or "principal", 2:11)  The word can mean first.  But if you look at the other times when it is translated as first (and not "beginning"), it has shades of "primary", or "foundational" first. So we need to ask ourselves -- why is this a foundational miracle?  Is this simply about wine? 

• John 6:64:  For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him.
• Colossians 1:18:  He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
• Hebrews 2:3, 3:14:  It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him...For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.
• Rev 22:13:  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

γαμος ("wedding", 2:1):  It is worth pointing out the incredibly obvious:  Jesus first miracle does not take place in a church, but in the world, at a wedding!

Οινον ουκ ("no wine"; 2:3)  The problem with humanity is that we are good at finding and proclaiming scarcity.  Jesus sees what we do not -- plenty of fluid!  Furthermore, the transformation of the water into wine is not for the water (or wine's sake), but is for the sake of the kingdom -- it is for God's glory and the neighbors at the party.  I think this phrase might be really helpful in a world constantly told that we are not enough and that we should be panicking.

Some other words:
διακονος (literally deacon, or deaconos, "servant", 2:5):  Jesus brings the διακονος to service for his ministry.  A reminder that while church language is often fancy "Deacon" for example, the core is humble -- serving others in obedience.

Ὅτι ἂν (literally "Because combined with uncertainty", 2:5):  Mary here tells them to do "whatever" he tells you.  The word for "whatever" is fascinating -- it is made of two small words, the first for "because/that" and the second for "uncertainty."  We just don't know what Jesus will tell us to do.  I find this a humbling remind to be obedient to Jesus, not knowing what he will ask us to do! 

επιστεθσαν ("believe", 2:11):  Believe in the book of John is never a noun "faith" but only a verb "to believe" or "to trust."

Grammar review:  An idiom you should know
"τι εμοι και σοι"  Jesus asks this question of Mary.  This is not a very nice thing to say to a person.  It means, "Who the hell are you."  It is also used
* Widow to Elijah, whom she believes is responsible for her son's death;1 Kings 17:18
* The demons to Jesus when he wants to exorcise them; Mark 5:7
But what to make of a sermon here:  Maybe, just maybe, the mission of God is influenced by human prayers and requests!!

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

This passage occurs in the RCL's year C passages; it also occurs as one of the last passages in the Narrative Lectionary's Year 2 cycle.  In the Narrative Lectionary it is partitioned as 1 Corinthians 12:1-13
 
Summary
Much has been written about spiritual gifts.  A few brief reflections/directions for preaching:
- Everyone has gifts.  For those that think they have no spiritual gift, ask them if they can confess Jesus as Lord.  If so, then they have spiritual gifts!
- Gifts are to work together. (The Greek suggests this in vs 1-11; the rest of chapter 12 makes this abundantly clear)
- Gifts are for others, although how far outside of the church spiritual gifts go is a long and complicated debate.
- Faith (and love) are gifts, nothing we can do to earn them.


Key Words and Grammar Items:
πνευματικος ("spiritual", 12:1) The first word here for "Spiritual Gifts" is "pneumatikos," an adjective that means spiritual. It is transformed into a noun here (technical note: by the placement of the definite article before it). But the word "gift" is not used. In fact, the word for gift later on is "charisma." So really, this should just read: "Concerning the spiritual things."  If you translate this as spiritual gifts then, in some ways, you are suggesting that all things spiritual are gifts!

εθνη ("Gentiles", 12:2) The translators render "ethne" here as "pagans" instead of "gentiles." A reminder of the tension, inherent in 1st century Christianity, between Jews and Gentiles.  To be non- Jewish was to be an "ethne" (and ethnic) and not part of God's family!

ειδωλα (plural form  of "idols", 12:2)  Although there are some examples of true worship to statues, generally idols function a bit different in our culture than in 1st century paganism.  However, we still have idols!  We may not have a temple with a large marble statue of Venus or Pluto in our towns, but definitely still worship the idols of beauty and money!

