Mary's joy is for everyone

In narrating the events leading up to Jesus’ coming into the world, Luke not only presents an account of the circumstances and the people involved but also re-creates the atmosphere and the state of mind in which the events were experienced. Luke gives us a sense of what it felt like to be a part of these miraculous happenings.

One of the most prominent elements of this spiritual world is joy. The angel promises Zechariah that he will have “joy and gladness” at the birth of his son and that many will “rejoice” at his birth (1:14). The recurring Greek word is agalliasis, which indicates the eschatological jubilation that will burst forth at the time of the Messiah. At Mary’s greeting, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb “leaped for joy” (1:44). This note reaches its foremost high point in Mary’s exclamation: “My spirit rejoices [egalliasen] in God!” (1:47); it spreads out in the quiet joy of friends and relatives around the cradle of John, the precursor (see 1:58), finally and fully exploding at the birth of Christ in the cry of the angels to the shepherds: “We bring you good news of a great joy!” (2:10).

Luke’s account is not about just a few scattered mentions of joy but rather about a steady stream of quiet, profound joy. It’s an example of the sober intoxication of the Spirit. The people’s joy is a true spiritual intoxication, but it is also sober. They do not exalt themselves; they are not concerned about having a more or less important role in the kingdom of God that is beginning. Nor are they concerned about seeing its end; Simeon, for instance, says that the Lord can now allow him to depart in peace and disappear.