Prayerfully Pondering
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
(Luke 2:19, ESV)
It is Christmas! We are now within two weeks of Christmas Day itself. Many of us are putting up trees and lights, attending parties and dinners, and making plans to travel or be with our loved ones. But Christmas is not all tinsel and lights for everyone. For many, this is a season of loss … be it a recent one or simply a reminder of one from our past. With increasing economic challenges, many cannot afford to celebrate Christmas the way they have in the past.
Regardless of our circumstances around Christmas, I hope we will make space to appreciate the amazing gift of Jesus’ birth. It’s tempting and easy to get focused on all the happenings and distractions of Christmas; while these are fun and fine, may they not be a distraction from the stable birth that is central to the season.
These last years, Mary has brought the most meaningful reflection for me. In Luke chapter two, the angels appear to the shepherds, joyfully announcing the birth of their promised Saviour. The shepherds were so awestruck that they left their sheep and traveled into town to honour this baby / this birth. What was Mary’s response to this?
In Luke 2.19, we read, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” I wonder if that would have been my response had I been in Mary’s shoes. She could have been complaining about the realities of pregnancy and childbirth, or about the required trip to Bethlehem, or having their baby away from home … or, even worse, having the baby in a barn instead of a home. She had nine months previous accepted the instruction of the angel, but was this really what it needed to be like?
Her response was to sit and receive, to meditate and reflect. She took in the reality of the situation, of becoming a mom, of being with Joseph, of knowing she was part of something big … bigger than she could grasp. She took in the reality of these shepherds, who testified to angels, who came to praise and admire baby Jesus. Mary demonstrates a spiritual principle that is essential for us not only at Christmas but throughout the year.
Do we personally consider and personalize all that is God is doing in and around us? Mary prayerfully pondered the shepherds’ words and presence. Later in chapter two, when Jesus was a boy, she again “treasured in her heart” the out of the ordinary words and actions of her Son. She could see the divine in her Son, in ways no one else could, and she “pondered” – trying to understand maybe, but I suspect it was more in a spirit of praise.
My hope is that we can each find parts of this season to enjoy and that we have people to enjoy it with.But, more so, my hope is that we will make space in our minds and hearts to “treasure” / to “ponder” as Mary the meaning and reality of Christ’s humanity alongside His divinity.