Grammatically, this sentence is really odd and I've even read that it is considered a manuscript error because it reads so strangely.  The NRSV nicely puts it, "however you were led." Paul uses the "αν" marker to show contingency and then uses two verbs: you were led, leading away. A poetic way to say: Whatever the heck road they led you on.

διακονια ("ministry" or "service", 12:5)  This word is becoming increasingly difficult to translate.  It has a non-religious origin, deriving from a waiter who serves.  More generally it can to mean service; the New Testament certainly uses it as a term for serving others.  For the church over the centuries the word has been picked up by a whole group of people who have dedicated their life to service (Deacons and related terms).  Part of the challenge in translating the word is inherent in the tensions around service (the concept and not the word).  Service can mean formal providing but it can also mean outpouring of mercy; furthermore, how the service conveyed by this term in the New Testament connected to the Word, proclamation and the Church?  In short, to translate διακονια as "ministry" makes it "churchy" something that it was not originally; to translate this as "service" derives it, perhaps, of the religious meaning Paul and others wish to imply.

This particular passage highlights the challenge of translating this word.  Luther's German, Tyndale and the KJV translate this not as "service" but as "office" or "administration."  While this translation seems to make service overly formal, it opens up the door for profound thinking about vocation -- each of our "offices" in life is an opportunity for serving others.  With this translation of διακονια as "office" Luther captures Paul's dynamic and far-reaching sense of the breadth of God's gifts.  Whether this is a fair translation is up for debate.  But no doubt Luther clearly connects vocation, even secular vocation, to spiritual gifts and service to the Lord.

ενεργεω ("energιζε", 12:6) The translations move in all sorts of directions here, but the word underneath all the working/doing by God is "energy."  This is perhaps a nice connection into people's lives -- from where does our energy come to survive the treadmill called life?

συμφερον ("good", 12:7) The English translators tend to add the word "common" before "good"; Paul's term "sympheron" is more neutral, as in "profitable" or "beneficial"; furthermore, it does not necessarily mean "common" and the word "common" is not in the Greek.  When this word appears elsewhere in Scripture, including its almost identical usage in Hebrews 12:10, it is not translated as "common good."  What then gives them permission to translate it as the "common good"? 

Well...here is my conjecture.  The word is a combination of two words συμ meaning "with" (the "n" in συν becomes an "μ") and  φερον meaning "bear" as in bearing fruit (John 15).  This word means then "bear together" or "produce together."  These gifts were given for the mutual harvesting of gifts!

Lastly, a Trinitiarian argument:
I believe that 12:11 this is the strongest statement in the NT that God is Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is said here to "ενεργεω" (energize) the activities, "διαιρεω" (distribute) the activities, which he "βουλεμαι" wills.  Paul locates the will of God in the Holy Spirit!  Moreover, in verse 7, the distributions are done by God who energies them. Same thing!

*** I hadn't realized I had done a post on this passage in 2016.  So I re-did one in 2025.  Interestingly, I looked at some different sources but come back to some similar themes.  In 2028, I will sync these up!

πνευματικος (meaning "spiritual", 12:1)  This word is often translated as "spiritual gifts," but Paul simply refers here to "spiritual things."  That these "spiritual things" are "gifts" comes in later in the passage. Worth considering

