Yes, She Knew: Reflections on Mary, Mother of Jesus

In writing the poetry for our Christian children's book, "Mary, Mother of Jesus," we are struck by the depth of Mary's spirituality and biblical knowledge. She was no clueless teenager.

Writing Christian children’s books with Arabella Penrose has been a spiritual blessing. And no more so than in writing the poetry for Mary, Mother of Jesus (available on Amazon). Although the book is aimed at children, the insights we received inspire us as adults.

This post sums up our reflection on the depth of Mary’s spirituality and biblical knowledge, even as a young teenager.

Click to enlarge

Mary—Not a Clueless Teenager

According to biblical historians, Mary was likely in her mid-teens when the angel appeared to her.

We might assume that, as such a young person, Mary didn’t know much about spiritual things. The Christmas song “Mary Did You Know?” takes this perspective, questioning Mary as though she were clueless about the child she was about to bring into the world [1].

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1 reveals the depths of Mary’s biblical knowledge and her spirituality. She was steeped in God’s word. In Luke 1:46-55, she sings:

My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,  

For he has looked at the humble state of his servant.

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name.

His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him.

He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.

He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,  as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever. (WEB)

Let’s break this down, line by line:

Mary begins by spontaneously singing, “My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Here she is echoing Hannah’s prayer in 1 Sam. 2:1 (KJV)

… My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

She continues, “For he has looked at the humble state of his servant,” echoing Hannah’s prayer in 1 Sam. 1:11a (KJV):

And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life…

Mary goes on, “For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name,” now echoing Gen. 30:13 and Psa. 103:1 (KJV):

And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

She continues, “His mercy is for generations and generations on those who fear him,” almost a direct quote of Psa. 103:17 (KJV):

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children.

Mary is not done. She continues, “He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.” Here Mary is alluding to Psa. 89:10 (KJV):

Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.

She goes on, “He has put down princes from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.” Here Mary is paraphrasing Job 5:11 (KJV):

To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

Mary now is overflowing with praise. “He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty,” echoing Psa. 107:9 and 1 Sam. 2:5:

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased.

Mary concludes by seeing the child within her as the fulfillment of God’s promise to her ancestors: “He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy,  as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”  Mary here is drawing on so many Old Testament promises. Here are just two, Isa. 41:8-9 and Gen. 13:15:

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend….. and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

These are only a few of the Old Testament references in Mary’s song, showing what a godly woman she was—even as a young teenager! Who taught Mary the scriptures? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but certainly she knew and understood what God was calling her to do.

Our children’s book Mary, Mother of Jesus is available on Amazon, as part of the Real Women Heroes of the Bible series. May you and the children in your lives be blessed in reading it as much as God has blessed us in writing it.

End Notes

[1] I have written revised lyrics for “Mary Did You Know?” and have posted them here, along with a musical rendition.

All Bible quotations are from the King James Version (KJV) or World English Bible (WEB), both public domain.

God's Gift of Verse © 2024 by Frank S. Scavo is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International