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But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
Mary seems to get my attention in the scriptures. Maybe its because I can relate to her as a mom. Seeing the movie “The Passion of Christ” some of the scenes that impacted me the most were Mary’s suffering. Regardless of the fact she knew He was fully God and fully man, He was still her baby boy. As a mom, my heart aches for her, watching her baby boy, let alone her God, suffer the way He did. Maybe Mary catches my attention because I grew up in the Catholic Church. We are taught to reverence Mary, worship her, pray to her, love her. After study of the scriptures I have gone from reverence of her to more accurately relating to her. It’s in the book of Luke that I really see her and connect with her
Another version of Luke 2:19 reads “Mary kept these things in her heart and thought about them often.” One needs to read the previous verses in Luke chapter two to see what “things” scripture is referring. The word “thing” in the Greek is rhema which means to be “uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word”. The “spoken word” and the “thing” that Mary “thought about often” is the same truth that the shepherds heard in verse 11, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.” Even after giving birth to Jesus as a virgin, it seems that Mary still struggles with the truth that He is the Lord. She pondered this truth which could be translated as “struggled with in her mind”. Later in verse 51, it says she “kept” these things in her heart, which could be translated similar as “carefully or continually kept” this truth in her heart. Fact is, Mary struggled with the truth. This beautiful miracle that she was a grand part of, her baby boy, was in fact the Messiah.
Wow! How could she doubt. She gave birth to him, an angel visited and told her, even her husband was told in a dream, but yet she still struggled. I wonder if it wasn’t that she struggled to believe what was told to her but that she struggled to want to believe what was told to her. She knew the scriptures, she knew the path of suffering ahead for her son, but yet, she “pondered it in her heart”. She remain obedient in the struggle of the truth. Mary gives me hope and inspiration. It is that verse, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19, that I had printed and taped to my computer monitor for three years as my inspiration for James’ return and restoration of our marriage. Along with Luke 2:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” I, like Mary, was struggling with the truth of the promise that the Lord had given me. I didn’t fully understand but I pondered it in my heart, knowing that God would bless me if I just walked faithfully in His plan. I can’t compare Jesus’ suffering and death to James’ but I think you can see how my heart can connect with Mary through his death. All the while, God was preparing me for the restoration of our marriage but the bigger purpose was James’ restoration to God. Jesus came to this Earth to seek and save the lost, (Luke 19:10), heal the sick and show love and forgiveness. But His bigger purpose was to die and pay the penalty for our sins so we can have eternal life (Romans 4:25)…restoration to God.
Do you struggle to want to believe what God has told you? Possibly because you fear the suffering that may come along with it? “Fear not, for I am with you…” (Isaiah 41:10). If God is with you, who can be against you (Romans 8:31)? Trust His promises today, and like Mary we will receive the crown of life.
March 17, 2014. Happy 24th Wedding Anniversary James…I will celebrate God’s work in and through our marriage until I see you again.