• Spiritual, within a Western post-enlightenment culture, often means private.  However, as Paul describes them in 1 Corinthians 12, the gifts are God are not simply about the individual.  
• Paul writes you cannot confess Κυριος Ιησους (meaning "Jesus is Lord", 12:3) unless you are in the Spirit.  This phrase, transliterated as "Kyrios Christos", certainly was political.  The alternative confession was "Κυριος Καίσαρος (Caesar)."  (Notice how similar the phrases are!)  Confessing Jesus as Lord meant declaring that Caesar was NOT your Lord.  In fact, Christians were later killed because they would not confess Κυριος Καίσαρος.  While the spiritual may indeed be personal, it is not necessarily private.
• συμφέρον ("carrying together" or "advantageous", 12:7)  Paul says that these spiritual things are given for the "συμφέρον."  The word literally means "carry together" which came to mean "advantageous."  The gifts you have been given are literally for the "carrying together" of the whole!  The Holy Post podcast was recently reflecting on the Los Angeles wildfires and the way in which society trusts neither the government nor businesses to pick up the pieces after the disaster.  How might the church be called into such a moment but also such a cultural context to deliver the gifts of God for the whole?
• Gifts, in all cultures, are complex.
• The word in verse 5 for gifts is literally χάρισμα - literally "charisma."  When we think of charisma, we think of something that of benefit for the person who has it.  This is likely our mindset with gifts, namely, they are beneficial for us.  But as Paul points out a few verses later, the gifts we have been given are not simply for our own benefit, but the good of the whole.  This may not have been truly a radical thought for the ancient Greek mind -- what is likely pushing the boundaries for the ancient Greco-Roman thought patterns likely found in Corinth is that wealthy and powerful Christians owed this kind of exchange of gifts with the poorer members of the church, who were not in their household (or even tribe!).
• Gifts often come with an expectation of return behavior.  While this is true in the US - "there is no free lunch" it was especially true in the ancient world.  As scholar Tazuko Angela van Berkel writes,
•  Greek ethical thought is on the whole more preoccupied with reciprocity as a model for other-benefiting behaviour than altruism. “Balanced reciprocity” refers to exchanges that assume an equal or equivalent return within a finite, often specified, period of time. Such exchanges do not create long-term relationships, because “debts” are immediately cancelled out. Rather, they preserve or restore balance.  Oxford Classic Research Dictionary, accessed Jan 15, 2025. 
• Paul's insight may be that we have no responsibility for reciprocity with our gifts from God.  I don't think so.  I think it is rather that we cannot repay God for what God has given us, so we are called to share this heavenly gift with others, especially those within the congregation.  In the case of ancient Corinth, this would have pressed the followers of Christ to a very uncomfortable point because this congregation included neighbors from across the tracks.

To put it another way, Paul's conception of spiritual gifts (πνευματικος) serves a communitarian rather than individualist aim.  This rubbed Paul's people the wrong way.  How might Paul challenge us today?  My sense is that the Paul's challenge to share with others in the congregation is in itself a good thing, but for many of us, we exist in a more homogenous content than ancient Corinth.  Does this mean our spiritual gifts are for use outside of the congregation?  On the one hand yes, but Paul clearly grounds his thinking, not simply in altruism, but the building up of a community.

Luke 3:15-22

This passage occurs in the RCL Epiphany Season, Year C, most recently January 2025.

Summary:  I get why the lectionary dismisses vs 18-20.  However, I would encourage you to add them back in.  John ended up in prison; all those who come near the waters of Baptism risk their health and life.  This is perhaps why Baptism for Luke is so tied to prayer -- because where there is Baptism, there is the cross, and where there is the cross, there will be prayer.  I also recognize why the lectionary separates out Jesus Baptism from Jesus' temptation.  But again, this is highly problematic because it robs Baptism of its fundamental character:  entrance into the Spiritual warfare of Christ against all evil in the world including in ourselves.

Four sermon ideas based on the Greek:
What are you waiting for?
3:15 Luke here uses the word, προσδοκωντος, (participle for of προσδοκαω) for "wait" or "expect." Interestingly, Luke uses this word a whole bunch (6x in Luke; 4x in Acts), far more often than anyone else. In this case though, the people are not waiting for Jesus, per se, but rather the Messiah, and wondering whether John would be it. Perhaps a reminder and a challenge -- what are we waiting for?  Jesus shows up when we were expecting something and offers us REAL life.

Power of prayer:
3:21 Once again the Gospel of Luke, we find Jesus praying. The word "praying" is here a present participle (προσευχομενου), which means it is a concurrent action.

