They're Playing Our Song

A man by the name of Jack Kornfield, (one of the leading Buddhist teachers in America and not at all a professing “Christ-Follower”) recounts in his book “How, Then, Shall We Live?” the custom of one African tribe. He says that in this tribe, when a woman decides to have a child, she goes and sits alone under a tree, and she listens. She listens until she hears the song of the child who wants to come.

Once she hears the song, she returns to the man who will be the child’s father and teaches the song to him. When they make love to conceive the child, they sing the song to call the child to them.

When the woman is pregnant, she teaches the child’s song to the midwives and old women of the village so that when the birth time arrives, the people surrounding the mother sing the song to welcome the child among them.

Then as the child grows up, the other villagers learn the song. If the child falls or hurts his knee someone picks him up and sings the song. When the child does something wonderful, the people of the village sing this song. When the child goes through the rites of puberty and becomes an adult, the villagers sing the song.

It goes this way through life. At a wedding, the songs of both husband and wife are sung together. Finally, when this child grows old, and lies in bed ready to die, all the villagers know the song, and they sing it for the last time.

That, to me, is a very beautiful thought; The idea that each person in that village has their own, special, very individual and personal, song… a song they carry with them throughout their lives. Reading that this week, I began to think about Jesus, and the song of HIS life. I wonder if Mary, during her nine month pregnancy, ever sang to Jesus?

When Kelli was pregnant with our children, at night… every night, we’d read and sing and talk to her belly. She had read that that was important, and so it’s something that we did. When our first son, Conor, was born there were some immediate concerns. The doctors didn’t have time to let me cut his cord; they quickly cut it and rushed him out of the room and into a smaller room where they checked him out. It was after a few moments of him screaming at the top of his little lungs that they asked if I would want to cut the chord. I was so nervous and happy and scared… I began to talk and say ‘yes, I’d love to’. As soon as Conor heard my voice, not the voices of all the nurses and doctors talking, he stopped crying! He even slightly turned his head… and stopped crying! It was as though he recognized my voice. All that time talking, praying, and singing to him… had caused him to know me!

We’re told in Luke 1:46-55 that Mary did indeed sing while Jesus was in her womb:

Luke 1:46-55  - HCSB

And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy. His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him. He has done a mighty deed with His arm; He has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, mindful of His mercy, just as He spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

When you read this song of praise it’s easy to see why Mary is so revered. Truly, she is a pretty neat young woman. She is totally humble, but also recognizes that “all generations will call her blessed”. I believe that this young woman had a major impact. Of course, Jesus was the Son of God, but God chose for this particular woman to be His mother, because His mother’s influence was something that, I believe, would help shape His life and ministry… beginning with the words that she spoke and sang over Him in the womb!

She sings of how God would use her Son to;

          “show mercy to generation after generation”

 “scatter the proud, because of the thoughts of their hearts”

“topple the mighty from their thrones”

“exalt the lowly”

“satisfy the hungry”

Some of these thoughts should ring a bell for those of us who are familiar with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ…

The very first sermon He ever preached, He stood up in the local synagogue, grabbed the Scroll of Isaiah and read;

                “God’s Spirit is upon Me”
                “He has anointed Me”

                “to preach Good News… to the poor and lowly”

                “to proclaim freedom to captives”

                “recovery of sight to the blind”

His most famous sermon ever was the Sermon on the Mount, where He declared;

          “the poor in Spirit are the ones who are blessed”

                “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed”

                “those who show mercy… blessed”

His most famous miracles were probably when He physically fed thousands who were hungry… just like His mother’s song spoke of… that He’d “satisfy the hungry”. And the times He “exalted the lowly” by bringing sight to the blind, eating & hanging out with sinners, and touching lepers.

As He hung on the Cross, He said seven specific statements that included:

Extending grace to a sinner being murdered for his crimes by declaring that the guy would be forgiven and freed from the captivity of sin that very day and be with Him “in Paradise”.

Declaring “It is finished” – speaking of the price being paid for redemption – the forgiveness of the sins of the world – freedom of the oppressed and captives of sins!

“Take care of My mother” – a woman who without a living husband would need to be cared for, especially during a terrific grieving process.

               

As a matter of fact, I’d suggest that if you do a careful study of the seven letters that Jesus commands John to write to the seven churches of Revelation, you’ll find the very same themes He was known for throughout His life and ministry;

God wants to show mercy to generation after generation
God will scatter the proud, because of the thoughts of their hearts
God will exalt the lowly
God will satisfy those who are hungry… for HIM – even come in and dine with them in intimate relationship.

What’s my point? What if Mary’s famous song, the song she sang while He was still in her womb – was not only ‘prophetic’… but was something that would help shape and mold her Son’s life and ministry?

What if Jesus’ song, like the song of the villagers I mentioned earlier, was something that was sung over Him from before He was born, during His life here, and even afterwards to this very day?

And when I think of that ‘song’…

              …the ‘Jesus Song’…

                                               …do I really know it...

                                                                     … and am I truly singing it?

If there were a “song” that defined my life… your life… what would it be?

Jesus’ song was one that exalted the poor and lowly

                …it sang of God’s amazing grace and incredible mercy to all generations

                                                                …it truly satisfied people’s deepest hunger.

What’s the song of my life doing?

         Is it a buddy-bear-drinking song that talks about all the good ‘ol friends I have?

                Is it a romantic love song that speaks only of my relationship with my wife?

Is it an annoying little commercial ‘diddy’ that speaks of nothing more than my materialistic concerns… and materialistic stuff?

                “Come on down to the GrassPad… the GrassPad’s high on grass!”

                “Every kiss begins with ‘K’…”

                “The Mid-West Hemorrhoid Treatment Center… Don’t Suffer In Silence”

Or is the song of our lives WAY MORE THAN THAT?

What if this Christmas we decided to make the song of our lives…the song of the Lamb… Jesus’ Song?

Revelation 15:2-3 - HCSB

“I also saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, his image, and the number of his name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb: Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations.”

Better yet… what if we made the song of our lives not just the song of the Lamb… but the Lamb Himself? 

What if Jesus, Himself could be the very core of who we are… the Song of our hearts? This Christmas – let us not just strive to keep “Christ” in “CHRISTmas”… but may we strive to keep “CHRIST Jesus” as the song of our hearts.