Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent: “Magnify Love”
Scripture: Luke 1:46-55; Ruth 1:16-18
Theme: Love as Companionship, Commitment, and God’s Presence

Let us pray:

God of steadfast love,
You have walked with us through the valleys, guided us through the wilderness, and accompanied us in our joys and sorrows. Today, as we gather in worship, open our hearts to your Word. May the stories of Ruth and Naomi, Mary and Elizabeth, inspire us to magnify your love in our lives.

As we prepare to welcome Christ, Emmanuel—God with us—remind us that your love is not confined to places of comfort but extends to those who wander, those who seek refuge, and those who long for home. Fill us with your Spirit, so that we might be instruments of your justice, companions to the lonely, and bearers of your light.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, your Son, our Savior. Amen.

 
Introduction: What Does Love Look Like?
Good morning, church. Today, as we light the fourth candle of Advent, we celebrate love—the crowning theme of this holy season. As Christmas draws near, we reflect on the ways God’s love has been revealed in scripture, in the world, and in our lives. But what does love look like?

In scripture, love often looks like companionship. Love is walking together along the way, through times of joy and times of sorrow. Love is not always grand or dramatic; sometimes, it is steady, quiet, and deeply faithful.

Today, we look at two stories of love: Ruth and Naomi, and Mary’s Magnificat. Both stories show us what it means to magnify God’s love in the world. They remind us that love is active, sacrificial, and enduring.

Scene One: Ruth and Naomi – Love as Devotion
The story of Ruth and Naomi begins with loss. Naomi has lost her husband and both her sons, leaving her vulnerable and grief-stricken. Her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, are also grieving, and Naomi urges them to return to their families and rebuild their lives.

While Orpah eventually goes back, Ruth refuses to leave Naomi’s side. Her words are some of the most profound expressions of love in scripture:

• “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Ruth’s love for Naomi is not transactional or self-serving. It is a love born out of sheer kindness and unwavering devotion. Ruth chooses to accompany Naomi, even though it means leaving behind her homeland, her family, and any sense of security.

This is what love looks like. It walks with others through loss and uncertainty. It chooses presence over convenience. Ruth’s actions embody the kind of love we see in God—a love that never abandons, never turns away, and never stops walking alongside us.

Who are the Ruths in your life—those who have walked with you through difficult seasons? And who are the Naomis, waiting for you to offer the gift of steadfast love and companionship?

Scene Two: Mary’s Magnificat – Love as Revolutionary Joy
Centuries later, another young woman named Mary offers her own response to God’s love. After hearing the angel Gabriel’s extraordinary message, Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, and together they celebrate what God is doing.

Mary’s song, the Magnificat, is a declaration of God’s love that is active, revolutionary, and deeply rooted in justice:

• “God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”
• “God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.”

Like Ruth, Mary chooses to magnify God’s love through her actions. She accepts the call to bear the Christ child, knowing the risks and challenges it will bring. Her Magnificat proclaims that God’s love is not passive—it disrupts systems of oppression, lifts up the marginalized, and transforms the world.

Mary’s song reminds us that love is not just an emotion; it is a call to action. Love feeds the hungry, welcomes the stranger, and seeks justice for the oppressed. It is a love that magnifies God’s presence in the world, just as Mary’s Magnificat magnifies God’s promises.

Scene Three: Love as Companionship – God With Us
The stories of Ruth and Naomi and Mary’s Magnificat show us that love is not static. It moves. It walks. It accompanies. This is the nature of God’s love throughout scripture—a love that journeys with us, wherever we go.

In 2 Samuel 7, we hear a profound reminder of this truth. When David suggests building a grand “house of cedar” for God, God responds by recalling the journey they have shared:

• “I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to this very day, but have been traveling around in a tent and a dwelling” (v. 6).
• “I have been with you wherever you went” (v. 9).

This response underscores that God’s love is not tied to a single place or structure. It is a love that moves, accompanying us through the wilderness, through exile, and through every step of life’s journey.

When Ruth pledges her devotion to Naomi—“Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge”—she mirrors the very nature of God’s love. Ruth’s steadfast companionship is a reflection of the God who never abandons, never turns away, and never stops walking with us.

And when Mary sings her Magnificat, she celebrates this same shepherding love. She praises the God who has been present through the generations, lifting up the lowly and scattering the proud. Mary’s song is a declaration that this love is now being made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ—Emmanuel, “God with us.”

Scene Four: Magnifying Love in the World
So, what does it mean to magnify God’s love in the world today? How can we, like Ruth and Mary, reflect God’s love in our relationships and communities?

1. Choose Presence Over Convenience: In a world that values efficiency, love often means slowing down and showing up. Who in your life needs you to walk alongside them right now?
2. Proclaim Love Through Action: Like Mary, let your love be a force for justice. Look for ways to lift up the lowly, feed the hungry, and welcome the stranger.
3. Reflect God’s Faithfulness: Ruth’s devotion to Naomi mirrors God’s unwavering love for us. How can you offer that kind of faithfulness to someone in need?
4. Celebrate Love in Community: Mary’s Magnificat was sung in the company of Elizabeth, and Ruth’s love for Naomi led to a new community in Bethlehem. Love is amplified when shared. Who can you join in celebrating God’s love this week?

Closing Reflection: Holy Are the Wanderers, Holy Is God’s Love
As we light the fourth candle of Advent, we reflect on the ways God’s love has been made manifest in scripture and in our lives. Today, we’ve seen that love is not static or self-serving. Love moves. It journeys. It walks alongside the brokenhearted, the hungry, and the vulnerable.

Ruth’s unwavering companionship to Naomi reflects the love of God, who has been with us “wherever we went.” Mary’s Magnificat proclaims a love that lifts up the lowly and scatters the proud—a revolutionary love embodied in Jesus, who is Emmanuel, “God with us.”

And as we look around our world today, we are reminded that God’s love is still found in those who wander far from home, in the refugee seeking safety, and in the guest at our doors. The hymn Holy is the Refugee reminds us that every body, every breath, every soul is holy, made in the image of God.

This Advent, as we prepare to welcome Christ, may we also prepare to welcome those who seek warmth and rest. May our lives, like Mary’s song, magnify the love of God for all people. May we recognize the sacredness of every life, every journey, and every act of love.

As we sing, let us lift our voices in the hope and truth that God’s love knows no borders or barriers. Holy are those who wander, and holy is the God who walks with them. – Joy to the world, for God’s love has come! Amen.

Holy is the Refugee
“As we close our time together, let this hymn be both our prayer and our call to action. May we recognize the holiness of every person, every journey, and every life. May we, like Ruth and Mary, magnify God’s love by offering welcome, companionship, and care to those who seek safety, warmth, and rest. Let us sing together, Holy is the Refugee.”

Benediction
Go now into the world, magnifying the love of God in all you do.
Walk with those who wander, welcome those who seek rest,
and lift up the lowly with acts of kindness and compassion.

Like Ruth, may you choose the path of steadfast love.
Like Mary, may your life sing of God’s justice and grace.
And like Christ, may you embody the love that moves, walks, and transforms.

The God who journeys with us,
the Christ who dwells among us,
and the Spirit who sustains us,
be with you this day and always.

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Amen.