[Note: I have modified a previous post because I've learned more about the grammar at hand].  The way the participles line up, Jesus is baptized, starts praying and continued to pray as these other events happen.  But don't let the grammar get in the way of the big point:  Jesus first act after baptism is prayer!  Prayer is bound up with Baptism for Luke.  You might even say that it "activates" Baptism; prayer brings us back to Baptism, to the waters.  Prayer opens heaven to us!

The word baptize is used four times in a few verses here. I think Luke wants to draw our attention to the actual action. Perhaps to tie it back to prayer, because of the act of Baptism, we always hear the answer to our own prayers: That we are a beloved child of God and brother of Jesus Christ, claimed in the waters.

Incarnation of the Spirit:
3:22 At Christmas we celebrate the incarnation of the flesh; in Baptism we celebrate the incarnation of the Spirit! The Holy Spirit fleshed itself -- it came "σομα" (soma; body) style!  The Spirit again become flesh in our Baptism into the body of Christ.

A fourth bonus: God's work of cleansing

διακαθαραι:  to thoroughly cleanse (vs 17)
παρακαλων ευηγγελιζετο: comforting/encouraging/exhorting as he proclaimed the Gospel. (vs 18)

For John the Baptist, the idea that God is going to cleanse us is Good News.  This seems like the opposite of good news, this talk of things being cast in the fire!  Option 1:  See this as Good News in that God is going to take us, the chosen and beloved.  Sucks for others.  Option 2:  Or we can see this (through a Lutheran lens) that each person has wheat and chaff.  The sinner must be put to death in the waters of Baptism!  The end game is a cleansing for each of us though! 

Luke 2:1-20

This passage occurs as the Gospel for Christmas Eve in all three lectionary cycles.

Summary:  I have no desire to summarize the meaning of the incarnation in Luke's Gospel.  This passage has layers and layers of meaning for us to draw on this year and every year.  I offer this as a way to hopefully point toward something in the passage that can help launch your reflection and preaching.

Words I found interesting:

οικουμενη(ν) ("world", 2.1)  The word for "all the world" here really means civilized world, coming from the Greek work οικος.  It is a reminder that for those in the Roman empire, this meant the ENTIRE world.

δογμα (literally dogma, meaning "decree", 2.1)  No important theological consideration.  Just that Rome has always been interested in promulgating dogma ;-)

απογραφη ("registration" 2.2)  A few directions one can go with this word. 
First, power of Rome:  Liddell Scott refers to this as "a register of persons liable to taxation."  Rome wanted a census because they wanted to tax and conscript people.  The first two sentences of Luke 2 are dripping with imperial power.

Second, challenge of history:  Luke's chronological placement of Quirinius doesn't add up in terms of a chronology.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quirinius. (Other scholars are more generous.) 

A note on Luke's 'historicity.'  Luke 1 (vs 4), Luke 2 and Luke 3 all start with details about the time period, a reminder that Luke is not trying to write a myth here, but trying to put Jesus' birth and life within the actual historical context.

Third, sin of a census:  In 2 Samuel 24:10, David confesses to sinning as he has engaged in a census.  Why is this a sin?  Because the idea was not to count your troops but to trust the Lord in battle.  In fact, it may be that the zealots (mentioned in the New Testament) arose out of anger of this census being taken. 

Can we put this altogether:  Even if you cannot accept as historical fact the coincidence of Jesus birth with the census, Jesus would have been a young child during a census, a brutal reminder of the power of Rome, a foreign and pagan power.  Quirinius' biography is a great story of the "Roman dream" where someone rose through military victory and shifting political allegiances.  In short, Luke's setting the stage is correct:  The Jews existed under an imperial power, hostile to their faith.  Jesus was born in an empire that cared not for him.  This imperial power was and remains the envy of all other empires in its military and administrative might.

To drive this point home, the angel proclaims, "who is Christ, the Lord."  In Greek, this is spelled Χριστος κυριος, which is the basic confession of faith (Christ is Lord) that ran contrary to the Roman confession of faith (Caesar Kurios).  The angel here offers a subversive confession of faith! 

