An Audacious Advent: Setting the TableSample

Dignity at the Table

Advent is a time of anticipation. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ, and we also look forward to His return.

Today’s passage is crackling with anticipation. As soon as Mary’s voice reaches Elizabeth’s ears, her baby leaps. The Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth, and she blesses Mary as she anticipates the coming of the Lord. Mary then blesses the Lord in a song called the Magnificat.

Mary blesses the Lord for looking upon her lowly condition and doing great things for her. She praises the Lord for blessing her and showing her great favor. Mary anticipates a change in status: from a person of humble estate to being called blessed for generations.

With the coming of Jesus, Mary also anticipates justice for God’s people. This justice calls for a complete reversal. The hungry are satisfied. The proud are scattered. The mighty are toppled and the lowly are exalted. The rich are sent away empty. It is the mighty arm of the Lord that does this for His people.

Jesus echoes the themes of the Magnificat when He gives His mission statement in Luke 4:18-19 (NIV). Jesus announced that he had come to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him for this purpose.

Both Mary and Jesus describe justice as a central aspect of Jesus’ mission—not merely justice for the individual, but justice that reshapes the world. This justice is not achieved by worldly power. It is established by the power of the Lord.

If you, like Mary, feel lowly, take heart. Though the world prioritizes wealth and power, the lowly come first in the Kingdom…and the Kingdom has come.

Advent Invitation:
In a culture that prioritizes status and strength, Jesus came for the lowly and lifted them up. Equality in the Kingdom means no one is too small to be seen or too unimportant to be included. Take time to name the places where you feel lowly—overlooked, under-resourced, or in need of God’s strength. Ask the Lord to meet you with His mighty love. Then, let that same love flow outward. Who around you feels unseen, uninvited, or forgotten? What are some ways your posture mirrors Mary’s humility and Jesus’ example—where no one is left out, and every voice matters?

Written by: CaReese Mukulu