89. The God Who Sets Things Right, Luke 1:46-55

God is a God who sets things right.  And that's what we see in Mary's Song--The Magnificat--in Luke 1:46-55.As we approach the end of 2020, for many of us it is clearer than ever just how broken our world is.  Disease.  Racism.  Poverty and lost financial security.  Violence.  Division.  Injustice.  These are the kinds of headlines that dominated the news this past year.But as broken as our world clearly is, it’s actually not more broken than the world into which Jesus was born.  Jesus’ world, too, was filled with disease, racism, poverty, violence, division, and injustice.   And in Mary's Song, in Luke 1:46-55, Mary praises the God who is sending his Son to set these things right.THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:In January 2020, Oxfam International reported that the 2153 billionaires in the world have more wealth than the 4.6 billion poorest people who make up 60% of the world’s population.The combined wealth of the 26 richest people in the world is the same as the combined wealth of the world's poorest 3.8 billion people.Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55 addresses God’s perspective on such inequity.Mary’s song is divided into four parts:Mary’s blessingTransitionThe Great ReversalGod’s faithfulness to IsraelWhy is God interested in bringing low the powerful and raising up the weak and poor?  Because God is a God of justice.We can see God’s desire to set things right throughout the Old Testament.Jesus came to set things right.Jesus' first ministry words in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 4:16-21) address Jesus’ desire to set things right.We’re invited to join Jesus in setting things right.RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:Scriptures:Luke 1:46-55Luke 4:16-21Six Practices of a Flourishing Church (downloadable PDF)Oxfam International statisticsInstructions to leave a review of Spiritual Life and Leadership:Click HERE.Click on the link that says, "Listen on Apple Podcasts."In the window that opens, click the button that says, "Open Link."  This will open iTunes.To the right of the Spiritual Life and Leadership logo, click "Ratings and Reviews."Under the heading, "Customer Reviews," click on the button that says, "Write a Review."Select the number of stars and write your review.Click submit.I'd be so grateful if you did this.  Thank you!— Links to Amazon are affiliate links.  If you make a purchase through any of these links, I’ll receive a small commission–which will help pay for the Spiritual Life and Leadership podcast!Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking!Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.