To put it more softly, the power of the state is to count, tax and wage war.  The power of the mother, really the power of the church, is to embrace and shepherd.

καταλυματι  ("inn", 2:7)  There was no room for them in the inn.  Later Jesus will make room for himself in another inn -- the upper room (22:11; same word).  One take is that Mary and Joseph were with distance family and because it was so crowded, they put the baby and pregnant woman in with the animals.  Even if you want to imagine Jesus as a middle class person with distant relatives surrounding him...Luke's poetry still maintains its force:  The world didn't have room for him and the prince of all creation was sleeping in a bed of hay.  (And more crassly, a woman was giving birth among the animals!)

μεγαλην (literally "great", 2:9 and 2:10).  Two things are great in this passage -- there is a great fear and then a great joy.  This sets up, in many ways, the background for the whole of Luke's Gospel:  Jesus will cause great fear, but also great joy.  It is a backdrop for any good Christmas sermon too -- there is great fear in our world, but because of Jesus, we have reason for great joy.

ημεραις  (days, 2:1; 2:6 and throughout Luke 1 and Luke 2) vs σημερον (today, 2:11)  Throughout the Gospel of Luke, but especially the early part, there are lots of things that are happening 'in those days'.  But Jesus birth happens today.  I wonder if there a sermon connection there, thinking about the pacing of life.  Women move slowly with a donkey; the shepherds are hurrying to see.  We have lots of days, but Christmas day is different.  For me, Christmas Eve is one of the few times a year when I feel like I am not just living days, rushing from one activity to the next, but simply in the moment, dwelling in the proclamation.

To put it another way:  Christmas in America does everything is can to focus our attention on the past or the future.  The angels tell us to focus on the here and now, where God is! 

αγραυλουντες (participle form of αγραυλεω, meaning "living outdoors", 2:8)  This is a word we don't have in English.  It clearly does not refer to high class people!  Luke 2 begins in a powerful roman 'war room' in which the decision is make to count troops and tax citizens, but ends up in a field, in which the riches of heaven and the ranks of the heavenly host is unveiled.  Luke is moving us down the ladder of importance (Emperor, Governor, king of the Jews, middle class inn owners and finally to shepherds).  Yet, this precisely where the world's power is not is where God chooses to reveal God's self.

ευδοκιας ("pleasure", 2:14)  I often wondered about this word -- did God intend peace for all people or just those whom he liked?  First, the Greek has a textual problem.  The manuscripts seem divided (and even in manuscripts there are edits) whether this should be read as a nominative or genitive.

If we read it as a nominative:
N) glory to God; peace on earth; good will among humans (i.e. three items distributed in three realms)
If we read it as a genitive
G)  glory to God; peace on earth among humans of (his) pleasure.
If we go with option N) it seems that good will is toward all people, unambiguously.  Unfortunately, the evidence textually, even though divided, favors option G).
So, if we go with option G) we encounter a bit more ambiguity.  If this is the case (okay, bad pun there), Luke writes "upon the earth peace among people of pleasure/desire."  The Greek leaves out the phrase, "of him."  It simply states, "among people of desire."  I am not sure if we can, on the basis of grammar, solve this case (again, bad pun).  What is unambiguous is that God intends for peace on earth!  What is ambiguous grammatically and historically is how we humans live into this peace.

ρημα (literally "herema" meaning "word", 2:15)  This word is like logos, and it can mean thing or matter or word.  Thus...the shepherds literally say, "Let us behold the word."  John's Gospel is famous for articulating this concept, that the word became flesh, (John 1:14), but Luke here subtly allows the shepherds to articulate this most divine mystery!

Thayer offers that ρημα means "properly, that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word; i.e. a. any sound produced by the voice and having a definite meaning."  When the shepherds report to Mary what was spoken (ρημα) and when Mary ponders the words/matter (ρημα) in her heart, translating this word as simply "word" makes sense.  But when the shepherds say, "Let us behold the word", referring to the birth of the baby, this is clearly saying that a word has become flesh!

Ιωσηφ (literally "Joseph", 2:16) Just a reminder that Joseph isn't left out of the picture!

συμβαλλουσα (literally "symballoo", meaning "ponder", 2:19)  Mary "pondered these things in her heart."  The word for ponder is symbol -- to draw meaning, to pull together or literally to throw together.  This is fascinating that Mary is gathering together the images and thoughts of the angels in her mind.

Grammar Review:  Cognate Accusative
It is considered poor English to write a sentence in which the verb and object share the same word root.  For example:  I climbed a climb or I rode a ride.  We are trained to make the object and verb different words:  "I climbed a mountain" or "I rode a bike." 
Because of Hebrew's limited vocabulary as well as the importance of simplifying stories for oral transmission, cognate accusatives are very common.  Not so much in Greek, however.  Which is strange then that Luke uses two of them in this passage:
φυλασσοντεσ φυλακας (literally "guarded their guard," or "tended their flocks," 2.8)
εφοβηθησαν φοβου (literally "feared a great fear," 2.9)
Not sure why Luke does this other than to speculate he was reading a lot of the Old Testament as he wrote the Christmas narrative!

Luke 3:7-18

This passage is found in the RCL, Advent 3, Year C (Most recently Dec 15, 2024).  Luke 3:16-17 and 21-22 also occur in the RCL, Baptism of our Lord, Year C.

Summary:  It almost seems ironic to the Lutheran preacher that Luke refers to John "evangelizing"; here for it seems all law.  However, this is a great Lutheran sermon.  It fully offers the listener God's law, both instrumentally (vocation) but also theologically (terror that leads us to Christ).  Furthermore, it defines the role of the church:  God's gathering of baptized sinners, where God justifies them (cleanses) and sanctifies them (puts them to use).  Basically, Martin Luther must have written this chapter.  Haha!!

Okay, a more subtle commentary -- sanctification requires sifting.  Does the church sift us or has life already sifted us?!

Key words:
προσδοκαω ("wait" or "expect"; 3:15)  A great Advent words!  Interestingly, Luke uses this word a whole bunch (6x in Luke; 4x in Acts), far more often than anyone else. In this case though, the people are not waiting for Jesus, per se, but rather the Messiah, and wondering whether John would be it. Perhaps a reminder and a challenge -- what are we waiting for?

καρδιας ("heart"; 3:15)  The people wondered "in their hearts."  In Luke's Gospel, the hearts is the place where thought occurs, much like Hebrew!

ειη ("to be"; 3:15) The word here for "is" is in the optative mood, a rare usage indeed. Gotta give it to Luke -- using Hebrew thought with advanced Greek!

αλων ("threshing floor") and συναγω ("gather"; 3:17)  God gathers in the wheat to do something good with it.  It was beaten, yes, but this had a purpose -- make the grain productive for wheat.  This is sanctification.  God taking away our crap so that we can be useful for our neighbor.

διακαθαιρω ("cleanse"; 3:17).  This word's cousin καθαιρω is more familiar -- Catherize!  The job of the church is to cleanse us.

Grammar Review:  Super easy participle:
μελλοθσηας:   The "coming" wrath.  This is a verb function as an adjective.  Easy as pie.  Remember, not all participles are hard!  Many have direct and easy ways to translate them into English.  In this case, you just have to identify it as an adjectival participle (how?  It has the word "the" in front of it and it describes the word immediately following it).

Luke 1:39-56 (Magnificat)

This passage occurs in the RCL Advent Season.  Some years it is simply an optional psalm passage.
 
Luke's Magnificat:
Summary:  Luke is such a gifted writer that the preacher need not do much more than slow down and help people hear what he writes. I have focused on joy.  In Luke's Gospel, joy is associated with the Jesus and communal worship. The Bible pushes this further and connects joy with suffering; if that seems an unfair stretch for this passage, Mary is certainly joyful amid great uncertainty, political oppression if not also family instability.

2023 Note:  In light of the constant memes I am reading about how anti-establishment (and pro-poverty) Mary's words are, I hope I have not missed the mark with this post.  Mary's prophetic words do pronounce a fundamental change in the world order, including the downfall of the rich and powerful.  Perhaps I struggle with how to preach such a passage given my own relative comfort in life!  Regardless, I find it interesting that when one studies the verbs, one notes that God is the one doing the tearing down, not us.

Key Words: All about joy

εσκριτησεν ("stir with joy", from σκριταω 1:41,44). In the New Testament, this word appears only in Luke. The Hebrew word that LXX translators translated as σκριταω has fascinating imagery, including the movement of cattle released from a stall. There is something uncontrollable about this type of movement. In Ancient Greek it would refer to the movement of wind gusts.   (Alas, I couldn't come up with something concrete to tie together Spirit and joy here based on this word!)  John has an uncontrollable joy in encountering Jesus.

(2014 note) When I think of this word now, I think of my own daughter skipping home from school in her excitement about the day.

αγαλλιασει ("extreme joy", 1:44; as a verb in 1:47) This word means a great joy that often results in body movement. It appears in other key places in the Bible both as a noun and verb.
Psalm 51: Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing
Luke 1:47 My spirit rejoices in God my savior
Acts 2:46 The original worshiping community
Matthew 5:12 (Beatitudes) Rejoice when they mistreat you...they did the same to the prophets.
(1 Peter also associates this word with faith in the midst of suffering and trials.)

χαρα ("joy"; not in this section!) Okay, okay, the word joy is not in this section. But joy shows up a lot in Luke
1:14: Joy at birth of John
2:10 Joy in the news of angels to the shepherds
10:17  This disciples returning from their 'mission trip' realizing that demons will submit to the name of Jesus.
15:10 and 7: Joy at a repentant sinner.
24:41 Joy of the disciples at the resurrection
24:52 The disciples end Luke's Gospel by worshiping in joy

Verb Analysis: All about God

Look at the verbs in the Magnificat associated with God's action:

• look (48)
• bless (48)
• done (49)
• [extend mercy] (50)
• done (51)
• *scatter (51)
• *tear down (52)
• uplift (52)
• fill (53)
• *send away (empty) (53)
• help (54)
• remember mercy (54)
• speak (55)

Observations

• First, God is the main agent in the Magnificat.  This is not a social agenda for humans.  One could argue that humans should do all this following God's example.  However, Mary does none of this, at least not the destructive stuff.  Furthermore, most people that go about tearing down are rarely ever viewed, in their life, or even later, as agents of God.
• Second, most of these verbs are positive, but a handful are "negative" or "destructive."  I marked those with an asterisk.  In short, God's primary work is giving life; the act of judging and punishing is secondary, or as Luther calls it, alien.
• Third, all of the verbs are in the aorist tense, suggesting that they refer to one time events (typically in the past).  This means that Mary somehow sees Jesus birth as accomplishing (or having already accomplished) all of this.  Ponder that!!

Grammar:  All about Resurrection (Luke 1:37-38)

In many cases, it is impossible to translate word for word, not only because of meaning but also syntax. English translators are (almost) forced to hide a resurrection that happens in Mary.
Mary has just heard the Word of the Lord and responded in faithful obedience (1:37-38). The translators make it look like there is a new paragraph: "In those days..." where the Greek connects Mary's faith to the next move. It reads literally, "Raised up, Mary, in those days went." In fact the word for rise/rose is actually αναστατις, which means even "resurrection."
So, a nice Lutheran translation would be:
"May it be according to your word." Raised up to new life, Mary went to Elizabeth...

To put it simply, Luke subtly reinforces the notion that the Word of the Lord produces resurrection.

Luke 1:26-38 (Annunication)

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary during Advent.

Summary:

Many commentaries reading this passage display a hermeneutic of suspicion.  For example, the anchor Bible commentary was lamenting that Luke put everything in an OT style.  Strangely enough, this was proof that he was making this stuff up.  (Imagine, God works in a consistent manner over time).  The virgin birth becomes highly problematic within this hermeneutic of suspicion! 

I do not think Luke wants us to read with such cynical eyes.  First, Luke goes to great lengths here to give us names and dates, indicating he intends to write history, not fiction.  He even has the angel offer Mary a sign (the pregnancy of Elizabeth), reminding us of Mary's human need for proof.  While his characters may follow patterns of other Biblical characters, they seem to me to be real people with hopes and fears.  (Because the Bible characters, as it turns out, are real people with hopes and fears)

I think Luke offers us another hermeneutic:  belief in God's word to do miracles.  I use the word hermeneutic because Luke plays on the word herma in this passage; the word for "thing" in verse in 37 is "rema", but because of the heavy breathing on the "r", this comes into English "herma"; the word for "word" in verse 38 is also "rema" (herma).  We should read the Bible, not ready to doubt, but ready to be amazed at what God has done.  This hermeneutic, I believe, is what Luke intends that we might echo the angel and Mary in declaring that “All things (hermas) are possible through God”  and “Let it be done according to your word (herma).”

Key Words:
οηομα ("name"; appears throughout the section)  It is curious that the word name appears four times in this section.  In addition, every character has a name; even people not part of the immediate story, David and Elizabeth, are named.

καλεω ("call"/"invite"; appears throughout the section)  It is also curious that the word "call" appear four times in this section.  Clearly calling things a name is a vital part of this pericope.

παρθενου ("virgin" or "young woman"; 1:27)  Let's settle this debate.  Linguistically it is possible to imagine that Mary is simply referred to hear as a young woman and not a "virgin."  However, the word for virgin is parthenos (like the Parthenon building, to the virgin Athena).  Furthermore, Mary's very objection to the pregnancy is the fact that she has never known a man.

χαρις ("grace"; 1:28; 1:30)  In 1:28 this appears as a verb in the perfect passive form:  "Having been graced." It is interesting that the grace is in the perfect, in that the graceful event occurred previous to the angel's announcement.  What was the event that already gave her this grace? Perhaps her own immaculate conception?!  

Another tough thing about this idea of Mary's grace is found in the NET's translation notes.  They lament the Vulgate translation, "full of grace" because it presents the idea that Mary has grace to bestow on others.  While it is true that Mary's grace comes from God, it is hard to make the argument that Mary does not bestow grace on the rest of us through her role in the birth.  Catholics (and Orthodox) go too far, but we protestants have never quite done Mary justice!

συγγενις ("female relative"; 1:36)  This word has a cool etymology:  συν (syn) + γινομαι (ginomai).  These words mean "together" and "become/born."  The word γινομαι is where we get the word "gene" and "genesis" from.  συγγενις is a word that has a variety of meanings, ranging from family member to  a kinsman.  In short, it ranges from one who shares the same "genes" to one who shares the same "story" that is, the broader sense of relationship between people.

I find this interesting because in 2023, I observe that more and more, people align themselves less with the people of co-birth but co-becoming -- the people whom we develop as humans over time with.  This is especially true in the middle upper class, where people often move far away for education, career and child raising.  These become our friends in many ways!  Elizabeth and Mary have their stories brought together by an angel, not by true blood lineage.

Grammar Review:  Missing words
The phrase the "The Lord be with you" is not really what the Greek says. It simply reads "The Lord with you." (ο κυριος μετα σου)  This can be read as an imperative, as in it expresses a wish, "The Lord be or will be with you." Or as an indicative: "The Lord is with you." Interestingly, most translators translate a similar construction at the end of the Gospel of John (Peace to you) with an imperative/wish "Peace be with you." Using the same translation method they use here, that phrase in John's Gospel should read there "Peace is with you."  In this case, I would probably argue for the translation, "The Lord is with you" because a) the angel is standing right there and b) the angel says she is graced.